Just seven people have taken up the mantle of 007 over the years, but countless actors have auditioned for the role. Some of them are still in the running to be the next James Bond, after Daniel Craig stepped down in 2021.
While some have auditioned - and one actor has done so more than once - there are other Hollywood stars who were approached directly for the role and turned it down. One person on this list actually phoned his agent to demand the job, and was promptly shut down.
So here are 10 actors who almost became James Bond, and the reasons why they didn’t get the part.
1. Adam West
American actor Adam West is perhaps most famous for playing Batman in the 1960s, as well as a parody of himself, Mayor West, in Family Guy. At the height of his fame he was offered the role of James Bond - but turned it down. The reason? According to co-star Burt Ward, "He thought it should be a Brit that plays the role." | Harry Dempster/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
2. Liam Neeson
Another actor who apparently turned down the role of James Bond is Taken star Liam Neeson. While now famed for his action flicks, the Irishman reportedly rejected the offer of becoming 007 for GoldenEye, with Pierce Brosnan taking the job instead. He had good reason for his choice though - filming would have clashed with his wedding, where he tied the knot with Natasha Richardson. | Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye
3. Ralph Fiennes
Eventually taking the role of M in 2012's Skyfall, Fiennes was previously in the running to play Bond himself. The Harry Potter star revealed to the Sunday Telegraph that he met with producers after Timothy Dalton's final 007 movie, Licence To Kill (1989). | Araya Doheny / Getty Images
4. Sir Michael Caine
Now best known for his appearances in the Kingsman and Batman franchises, Michael Caine was once in the running to be 007 himself. He was actually offered the role in 1967, after Sean Connery stepped down, but declined because "Bond was a glamorous, imaginative creation. I’ve always played real people." | Getty Images