Sean Connery is still considered by many fans to be the ultimate James Bond, but producers considered plenty of other candidates for Dr. No. Connery struck the perfect chord as 007, bringing Ian Fleming’s secret agent to life with charm, wit and a hint of danger. He was a tough act to follow, and he was coerced into returning to the franchise for one last ride after George Lazenby failed to live up to his portrayal in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Connery was key to establishing one of cinema’s longest-running franchises, but his casting wasn’t always certain.

Ian Fleming and the producers of Dr. No went through a rigorous casting process to ensure they got the right man for the job, and they often butted heads over their choices. Many actors were considered, including Hollywood legends and lesser-known British actors. Connery had achieved mild success before his casting, but he was far from a household name. Compared to some of the other names who were considered, he represented a big risk. Fortunately, his performance quickly silenced any doubters. While casting for Bond 26 remains under wraps, it’s worth looking back at some of the actors who almost played James Bond.

7

Cary Grant

The Hollywood icon considered himself to be too old to play Bond

Cary Grant was one of the greatest movie stars of all time, and he almost added the role of James Bond to his considerable list of successes. Grant is most famous for his good looks and easygoing charm, which made him a natural fit for screwball comedies such as Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday. Cary Grant also worked with Alfred Hitchcock on several occasions. The 1959 thriller North By Northwest provides a glimpse into how Grant may have portrayed 007. North By Northwest features Grant as a man who gets caught up in a deadly game of espionage spanning the United States after a case of mistaken identity.

Cary Grant was a firm favorite of legendary Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Grant was the best man at Broccoli’s wedding, and the producer saw his friend as the perfect fit for Ian Fleming’s spy. Ultimately, Grant turned down the opportunity. He was in his late 50s at the time, and he didn’t want to commit to multiple movies. If Broccoli had agreed to Grant’s terms, the James Bond franchise could look radically different today, with a new actor stepping in as 007 for each new movie. Broccoli chose to prioritize the longevity of the franchise over the undeniable star power of Grant.

6

James Mason

The Lolita star didn’t want to commit to a franchise

Cary Grant’s North By Northwest co-star James Mason was also considered for the role of James Bond in Dr. No, but he also turned it down. Mason was nominated for three Oscars over the course of his glittering career, and he won a Golden Globe for his performance in A Star is Born alongside Judy Garland. Missing out on Bond gave Mason the opportunity to appear in one of his other big hits, Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita, based on the controversial novel by Vladimir Nabokov. He soon took a step back from his status as a leading man, and he lived in Switzerland until his death, periodically playing supporting roles in movies.

Like Cary Grant, James Mason also didn’t want to commit to the kind of contract that the Bond producers were looking for. Nevertheless, he was later considered for the role of Hugo Drax in Moonraker. This part eventually went to Michael Lonsdale. Drax is not one of the best James Bond villains, but he may be remembered differently if Mason had gotten the chance. Mason played several villains throughout his career. He had the ability to play James Bond or Hugo Drax, but ultimately never got the chance to do either.

5

David Niven

Niven was one of Ian Fleming’s preferred actors for the role

There have been some conflicting reports over who was Ian Fleming’s personal choice to play James Bond, but David Niven is one name that seems to pop up more often than others. Niven was certainly handsome and sophisticated enough to play 007, but producers decided to go with the much younger Sean Connery instead. Niven starred in both dramas and comedies throughout his long career. His most notable hits include The Pink Panther, Around the World in 80 Days and The Guns of Navarone.

Although he missed out on the chance to star in Dr. No, David Niven played James Bond in Casino Royale just five years later. The spy parody took elements from one of Ian Fleming’s stories that didn’t become a canonical EON Bond film until Daniel Craig’s franchise debut in 2005. As opposed to Craig’s Casino Royale, Niven’s version is a ludicrous comedy featuring plenty of other “James Bonds”, played by Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Woody Allen and more. It received mixed reviews from critics, but it was a box office hit.

4

Richard Todd

Another of Fleming’s favorites was too busy to accept

Another actor theorized to be one of Ian Fleming’s favorites for the role is Richard Todd, but scheduling conflicts meant that he couldn’t commit to the role. Todd was a prolific actor in the 1950s and 1960s, so it’s no surprise that he couldn’t fit Dr. No into his busy schedule. In 1962 alone, he starred in The Boys and The Longest Day, two of his most popular movies, as well as the French film Le Crime ne paie pas (Crime Doesn’t Pay). His other most notable movies include the classic British war drama The Dam Busters and The Hasty Heart, which allowed him to play opposite Ronald Reagan.

Playing James Bond would have given Richard Todd’s career a huge boost. His popularity waned throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a new crop of British actors emerged. Sean Connery represented the next generation with the likes of Peter O’Toole and Michael Caine. Still, Todd is remembered as a star of 1950s cinema in particular. He was also a decorated war hero, having led a battalion during the D-Day landings at Normandy in the Second World War. It’s no consequence that many of his best performances later came in war movies.

3

Peter Lawford

The Rat Pack member couldn’t agree on financial terms

Peter Lawford was a member of the Rat Pack, and his social circle also included John F. Kennedy after Lawford married Kennedy’s younger sister, Patricia. By the early 1960s, Lawford’s career was at its highest point, and his brother-in-law was in the White House. This could explain why he felt he could turn down an offer to play James Bond, demanding much more money than the producers were able to offer. Lawford could have become just as famous as Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin, rather than spending so much of his career in their shadow.

Ultimately, Lawford didn’t need the James Bond role. It’s difficult to speculate how he felt about his choice after the franchise became a massive success, but he didn’t suffer financially. He made enough money in his early career to be able to ease off the gas and enjoy a more luxurious lifestyle without having to work so frequently. In his later years, his celebrity status continued long after his role in the movie industry had begun to fade away. Lawford would have been an interesting choice for the role of James Bond. Ocean‘s 11 shows off his suave style, and he also had enough humor to play 007.

2

Richard Burton

The seven-time Oscar nominee saw James Bond as a gamble

The first James Bond could have been Welsh, but Richard Burton didn’t want to commit to a contract which would require him to work on multiple movies for an untested concept. He also had reservations about the financial offer, so producers were forced to move on in their search. Richard Burton was nominated for seven Oscars, including two that came before Dr. No was even in development. He would have represented a major coup for the nascent Bond franchise, and producers approached him again in 1968 as they searched for Sean Connery’s successor.

Burton was undoubtedly one of the finest actors of his generation. He brought his classical training to a variety of roles, and he was just as comfortable with Shakespeare or contemporary writers. Unfortunately, Burton’s highly-publicized problems off-screen impacted his public image. He was known as an excessive drinker and a womanizer. His relationships were also covered in detail by gossip columnists and seedy tabloids. His famously volatile marriage to Elizabeth Taylor did create one of his most enduring movies though, as he and his wife played a troubled couple in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

1

Roger Moore

The third Bond could have been the first

In his autobiography, When the Snow Melts, Bond producer Cubby Broccoli claims that he considered Roger Moore for the franchise’s first movie, but turned him down because he looked too young. Moore was actually three years older than Sean Connery, but clearly Broccoli felt that he didn’t look his age. Moore claims that he was never approached to play 007 until the 1970s, so it seems likely that Broccoli only considered him briefly, but never asked Moore to audition. The Bond franchise could have had a completely different trajectory if Moore had been chosen as the first 007 instead of the third.

Roger Moore’s James Bond movies have as many positives as negatives. Moore nailed Bond’s wry wit, and the stunts seemed to be taken up a notch, but Moore’s Bond was also prone to some outlandish moments which almost devolved into self-parody. Overall, he was a great Bond, but he didn’t quite achieve the universal acclaim that Sean Connery did, so Broccoli probably made the correct decision in casting for Dr. No. Moore was 57 by the time he made his last appearance as James Bond, and he’s noticeably less spry. If he had been cast in Dr. No, he would have quit long before he got too old for the character.