James Bond: The Role Nobody Wanted—Because Producers Were Too “Cheap”

Today, playing James Bond is the kind of career-defining role that actors dream about—and aggressively campaign for. But in the early 1960s, before Dr. No hit the big screen, the tuxedo, the martini, and the Walther PPK weren’t quite the golden ticket they are now. In fact, as one early contender recalls, the producers’ reputations for frugality and questionable track records made 007 a job few wanted.

A Role with No Takers

When Sean Connery announced in 1967 that he’d be stepping down as Bond, the race to replace him became one of cinema’s most closely watched casting battles. That kind of frenzy has been the norm for decades. But back in 1961, the picture was very different.

Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, the men who secured the rights to Ian Fleming’s novels, weren’t yet the titans of action cinema they’d become. Though both had experience in film production, their résumés were dotted with forgettable titles, and—more damagingly—they carried reputations for being “stingy.”

Michael Craig, one of the actors considered for Dr. No, recalls that this reputation was an immediate red flag. “At the time, Saltzman and Broccoli were more or less joke figures in the film business in England,” Craig said. “Responsible for some real pot-boiling stinkers and notoriously bad payers.”

The Offer That Didn’t Impress

Craig says he never even made it to the meeting stage. The salary on offer was just £5,000—a modest figure even then. Connery would ultimately sign for £6,000, with an option for higher pay in subsequent films. But for Craig, the promise of “slightly” more money in the future wasn’t enough to justify the gamble.

“I later found out that a number of actors of my age and experience had likewise turned it down,” he revealed. Whispers about the producers’ frugality were circulating widely, and few wanted to tie themselves to what many assumed would be a doomed project.

A Legacy No One Saw Coming

History, of course, had other plans. Connery not only took the part—he made it an international phenomenon, transforming Bond into one of cinema’s most enduring icons. That legacy is now over 60 years strong, spanning multiple actors and eras, and sparking feverish speculation every time the role becomes vacant.

Now, as Amazon prepares to take control of the franchise for the first time—with Denis Villeneuve at the helm—the hunt for the next Bond promises to be as fierce as ever. It’s almost unimaginable that there was a time when no one wanted the part. But as Michael Craig’s story proves, even legends can have humble—and hesitant—beginnings.

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