10 Best Actors Who Almost Played James Bond

Playing the role of 007 is a big deal. In fact, just look at how the fans react whenever an actor’s name is associated with playing James Bond. It’s the same as whenever anyone is linked to the part of Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man, and everyone — and we mean, everyone — has an opinion over who would be the best actor for the gig. Needless to say, the hills of the internet become alive with the sound of flame wars.

While the selection of 007s on screen has been terrific across every James Bond movie, there have been a few close calls throughout the years that could have been excellent replacements too. That isn’t to say that these picks would be infinitely better than the final actors chosen, but they would have certainly shaken — not stirred — the viewer’s curiosity at the very least. After all, who wouldn’t want to see what Henry Cavill, Sam Neill, or Ralph Fiennes could have done as the dashing and dapper British superspy? It’s fun to ponder these kinds of what-ifs and imagine how the movies and franchise could have turned out differently!

So, which big stars could have turned out as 007? You won’t need to sign your soul away to an intelligence agency to gain access to this information. So, sit back, relax, and find out more about the 10 best actors who almost played Bond. James Bond.

In terms of James Bond castings that could still happen, Henry Cavill’s name often comes up when the conversation turns to a potential new 007. It’s unsurprising, especially because the British actor oozes the charm and sophistication that make him perfectly suited for the part. Seriously, look at his role as the smooth operator Napoleon Solo in the extremely underappreciated 2015 Guy Ritchie film “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” — it’s practically a Bond audition for the former Superman actor.

The truth is Cavill could have been Bond much earlier in his career and actually auditioned for 2006’s “Casino Royale.” Speaking to the Daily Express, director Martin Campbell admitted that the superhero actor would have been a good 007, but the actor was deemed too young for the role. Campbell said, “He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous. And look, if Daniel [Craig] didn’t exist Henry would have made an excellent Bond.”

Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Cavill told Men’s Health that he didn’t believe he was physically prepared for the audition at the time, with even Campbell telling him he was “looking a little chubby.” Cavill took the criticism in his stride, though. For his future roles, he dedicated himself to proper dieting and training, hence him looking like a sculpted Greek god in “Man of Steel” and practically every film thereafter.

No one does silent brooding quite like Terence Stamp, as the British actor knows how to convey everything his characters feel through his powerful facial expressions. While he’s known for a wide range of roles across various genres throughout his career, his most famous part is as General Zod in the “Superman” films. Although, no one might have been kneeling before his version of Zod had Stamp secured the role of James Bond.

At the 2013 BFI South Bank (via The Evening Standard), Stamp revealed that after Sean Connery’s departure following 1967’s “You Only Live Twice,” he was approached to take over by producer Harry Saltzman. Stamp expressed excitement about the role, but he had his own ideas of how he could play 007, which he believes may have put him straight out of the running. “Sean has made the role his own,” Stamp told Saltzman. “The public will have trouble accepting anyone else. But in one of the books it starts with him disguised as a Japanese warrior. If we could do that one, I could start the movie in complete Japanese make-up. By the time it came off they are used to me a little bit. I would love to do it like that.” Saltzman didn’t share his enthusiasm.

Stamp would have made an interesting choice for Bond, as his natural intensity would have added a different layer to the character not yet seen on screen at the time.

When someone thinks of James Bond, Mel Gibson isn’t the first name that comes to mind — especially in the ’80s. He was more of a rugged action man, thanks to his turn as Max Rockatansky in the “Mad Max” movies — and he doesn’t exactly scream prim and proper British mannerisms either. That said, Gibson has proven himself a capable and charismatic actor throughout his career, delivering what’s required of him from the story on the page, so his turn as 007 could have been a fascinating one to experience.

According to Gibson, it almost happened, but he turned it down. Speaking to JoBlo, the Australian actor revealed he was approached for the role of Bond when he was 26 years old and working on “The Year of Living Dangerously” at the time. “I thought about it,” Gibson said. “I was in Australia. I was working with Peter Weir. And I did think about it, and I sort of turned it down — for that reason. Because I thought, look what happened to poor Sean [Connery], he got stuck there for like three decades.”

For Gibson, he didn’t want to be typecast as 007 for the rest of his life, much like Connery had been, so he chose to take a different path that didn’t involve martinis and Aston Martins. Gibson wouldn’t have been the first Australian to play Bond, though, as George Lazenby beat him to that honor.

Sam Neill could play a cabbage in a trash can and be nominated for an award, because that’s how good he is. From “The Piano” to “The Hunt for Red October” and “Jurassic Park,” the Northern Ireland-born actor has demonstrated how he can do anything required of him. It also shouldn’t be surprising that he was linked with the part of James Bond in the mid-’80s after he starred as Sidney Reilly in 1983’s “Reilly, Ace of Spies.” Sure, it was an on-the-nose casting choice, but Neill’s slick performance ensured that he couldn’t be ignored.

Neill auditioned for the role of Bond for 1987’s “The Living Daylights,” but the actor confessed he wouldn’t have taken it had it been offered to him. “It was the last time that I was bullied into doing a screen test,” Neill told Den of Geek. “My agent insisted that I go and do it, [saying] it would be rude otherwise. So reluctantly I went out to Pinewood [Studios] and did this silly thing for a part I never wanted to do.”

Despite Neill’s reluctance, he was a reported favorite for the part. Albert Broccoli settled on Pierce Brosnan, who wasn’t able to take the role because of his “Remington Steele” contract, so this led to Timothy Dalton suiting up as 007. Neill revealed that Roger Moore once told him he should have been Bond, and who can argue with that stamp of approval?!

It’s almost criminal that Liam Neeson didn’t play James Bond, since he’s tailor-made for the role and has played variations of the character in countless action flicks. Heck, think of Bryan Mills from “Taken” as an example; he’s basically a retired superspy who unleashes wrath on all those who take his special people from him. It’s something that Bond would do too, and he wouldn’t be shy of utilizing his own very particular set of skills to send a message to the thugs either.

As it turns out, Neeson was approached about the possibility of playing 007 before 1995’s “GoldenEye.” In 2014, he explained to the Hull Daily Mail that he was “heavily courted” for the part, but he chose to follow his heart instead — quite literally. He said, “My wife-to-be [Natasha Richardson] said, ‘If you play James Bond we’re not getting married!’ And I had to take that on board, because I did want to marry her.”

While Neeson failed to play Bond, he didn’t do too badly for himself in retrospect. Apart from all the knuckle-dusting action features he’s starred in, he also cemented himself in pop culture history by playing Qui-Gon Jinn in “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” and Ra’s al Ghul in “Batman Begins.”

Television connoisseurs know Julian McMahon from his role as Christian Troy in “Nip/Tuck.” The plastic surgeon proves to be the ultimate heartbreaker on the show, luring women into his web of charm and letting them down like a ton of bricks. Occasionally, he actually works. No different from what James Bond does on his missions, right? Obviously, the producers for 007 thought so too, as McMahon shot to the top of the pack to play the secret agent in “Casino Royale.”

In February 2005, McMahon confirmed to The Mirror that he was officially on the shortlist for Bond. “I’m a big James Bond fan,” McMahon said. “I met the producers for a final audition. They told me to expect a decision in a couple of months and they said it was between me and one other person. It’s going to be a very nervous wait.”

In the end, Daniel Craig nabbed the role of 007, though McMahon later admitted that he thought it was the right decision that a British actor got the part. What was McMahon’s consolation prize? Beating out Robert Downey Jr. to playing Doctor Doom in Tim Story’s “Fantastic Four” films. But hey, at least Doom’s helmet was cool. Sort of.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the role of Wolverine changed Hugh Jackman’s life. It put him on a one-way trip to superstardom and turned him into an A-list actor. Expectedly, every big franchise wanted a piece of him at the peak of his powers. For Jackman, though, he didn’t want to become an outright action man, so he tended to reject the roles that would keep him pigeonholed in the genre.

Resultantly, he became one of the actors who turned down James Bond. Speaking to IndieWire, Jackman mentioned how he was approached about 007 but had his reservations. “I had a look at it,” he said. “I was like, ‘If I’m doing that and Wolverine, I’ll have no time to do anything else.’ I clearly find it more interesting to play people who color outside the lines.”

Unquestionably, Jackman would have been a popular choice for Bond, because he’s an actor who carries a lot of goodwill with the audience. In addition to this, he isn’t a one-trick pony and would bring his own showmanship and unique flavor to 007. That said, Jackman is right — he wouldn’t have had much time to do anything more than the mutant mayhem or spy games. And would anyone really have wanted him to call time on his X-Men days to play Bond instead?

One of the best actors who almost played James Bond is Ralph Fiennes. Of course, the actor would have his time in the franchise as he played M in “Skyfall,” “Spectre,” and “No Time to Die.” However, it’s surprising how the Bond producers and Fiennes never made it work beforehand, especially since he’s seen as a quintessential English actor and possesses all the characteristics one would expect from 007. And let’s just cut to the chase here: He’s also one of the greatest actors of his generation, period.

Answering fan questions on The Guardian, Fiennes opened up about the role of Bond and his thoughts on playing the famous spy. “There was a discussion, once, some years ago, about my playing 007,” he said. “I don’t think I would have been very good, but I did feel that I could have had a crack at it if it had been set in the 1950s. I love the books and I always saw them in black and white, gritty, noirish and very dangerous. And probably very politically incorrect!”

While Fiennes didn’t reveal which Bond film he was approached for, it’s presumed to be “Casino Royale.” There could have been a massive butterfly effect if he had taken the gig, though, since it’s unlikely he would have had the time to play Lord Voldemort in the “Harry Potter” films, which would have been awful. No one else but Fiennes could have played “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

Clive Owen accelerated into everyone’s heart as the fan-favorite actor to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond after he starred in BMW’s “The Hire,” a series of short films that served to promote the luxury car brand but also told fantastic bite-sized stories. Owen kicked into gear as the charming Driver and showed off his coolness under pressure in intense car sequences directed by esteemed filmmakers such as Guy Ritchie, Ang Lee, John Woo, and Tony Scott. Looking at Owen’s performance in “The Hire,” it isn’t too difficult to imagine him playing a wonderful Bond.

Owen continued to flirt with the spy genre by appearing in “The Bourne Identity.” Plus, his subsequent rise in popularity in Hollywood would have made him a solid bet to be the next 007 for those who like to deal in those types of activities. At one point, a legitimate question was: If not Owen, who?

In an interview with Glamour (via The Evening Standard), Owen revealed that he had repeatedly turned down the opportunity to play the famous secret agent. “I may be the only actor who consistently said, ‘No, no and no,'” he said. “I never understood what I would have been able to add to the role, or how I could play a character who has already been defined in the past. For me, Sean Connery is the real James Bond.” While he never played Bond, Clive Owen returned in 2016 as the Driver in another BMW short film.

Eon Productions found itself in a pickle in the early ’80s because Roger Moore wasn’t keen on playing James Bond anymore. Matters were further complicated by the competing non-Eon Bond film “Never Say Never Again” that loomed on the horizon. As James Brolin told the Daily Express, Moore was out for “Octopussy,” so producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli met with Brolin about the part. The American actor dressed to the nines to look good for the meeting, and he shot two screen tests for the role.

Brolin impressed Broccoli and secured the part. According to the actor, they even went partying in London to celebrate the casting until the cruel mistress known as fate intervened. “I literally left Cubby Broccoli in London,” Brolin said, “came home to get all my stuff to live in England for a year, when Roger Moore said, ‘Oh I’ll do one more!'” And just like that, Brolin was out as Bond. Interestingly enough, Moore revealed that he gave Sean Connery first pick over which Bond project to take, since Moore had also been offered “Never Say Never Again.” After Connery made his choice, Moore committed to “Octopussy.”

Due to being American, Brolin doesn’t instantly jump out as the natural choice for the very British Bond. However, his two screen tests proved that he could have pulled off the role and brought the necessary double whammy of physicality and coolness to the character.