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.
5. Michael Jackson
Yeah... thank God this didn't happen. Jackson apparently spoke to his agent to push for the role after Roger Moore quit - but was comprehensively shut down. | Getty Images
6. Henry Cavill
He's now a household name in Hollywood thanks to his roles in Man of Steel, Mission: Impossible and The Witcher, but in the early 2000s Cavill auditioned for the role of Bond. He was turned down because producers thought he was "too young" - and the job went to Daniel Craig instead. He's still in the running to be Craig's replacement, though. | Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
7. Christian Bale
By contrast, Christian Bale was offered the job as James Bond in 1999, but made it very clear he had no intention of taking the role. Speaking about it in 2023 the American Psycho star said: "James Bond was every despicable stereotype about England and British actors. I already played a serial killer." | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
8. Hugh-Jackman
Following Pierce Brosnan's departure - and Bale's refusal - producers then called Hugh Jackman, asking if he'd like the part. But having seen the movies turn "so unbelievable" during Brosnan's tenure, and with X-Men filming ramping up, Jackman said he'd "never have time" to commit to both franchises. | Getty Images