He currently owns 600 acres outside LA, «which brings me enough income so I’d never have to work again». «It seemed like an interesting challenge,» he confides. «I’d never done audio before and I enjoyed it, although it was hard work. There were over 164 pages of script, so it was a long day. Roger Moore became the next Bond and, for the next decade, Thursday app whenever George landed a film role, Saltzman would make it known he’d have no part in the distribution, with the result that Lazenby was quietly replaced. Despite this, he remains distinctly unbothered by the experience. You would imagine that, having been cast as the youngest 007 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Lazenby was made for life.
Over the years, many actors have played the iconicJames Bond, with original star Sean Connery racking up six official turns as 007 while Roger Moore holds the current record at seven films as the super-spy. One person that only held the role for a single film is Australian actor George Lazenby, the first man to replace Connery as Bond in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. And while Lazenby’s turn as Bond has since been reappraised favorably in the years following its initial release, Lazenby’s performance and the circumstances behind his abrupt departure still has fans talking decades later.
It wasn’t just Lazenby’s first Bond film; it was his first film of any kind. You can occasionally tell that he was a bodybuilder turned car salesman turned chocolate advert hunk. His Aussie accent slips out every time he says ‘Blofeld’, somehow chewing it into ‘Blahfult’.
COLLECTION OF 8 VINTAGE JAMES BOND MGM/UA VHS VIDEO TAPES
So, anyway I figured he’d have a whole plate in front of him, so I could push it in his lap. And he jumped up and swung at me and I broke his jaw. That was after Bond, I think I had done three Kung Fu movies so I was pretty accurate, you know. If you miss those bloody Chinese buggers they’ll belt you for good. You know, the funny part was, she thought I was a complete idiot. It was like, you know, we had the love scene and, honest to god, they had to pull me off her!
Malcolm Nance Net Worth 2023, Age, Height, Weight, Biography, Wiki and Career Details
People aren’t going to films because film-makers are putting out films people don’t want to see. As for the so-called «Tomorrow movies» they are only tomorrow movies with yesterday directors … I also like Arthur Penn, John Schlesinger and Peter Yates … What I’m going to do is look for a great director first, a good screenplay second. The Bond film entitled On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is released in December 1969 to steady acclaim, box-office record sales and sends Lazenby into the path of one of Hollywood’s next stars.
He had James Bond created around his personality and that weakened my position. So you’ve got all this testosterone floating around so at 10 o’clock at night and what else is there to do but punch your mate! One guy in Australia dropped friggin’ spaghetti on my head, and I said ‘What did ya do that for?
Latest Film News
This makes Lazenby the actor that first replaced Sean Connery as James Bond and also the actor that first replaced Bruce Lee as Golden Harvest’s martial arts action hero after Lee’s death. After that film, Jimmy Wang Yu was signed to replace Lee and Lazenby moved back to his original co-starring role as the «Western Adversary». Lazenby quit the role of Bond right before the premiere of his only film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service , citing he would get other acting roles, and that his Bond contract, which was fourteen pages thick, was too demanding on him. «Concertworks is extremely saddened and disappointed by George Lazenby’s language, comments and recollections during The Music of James Bond concert at the Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 10 September,» the statement read. «I personally have friends within my close circle who are gay and I would never wish to offend anyone. Having been surrounded by strong women all my life, I have always admired and respected women and their wishes.»
He has been in three celebrity relationships averaging approximately 15.1 years each. Happy belated birthday, Timothy Dalton, and a heap of well wishes to you as well, George Lazenby! Without the two of you blazing the trail, there’s no telling what would have happened to the James Bond legacy. Though it’s almost certain that we wouldn’t have gotten Daniel Craig’s stellar turn in the tuxedo were it not for your efforts to show the many facets of Bond, James Bond, on the big screen. We’ll see that turn come to an end this fall, when No Time To Die debuts in theaters on October 8. He was selected by producer Albert Broccoli after the then James Bond actor Sean Connery deserted the role.
With the death of actor Sean Connery, October 31st 2020, Lazenby is now the earliest and oldest living actor who has portrayed James Bond. He is the only actor, other than Sean Connery, to play James Bond to have served in the military and the only one to have served in any branch of the Special Forces as Bond did. Living on his 600 acre ranch in Valyermo, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, USA with his wife, ESPN Sports tennis analyst and former internationally top-ranked pro-tennis player Pam Shriver. Later regretted leaving the Bond series after just one film.
Many subsequent actors would then follow Lazenby playing Bond as well as imitating Bruce Lee. With the film franchise still a tremendous hit among audiences and critics, the producers decided to keep the franchise going but with a relative unknown to replace Connery. The filmmakers wasted no time, proceeding to testnearly 400 prospects in 1967 before ultimately settling on Lazenby, who was, at the time, best known for starring in chocolate television commercials.
While he was only paid £10,000 for his first Bond movie, he was offered six more and a million pounds to sign on the dotted line. «They had to alter the sleeves but then it really made me look the part.» Having turned 80 in September, he is still a striking-looking man with a thatch of thick white hair, well-chiselled face, and a still-trim frame. He eats what he likes and, he says, he’s keen on booze. «When I was three, I had one-and-a-half kidneys removed. The doctors told my parents I’d be lucky to get to double figures,» he says. SAY what you like about George Lazenby, he’s a man who dances to his own tune.
Concertworks is extremely saddened and disappointed by George Lazenby’s language, comments and recollections during The Music of James Bond concert at the Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 10 September,’ the statement began. On Monday organiser Concertworks announced Lazenby, 83, has been dropped from the tour’s Melbourne leg due to ‘unacceptable’ comments made on-stage at his Perth show on Saturday night. Ticket sales for the show — which features orchestral performances and a sit-down interview with Lazenby — were open to all ages, and there were reportedly children in the audience.
Lazenby admitted he would sometimes go out until daybreak and liked to drink. Bonnie Anderson says she’s been having ‘all sorts of weird… George Lazenby boasts that he got more action than James…