9 Actors You Had No Idea Almost Played James Bond

This one's a curious bit of irony. Before Pierce Brosnan took over the reigns of the iconic British spy, Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson was courted by producers, who thought his gruff, frequently severe demeanour would be perfect for the role.

The Bond team were interested in moving the series in a more serious direction, and praised Neeson for his acting chops in films like Rob Roy and Schindler's List.

Though he considered the role, in the end Neeson opted not to take it, owing to the fact he was uninterested in making action films. Of course, in a rather amusing twist of fate, two decades later action films are for what Neeson is primarily known (and not very good ones, either).