Clint Eastwood has left an indelible mark on the world of Hollywood. With a career spanning decades, he is known for his amazing portrayal of a number of versatile characters, earning widespread praise for his performances.
Known for playing some of the most iconic characters, it is no surprise he was one of the most sought-after actors back in his days. The Dirty Harry actor recently revealed how he missed out on certain roles and opportunities including the chance to play James Bond and Superman.
Clint Eastwood Rejected The Role Of James Bond
Talk about iconic roles and James Bond would surely be there on the list. Played by numerous actors over the years, the 007 legacy is filled with an equal number of actors rejecting the role for several reasons. One of the most recent being Hugh Jackman, who rejected the role back in 2006. But before Hugh Jackman, the role of the reel-life’s best spy went to Clint Eastwood.
Back in the 1970s, when Sean Connery had quit the role after playing it for seven movies, the makers were in search of a new actor. They wanted an actor that was already an established icon, and who could have been better than Eastwood who was the most popular actor in the world at that time. However, Clint Eastwood had no plans to take up the role.
“I was also offered pretty good money to do James Bond if I would take on the role. This was after Sean Connery left. My lawyer represented the Broccolis and he came and said, ‘They would love to have you.’ But to me, well, that was somebody else’s gig. That’s Sean’s deal. It didn’t feel right for me to be doing it.”
Continuing on Eastwood added how he preferred roles that were more grounded in reality. And so we missed out on a James Bond with an amazingly thick American Accent and rather a dark portrayal of the iconic Bond role.
Clint Eastwood Rejected Iconic Roles Because He Didn’t Feel Like It
The enigmatic Eastwood is known for his intense demeanor and intriguing roles that audiences find hard to ignore. The Eiger Sanction actor could have played two of the most iconic roles in the history of cinema, but he left them with no thanks as he didn’t feel like playing them. When Warner Bros were first thinking about bringing the legendary superhero on screen, Clint Eastwood was one of the first actors they approached.
“I can remember – and this was many years ago – when [Warner Bros. President] Frank Wells came to me about doing Superman. So, it could have happened. This was when they first started to think about making it. I was like, ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.’ Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me.”
The role eventually went to Christopher Reeve while Clint Eastwood was enjoying his time with the movie Every Which Way But Loose. Eastwood’s main reason for rejecting Superman was that that one role might overshadow his entire career. Talking about his main worry, he said
“That was part of the consideration, a big part. Look at Reeve, he was excellent. That was a big factor. You get a role like that, and it locks you in a bit.”
Clint Eastwood did reject the role of Superman, but the actor had little to no regrets about it despite losing millions of dollars worth of opportunity.
Source: Express.co.UK
