10 Actors Who Originally Turned Down Their Most Iconic Roles
5. Timothy Dalton Thought He Was Too Young To Play Bond - The Living Daylights
Timothy Dalton's name will be forever synonymous with that of James Bond. Which is surprising, really, given how he only played the part twice. Oh, and also as the actor showed a hefty amount of resistance when it came to, you know, agreeing to play the part.
Dalton was first offered the role of James Bond almost twenty years before he actually signed on for The Living Daylights, you see, in the wake of Sean Connery's departure as the iconic British secret agent. Whilst any normal person would have presumably said yes to such an offer and got stuck into filming On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Dalton turned down the part on account of his age.
"I was about 24 or 25, which is too young," Dalton said. "But when you've seen Bond from the beginning, you don't take over from Sean Connery."
A fair point, especially when you consider that the next Bond - George Lazenby - only played the character once before he was booted out.
In 1980, Dalton was asked to play Bond again, but he refused on the grounds that the franchise had taken a silly turn. It would not be until six years later that the actor would finally relent. With Roger Moore retired and the producers' first choice, Pierce Brosnan, unable to commit, Dalton agreed to play 007. What a journey.