The Men Who Could Have Been Bond

During the search for the next James Bond (aka: Bond #6), CBn had a policy of not revealing names of actors who we knew to be in contention. A leaked name at the wrong time could ruin the chances for a young actor to land the role of a lifetime. But now that’s it all over and Daniel Craig is the new James Bond in Casino Royale, CBn will spill the beans.

All names on this list are verified, none are rumours. Some names we’ve heard of before, some we haven’t. Updates to this list will be made when more candidates are confirmed (and with Michael G. Wilson’s saying that they looked at over 200 actors, this could become a life-long project).

Okay, we’ve teased you enough. So without further ado, here are 16 men who could have been James Bond…

The Phantom

Gerard Butler

Age: 35 (1969)
Nationality: Scottish
Known for: Dracula 2000 (2000), Reign of Fire (2002), Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life (2003), Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Comments: Often suggested by fans, Butler was considered in March 2005.

The Runner Up

Henry Cavill

Age: 22 (1983)
Nationality: English
Known for: The Count’s son in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

Comments: Director Martin Campbell said that in the end it was between Daniel Craig and Cavill. Cavill lost out because, at 22, he was just too young. Could Cavill become Bond #7?

The Guy Who Kissed Johnny Depp

Rupert Friend

Age: Unknown 20s
Nationality: English
Known for: Kissing Johnny Depp in The Libertin (2004), Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Comments: Friend gave an impressive reading and was at one point in the selection process was as serious a candidate as Henry Cavil.

The BeastMaster

Daniel Goddard

Age: 34 (1971)
Nationality: Australian
Known for: BeastMaster (1999-2002)

Comments: Nothing more is known about Goddard’s candidacy but here’s his official web-site danielgoddard.com.

The Ringer

Martin Henderson

Age: 31 (1974)
Nationality: New Zealander
Known for: Ex-husband in The Ring (2002), Bride & Prejudice (2004)

Comments: At 5’9″ Henderson was the shortest contender.

The Doctor

Julian McMahon

Age: 37 (1968)
Nationality: Australian
Known for: Charmed (2000-2003), Nip/Tuck (2003-Current), Fantastic Four (2005)

Comments: Greatly impressed both Eon and Campbell, but apparently did not make the finals for reasons unknown.

The 41 Year Old

David Morrissey

Age: 41 (1964)
Nationality: English
Known for: Hilary and Jackie (1998), Captain Corelli?s Mandolin (2001), Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

Comments: Nothing additional is known about Morrissey’s candidacy, but his age could have been a factor.

The Oyster Farmer

Alex O’Lachlan

Age: 28 (1977)
Nationality: Australian
Known for: Oyster Farmer (2004)

Comments: O’Lachlan confirmed for The Daily Telegraph that he had tested for the role in full wardrobe.

The Soap Star

Ingo Rademacher

Age: 34 (1971)
Nationality: German
Known for: Jax on General Hospital (1996-Current)

Comments: Rademacher was considered in early 2005 and met with Campbell in Los Angeles.

The IMF Agent

Dougray Scott

Age: 40 (1965)
Nationality: Scottish
Known for: Ever After (1998), Mission: Impossible II (2000), Enigma (2001), Ripley’s Game (2002)

Comments: Scott was ultimately considered too old for the role.

The Footballer

Christian Solimeno

Age: 30 (1975)
Nationality: English
Know for: Jason Turner on Footballers’ Wives (2002-2003)

Comments: Campbell is said to have liked Solimeno a great deal, but it is not known how far the actor made it in the audition process.

The Giant Killer

Antony Starr

Age: 30 (1975)
Nationality: New Zealander
Known for: David (as in David and Goliath) on Xena (1996), Without a Paddle (2004)

Comments: Starr gave an impressive reading in Summer 2005.

The Caesar Salad

Karl Urban

Age: 33 (1972)
Nationality: New Zealander
Known for: Caesar on Xena (1996-2001) Eomer in The Lord of The Rings (2002, 2003), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), Doom (2005)

Comments: Was considered in March 2005, but his look was not right for James Bond.

The Croatian

Goran Visnjic

Age: 33 (1972)
Nationality: Croatian
Known for: Jimmy Anglov in Practical Magic (1998), Dr Luka Kovac on ER (1999-Current), Elektra (2005)

Comments: Visnjic had impressed Campbell with a screen-test for Zorro so the director suggested he test as 007.

The Guitarist

Dominic West

Age: 36 (1969)
Nationality: English
Known for: 28 Days (2000), Rock Star (2001), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), The Forgotten (2004)

Comments: West told the Daily Telegraph he appeared at his audition in jeans and a t-shirt to be “different from the other actors who were all wearing suites and tuxes.”

The Aussie

Sam Worthington

Age: 29 (1976)
Nationality: Australian
Known for: Dirty Deeds (2002), Thunderstruck (2004)

Comments: Worthington was reportedly one of the full dress screen-test finalists and may have been in the final three with Craig and Cavill.

You may also be interested to know?

Remember Orlando Bloom? Well, it is unknown whether or not Eon ever seriously considered Bloom, but MGM did.

And the men who (really) weren’t going to be 007: Clive Owen, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law and Ewan McGregor. Despite constant media reports and rumours that major stars were in the running to play 007, CBn has not been able to confirm if any of this was true. CBn was told early on that Clive Owen was “too old” for what they had in mind. Campbell recently stated that, to his knowledge, Owen and Jackman were never approached. Eon’s standard Bond deal (which includes a multi picture deal and no profit participation) probably ruled out “name” stars from the very beginning.

As for Pierce Brosnan, he was officially out of Casino Royale in February 2004 (the decision had been made as early as Dec 2003). Despite constant rumors to the contrary, sources say he was never again in the running.