After Pierce Brosnan and before Daniel Craig, numerous actors auditioned for the role of James Bond. Liam Neeson is slated to have rejected the role when it was offered to him on a silver platter while Sam Worthington tried his level best to make the role fit him.
Talking about his audition for the role of James Bond, Sam Worthington talked about how he was heavily considered for the role of the 007 agent. Worthington noted that he even met the producer of the franchise Barbara Broccoli but he lacked something that could not be taught.
When Sam Worthington Lacked James Bond’s Charm
Pierce Brosnan announced his departure from the James Bond franchise back in 2002 with his last movie Die Another Day. In 2006, the producers were all ready to release Casino Royale, another James Bond movie but they had no idea who to cast as the next MI-6 agent.
Numerous actors appeared for the audition. The role was also offered to several actors which they refused. Out of these actors, Sam Worthington was pretty close to gaining the role of the new James Bond until the producer Barbara Broccoli found him lacking James Bond’s natural charm and charisma. In an interview, the actor recalled how he was almost finalized for the role and Broccoli even cut his hair to give him that James Bond look. The actor lamented that he couldn’t pull off that charm of the 007 agent and thus, had to step down from the opportunity.
“I could play Bond as a killer, but I couldn’t get the debonair down for the life of me. […] The suit did not fit.”
Worthington is known for portraying the role of Jake Sully in James Cameron’s magnum opus franchise Avatar. Alongside this, the actor is also quite popular for lending his voice to the character of Alex Mason in Call of Duty: Black Ops, Black Ops II, and, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The actor would have missed out on all these opportunities if he would have been selected for the James Bond franchise.
When Liam Neeson Rejected The Role of James Bond
Liam Neeson found fame by starring in the 1993 movie Schindler’s List. The producers of the James Bond franchise were so impressed with Neeson that before hiring Pierce Brosnan for the role, the opportunity was offered to him first but he had to reject the offer.
His longtime girlfriend and wife Natasha Richardson refused the actor to star in the James Bond franchise because of all the “gorgeous girls in various countries getting in and out of [Bond’s] bed.” The role later went to Pierce Brosnan while Liam Neeson went on to marry Natasha Richardson. From his career and Neeson’s projects, it seems that the actor is living with no regrets as Liam Neeson chose the love of his life over a franchise!
Source: Slash Film
