CLINT EASTWOOD has become one of the most famous and best-known action stars of all time, but he refused to take on the role of the biggest cinematic hero of all time, James Bond, in the 1960s. He was even offered a “lot” of money for the role, but he felt it was “Sean Connery’s role”.
In the 1960s Clint Eastwood was fast becoming a household name. He had recently starred in the 1966 Western The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. And he had made his mark in cinemas with the 1968 movie Where Eagles Dare.
So then, it is no surprise that the James Bond bosses came knocking to invite the American star to play the iconic British spy. But they didn’t expect the actor to be extremely reluctant.
Eastwood was 39-years-old at the time and had just released a trio of action movies: Hang ‘Em High, Coogan’s Bluff and Where Eagles Dare.
At the same time, Sean Connery had just stepped down from playing Bond after the 1967 movie You Only Live Twice. The picture was Connery’s fifth film as Bond and was the beginning of his decision to move away from the franchise after spending almost a decade playing the hero.
According to Eastwood, that is when the Bond bosses approached him to play 007. He recalled that his lawyer at the time also represented the Broccoli family, the owners of the Bond film rights.
He remembered: “[My lawyer] came and said: ‘They would love to have you.'”
Clint Eastwood was almost James Bond (Image: GETTY)
Clint Eastwood was keen to make his mark elsewhere (Image: GETTY)
Eastwood was then given an offer he almost couldn’t refuse.
He said: “I was offered pretty good money to do James Bond if I would take on the role.”
Eastwood must have been offered a staggering amount of cash, considering just a few years earlier Connery earned $1 million (approximately $8.6 million in 2022) for You Only Live Twice.
But the offer simply did not sit well with the Spaghetti Western star.
Clint Eastwood missed out on the role – because he didn’t want to take Connery’s role (Image: GETTY)
Clint Eastwood has won big at the Oscars (Image: GETTY)
Eastwood recalled turning down the offer. He said: “To me, well, that was somebody else’s gig. That’s Sean [Connery]’s deal. It didn’t feel right for me to be doing it.”
The Broccolis were no doubt devastated by Eastwood passing on the role of Bond, but it didn’t take them long to quickly move on.
Before long, they had hired Australian actor George Lazenby to play Bond in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He reportedly earned $80,500 for the role (approximately $630k in 2022).
Lazenby only played Bond once. He was later replaced by Connery (again).
Eastwood was not only offered the role of James Bond around the same time, however.
Eastwood’s continually growing career also piqued the interests of Warner Brothers and their DC Comics directors.
In the late 1970s Eastwood was approached to play Superman, the Man of Steel.
Looking back on this offer, he recalled in 2010: “This was when they first started to think about making [Superman]. I was like: ‘Superman? Nah, nah, that’s not for me.'”
He later went on to reveal that playing Superman simply was not something he was interested in.
Eastwood said: “Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s for somebody, but not me. I always liked characters that were more grounded in reality.”
It was not as if Eastwood needed the franchise work to succeed, however.
In 1971 he starred in perhaps his most iconic film to date, Dirty Harry.
Beyond that, he received Best Picture and Best Director Oscars for his 1992 movie Unforgiven.
