James Bond: Mel Gibson CONFIRMS he turned down playing 007 after Roger Moore – Here's why
MEL GIBSON has confirmed he turned down playing James Bond 007, when Roger Moore retired.
‘Hacksaw Ridge’ Mel Gibson’s homage to a real life superhero
Over the years a number of A-list actors have been in the running to play cinema’s most famous spy.
But what about an American? Well now it turns out Gibson had a chance of taking up the License to Kill back back in the 1980s.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show this week, the 61-year-old actor and director revealed what happened with his chance to play James Bond 007.
Back in the 1980s he was one of Hollywood’s top action stars thanks to Lethal Weapon and Mad Max.
James Bond: Mel Gibson CONFIRMS he turned down playing 007 after Roger Moore
Roger Moore completed his seventh and final Bond movie, 1985’s A View To A Kill, aged 57, and MGM were looking for a young star to take on the role.
On the chat show Gibson revealed: “I was asked in my 20s but I just didn’t want to do it.”
Even though he would have turned it down, it’s rumoured producer Cubby Broccoli wanted Bond to stay British.
In the end the role went to Timothy Dalton, who starred in 1987’s The Living Daylights – the original gritty Bond, even before Daniel Craig.
However this was only after Pierce Brosnan turned down the role because of his contract with Remington Steele – check out his screen test here.
The name's Gibond. Mel Gibond.
A whole range of A-listers have been considered for James Bond over the years
Of course Brosnan eventually bagged the role after Dalton with 1995’s Goldeneye, the first post-Cold War Bond movie.
Meanwhile James Bond 25 will be released in UK cinemas in November, 2019.