9 Actors You Had No Idea Almost Played James Bond

2. John Bingham, 7th Early Of Lucan

Michael Gambon Bond
The Mirror

What, you don't know legendary actor John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan? Don't you know anything about films?

Just kidding. In actuality, John Bingham is by far the strangest person ever given the opportunity to pursue the role of Bond. Bingham - who frequently went by Lord Lucan - was a British noble who lived an incredibly lavish lifestyle, racing power boats and driving around in an Aston Martin.

It's likely this is the reason Bingham was approached by producers for the role: he was practically a real life version of the spy - including, it would seem, the killing. In 1974 Bingham disappeared following the brutal murder of his children's nanny, a woman named Sandra Rivett.

Several years before this (during which Bingham had begun a brief career in acting) he was invited by Albert Broccoli to screen test for the role. It was at this point that Bingham decided, rather bizarelly, that he no longer wanted to pursue performing.

Contributor
Contributor

Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.