Burt Reynolds and the Bond Role That Got Away
Burt Reynolds often claimed he nearly became James Bond, but the franchise’s top brass had other ideas, insisting 007 must remain a British icon. How close did he really get?
For years, Burt Reynolds was never shy about sharing tales of the big roles he’d passed up, and James Bond was always near the top of his list. But just how close did the American star come to slipping into 007’s tuxedo? With the Bond franchise running for over six decades and only a handful of blokes ever playing the part, there’s always been plenty of speculation about who might have been. While George Lazenby, an Aussie, managed to land the gig once, the rest have all hailed from the UK or Ireland. Still, the idea of casting an outsider wasn’t completely off the table.
Hollywood Heavyweights in the Mix
Over the years, a few big names from across the pond have been considered for the role. James Brolin, for example, was all set to take over after Roger Moore, only for Moore to decide he wasn’t quite done saving the world. Clint Eastwood was also approached after Sean Connery’s first exit, but he reckoned Bond should stay British. Reynolds, for his part, claimed he felt the same way, saying that when the offer came, he wasn’t keen on taking on such a British icon. He suggested it was an easy decision to turn down the chance for fast cars and fancy gadgets, thanks to a mix of nerves and his own American identity.
That said, it’s a bit of a stretch to say the role was his for the taking. The reality is, he probably never stood much of a chance after Lazenby’s run or Connery’s brief return. The main decision makers behind the franchise were quick to rule him out.
Inside the Bond Brain Trust
Tom Mankiewicz, who penned several Bond scripts in the early ’70s, offered a peek behind the curtain.
“Burt Reynolds almost played Bond,”
he recalled in the book Nobody Does It Better, noting that director Guy Hamilton was a big fan.
“At the time we were doing Diamonds Are Forever, Cubby and Guy went over to meet an actor named Burt Reynolds, who was doing a series called Dan August at the time. Guy thought he was charming as hell. Burt’s name came up again at Live and Let Die. As a matter of fact, the choice was between Burt Reynolds and Roger Moore.”
But Mankiewicz also shared the other side of the yarn.
“When I say ‘choice’, Burt’s agent, Dick Clayton, had read the script, and they were discussing it very seriously. He had just done Deliverance. I think the biggest problem would have been getting him for three pictures, or four pictures. He was a very viable choice at the time.”
From a box office perspective, Reynolds was a hot ticket, but there was one major hurdle he couldn’t clear.
Why Reynolds Was Ruled Out
Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the man at the top of the Bond food chain, wasn’t having it. Mankiewicz revealed,
“Cubby was the one who nixed it.”
The Broccoli patriarch
“really put his foot down and said James Bond has to be English,”
which meant Reynolds was out of the running before things got too serious. The team was told in no uncertain terms,
“you can’t do this,”
and that was that. They might have missed out on the world’s biggest star at the time, but for the Bond franchise, keeping 007 British was non-negotiable.