15 Terrible Mistakes That Almost Ruined James Bond For Everyone

14. The Connery-Lazenby-Connery Switch

Sean Connery's fifth film as Bond, You Only Live Twice, was announced during production to be his last, and so for 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Australian George Lazenby snagged the part. Though critical and fan reception of the movie had warmed over the years, Lazenby to this day remains the big question mark in terms of Bond actors, the one who never quite managed to convince the fanbase, in large part because he only played Bond once, having been urged by his agent that Bond wouldn't be relevant in the liberal 1970s. For Diamonds Are Forever, it was eventually decided that Sean Connery would be coaxed to return under any means necessary, leading to the actor landing an unprecedented £1.25 million payday (roughly £23 million adjusted for inflation). Though the final results were mixed to say the least, Connery's return was widely lauded, even if it was a somewhat embarrassing situation for United Artists, and totally confusing for audiences (especially prior to the age of the Internet). Still, the series bounced back with the stable casting of Roger Moore for 1973's Live and Let Die, and the rest is history.