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After George Lazenby’s lacklustre performance as 007 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Albert R. Broccoli targeted Reynolds. Burt declined because he thought an American couldn’t give Bond justice.
Fast forward, and Reynolds is like, “Whoa, maybe I could’ve nailed it after all.” He confessed, “I think I was putting myself down in a way because I think I could have done it very well. I like that kind of tongue-in-cheek humor.” Picture Burt Reynolds as Bond: slick, charming, and sporting that legendary stache. Who wouldn’t want to see that?
Instead of Burt, Broccoli went back to Sean Connery, the OG Bond, who came back for a record-setting $1.25M. Connery’s return in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) was a bit of a victory lap, celebrating the Bond that set the standard.
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The Bond casting saga is full of “what ifs.” Cary Grant was considered for Dr. No (1962), but he was only up for one film. David Niven and Patrick McGoohan were also in the running, with McGoohan being a cool but controversial choice due to his dislike of Bond’s violence.
Reynolds’ decision to skip Bond is a fascinating piece of film trivia. He wasn’t sure he could bring the British flair needed for the role. But imagine the possibilities: Reynolds in a tux, cracking jokes, and sipping martinis. Thanks to a Deepfake video, we get a taste of what that might’ve looked like, with Connery’s voice mixed in for a mind-bending twist.
In the Bond universe, Reynolds’ “no thanks” to Diamonds Are Forever remains a cool “what if” moment. While Connery’s Bond is iconic, Reynolds’ close call keeps things interesting and reminds us that sometimes, the best stories are the ones we only imagine.
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