8 Actors who turned down the role of James Bond: Rod Taylor, Richard Johnson, and more

The role of James Bond is widely considered one of the most coveted in cinema, yet over the decades, a surprising number of actors have looked at the opportunity and said no. Some had contracts, some had doubts, and some simply felt the role was not for them. Here are eight actors who walked away from 007 and what they had to say about it.

A celebrated British actor best known for his role in the 1968 horror classic 'The Haunting', Johnson was approached by producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman at director Terence Young's suggestion, but turned the role down, citing his existing contract with another studio. In an interview with Cinema Retro Magazine, he recalled being told he would need to be under an exclusive contract for seven years, saying, "They told me I'd have to be under an exclusive contract to them for seven years," which gave him a reasonable excuse to decline. His apprehension about the long-term commitment the franchise demanded ultimately kept him from one of cinema's most iconic roles.

Best known for his starring role in Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds', the Australian actor was approached by producer Cubby Broccoli to screen test for James Bond ahead of 'Dr. No' in 1961, but refused because he felt the role was beneath him. In a 1986 interview with Starlog Magazine, he admitted, "I didn't think Bond would be successful in the movies. That was one of the greatest mistakes of my career!" It is a rare example of a Hollywood actor being entirely honest about the cost of a misjudgment.

Beloved by generations of fans as the definitive television Batman, West was offered the role of Bond but declined, telling the Broccoli family that he was tied up with another project at the time. In an interview with Digital Spy, he recalled the conversation, saying, "The Broccoli seniors said, 'This is James Bond!' And I said, 'I'm sorry I can't do it, I'm tied up with something else,'" before adding, "I thought it should be an Englishman." West was one of several American actors who passed on the role partly out of a genuine belief that Bond's British identity was inseparable from the character.

Known to a generation of fans as the brooding and intense fourth James Bond in 'The Living Daylights' and 'Licence to Kill', Dalton was actually offered the role multiple times across the 1970s and 1980s before finally accepting it. After Sean Connery's early films, Dalton felt the bar had been set impossibly high, saying, "After 'Dr. No,' after 'From Russia With Love', after 'Goldfinger'… those were always the three great ones. You don't take over. So of course I said no." He was also simply intimidated by the magnitude of what the franchise had become.

One of the biggest box office stars of the 1970s, best known for 'Smokey and the Bandit' and 'Deliverance', Reynolds was approached to replace Sean Connery but declined out of concern that the public would not accept an American in the role. In a 2015 interview with USA Today, he admitted, "It was a stupid thing to say, I could've done it, and I could've done it well," reflecting on a decision he clearly never fully made peace with. It remains one of Hollywood's most openly regretted decisions.Burt Reynolds

One of the biggest box office stars of the 1970s, best known for 'Smokey and the Bandit' and 'Deliverance', Reynolds was approached to replace Sean Connery but declined out of concern that the public would not accept an American in the role. In a 2015 interview with USA Today, he admitted, "It was a stupid thing to say, I could've done it, and I could've done it well," reflecting on a decision he clearly never fully made peace with. It remains one of Hollywood's most openly regretted decisions.

Best known for his roles in 'Death on the Nile' and Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth', Finch was offered the part of Bond in 'Live and Let Die' after Connery's second departure from the franchise, but turned it down for reasons that surprised many in the industry. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, he explained simply, "I never wanted to be a big star. I usually do one film a year, so I always have enough money to enjoy myself and keep myself out of the public eye. It's a very pleasant life, not one of great ambition." The role went to Roger Moore, and Finch never expressed any regret about the decision.

The BAFTA-winning actor, celebrated for his work in 'Closer' and 'Children of Men,' was approached for the role of Bond multiple times and said no on every single occasion. In an interview with Glamour magazine, he described the prospect as entering "a golden prison," saying "I may be the only actor who consistently said, 'No, no, and no,'" and adding that "Sean Connery is the real James Bond." For Owen, the role was simply one he never understood how to make his own.

Before 'Avatar' made him one of the biggest names in Hollywood, Worthington was among the actors considered for the Bond role, and confirmed that conversations took place. Speaking with the Daily Telegraph in 2011, he said, "What intrigues me more is the chance to start my own franchise and put my own stamp on a character," suggesting the appeal of Bond was never quite strong enough to pull him in. He opted out and went on to anchor one of the highest-grossing film franchises in cinema history instead.