Sam Heughan (“Outlander”) was rejected as James Bond for not being “bold enough”

Before Daniel Craig took on the title of 007, Sam Heughan, who hadn’t signed on “Outlander” yet, tried to take over from Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, but it was rejected as sufficient “Bold”. This is how the actor himself tells it in his memoirs, “Waypoints: My Scottish Journey”, which were published on the same 25 October.

According to the book, the casting was done with such discretion that “Nobody even confirmed to me that they were considering me for the lead role, but I knew it.”writes the actor, “Obviously I found it crazy to think I could even be on the radar for such an iconic figure. I had to remind myself that it was important to relax and show them what I could do with the character. “. She remembers first taking a test with a casting director and then talking to producer Barbara Broccoli and ‘Casino Royale’ director Martin Campbell.

“We talked a little about Scotland and Bond,” says Heughan, “We read the scene once and I left. It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to sweat my leather jacket. I was just happy and amazed that Barbara was so lovely and fantastic. When I left I was wondering if I was going to audition with a car chase to my house. “. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Heughan admits that he thinks he’s not really ready for the role. “But I wonder what would have happened if they had given it to me.”

The delusion

When Heughan found out that Craig had been cast as the new Bond (role he would play in 5 films), he remembers that the only one feedback received is that it was not “bold enough”: “The comments that were made to me boiled down to the fact that I wasn’t bold enough by nature. I am always open to any criticism to improve myself as an actor, but the suggestion seemed to refer to the real me. So I couldn’t understand how something like that would affect the role, but it wasn’t in my hands, it was fate. It wasn’t about becoming the bad boy, “he muses, “I realized that the qualities that Bond’s team was looking for could only be achieved with self-confidence, which to be honest I lacked at the time.”

Now that Craig has abandoned the role, the franchise will be renewed again with another actor (or actress) titled 007 and in EW Heughan it was asked if this might not be his time: “Maybe I’m too old now. I know you are thinking of looking for someone younger. I think they will throw him out there, but who knows what they have in their heads. “. The first James Bond, Sean Connery, made his debut in the saga at the age of 32, George Lazenby at 29, Roger Moore at 46, Timothy Dalton at 40, Pierce Brosnan at 42 and Craig Co at 38; Heughan is now 42 years old. In any case, we have yet to see the actor in the seventh season of ‘Outlander’, who has not confirmed his release date.