David Niven (1967) Niven was Ian Fleming's first choice before Connery was cast, and he portrayed an older Bond who had won a Victoria Cross and had settled down with a child.

Who was originally supposed to play James Bond?

James Bond author Ian Fleming initially wanted David Niven to play his famed spy. And though Connery won the first film role, Fleming eventually got to see Niven play the part in the 1967 adaptation of Casino Royale. By contrast to his fellow Bonds, the late Niven was one of the older stars to become the spy.

Who was the first choice for James Bond?

But this isn't actually true as both The Saint and the Bond film series started in 1962, so he couldn't have been inspired by Moore's performance there. He may have seen Moore in an early film/tv series but the only actor Fleming ever endorsed as Bond was David Niven.

Who turned down the James Bond role?

James Mason

He turned down the role for similar reasons to Grant, being in his early fifties at the time of being approached and not wishing to be held in a long-term commitment: he was offered to play Bond twice, rather than once, but it was still not enough.

Who has been offered the role of James Bond?

While rumours have included Tom Hardy, Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page and Idris Elba, who said the “disgusting” race discourse around his possible casting put him off the idea of playing Bond, it's been claimed that the role has been offered to Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Was Sean Connery the first choice to be James Bond?

Who turned down the role of Dr. No.?

Fleming favoured either David Niven, Moore or his cousin, Christopher Lee, with his neighbour in Jamaica, Noel Coward, as Dr No, all of whom were deemed unsuitable for one reason or another. In fact Coward himself turned down the part, famously sending a telegraph to the producers which simply read: "Dr. No? No!

Did Clint Eastwood turn down a role in James Bond?

Originally Answered: Are there any actors who have turned down the role of James Bond? Yes. There's actually been quite a few actors who have turned down the role. Adam West, Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood all turned it down as they felt the part should be played by a Brit.

Who was the least popular James Bond?

George Lazenby often places last on many people's rankings of James Bond actors.

Who played James Bond the longest?

In terms of timespan, Daniel Craig is the longest-serving Bond of all time, with 15 years passing between his debut in Casino Royale (2006) and his swan song in No Time To Die (2021). But both Sean Connery and Roger Moore actually played the character in more films than Craig.

Who was the black actor who was going to play James Bond?

Idris Elba is speaking candidly about being considered to portray James Bond and how he was put off from the role when "it became about race."

Who was the real James Bond in real life?

Learning that Bond creator Ian Fleming drew upon the life and career of Porfirio Rubirosa—a Dominican diplomat, international polo champion, race-car driver, pilot, and spy— as the inspiration for the classic 007 character shook performer Christopher Rivas' very foundation and set him on a quest to find his true self.

Who will replace Daniel Craig as James Bond?

According to reports from The Sun, the offer to portray Bond has been extended to Taylor-Johnson, and Eon Productions is eagerly awaiting his response to kickstart production on a new film. 'It's a big decision," James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli told Variety in 2022.

Who is the only James Bond actor to win an Oscar?

1. Sean Connery. The tall, handsome and muscular Scottish actor Sean Connery is best known as the original actor to portray James Bond in the hugely successful movie franchise, starring in seven films between 1962 and 1983.

Who got paid the most to play James Bond?

Daniel Craig's salary for portraying James Bond in Spectre (USA/UK, 2015) is estimated to have totalled around $39 million (£25.4 million), making him by far the highest-paid actor to have appeared in the Bond series to date, even allowing for inflation.

Who was the most liked Bond?

And in at number one, Pierce Brosnan

Then let's press on. For us, the Irishman swings the top spot, purely because he marks the perfect mid-point between everything that makes Bond great. His films see a blend of Timothy Dalton's grittiness and Roger Moore's campiness.

Why did Hugh Jackman reject James Bond?

Hugh Jackman Wanted To Focus On Wolverine

In an interview with IndieWire, Jackman revealed that he turned down the role of Bond in order to focus on the X-Men series: “I had a look at it.

Did Sean Connery like Daniel Craig as Bond?

The feeling between Connery and Craig, as it turns out, was mutual.

Why did Cary Grant turn down the role of James Bond?

Actually, Cubby proposed the part to Cary (who was his best man) but he didn't want to make a series of films. Only one and for a big salary. Anyway, maybe, he was already too old even if he played a spy struggling for his life on the rooftop against George Kenedy in Charade (1963) directed by Stanley Donen.

Who has been asked to be James Bond?

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has reportedly been offered the role of the next James Bond. The 33-year-old British actor has been asked to take over from Daniel Craig, who played the role for 15 years.

Who was supposed to play James Bond instead of Daniel Craig?

One of the current favourites to take on the role is Super Man and Mission: Impossible actor Henry Cavill who was thought to be in the running to play Bond before Craig was cast. He told GQ in 2020 that he "would love to play Bond, it would be very, very exciting".

How old was Sean Connery when he filmed Dr. No?

Moore appeared as Simon Templar on the television series The Saint, airing in the United Kingdom for the first time on 4 October 1962, only one day before the premiere of Dr. No. Ultimately, the producers turned to 31-year-old Sean Connery for five films.