Though there have only been six James Bond actors in the franchise thus far, there have been countless actors who have taken on the role of 007's foes. The series has featured some great actors as villains, including Oscar-winners like Christopher Walken, Javier Bardem, and most recently, Rami Malek in No Time to Die.
But the list of actors who came close to facing off with James Bond is equally star-studded. Though some of these Bond villains have become iconic in the minds of fans, it is fun to imagine what might have been with these alternate casting choices.
Updated on October 15th, 2021 by Colin McCormick: With the long-awaited release of No Time to Die finally here, fans are getting to see Rami Malek in action as the franchise's latest villain. While Malek is in very good company in terms of past actors who have played Bond foes, there are still even more big names who came close to facing off with 007 only for plans to change. Fans can take a look at the various other options and decide if the casting worked out for the best or if the alternate choice was better.
Christopher Lee As Dr. No in Dr. No
Christopher Lee has an interesting connection to the James Bond franchise. Not only did the legendary actor go on to play the memorable villain Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun, but he was also the step-cousin of Bond author Ian Fleming.
It was this relationship that almost got Lee cast as the first Bond villain, Dr. No. In Lee's autobiography, he explains that he was playing golf with Fleming who asked Lee if he would take the role in the upcoming Dr. No. However, Fleming was unaware that producers had already cast Joseph Wiseman in the role.
Mark Strong As Renard In The World Is Not Enough
Mark Strong has made a career out of playing villain roles, such as in Sherlock Holmes and Shazam!. It's no surprise he was considered for the part of Renard in The World is Not Enough, and while he didn't get it in the end, it did make for a good story.
Strong recently revealed that he auditioned for the Bond villain role following a night of drinking and his hangover lost him the part to Robert Carlyle. Coincidentally, Strong was drinking with future Bond star Daniel Craig.
Chiwetel Ejiofor As Blofeld In Spectre
The recent James Bond movies have been able to draw huge Oscar-winning stars to play the villains. When it came to casting the new version of Blofeld in Spectre, the filmmakers similarly looked for another acclaimed actor to fill the iconic role.
According to The Guardian, one of the first actors to circle the part was Chiwetel Ejiofor who was just coming off his Oscar-nominated role in 12 Years a Slave. For unknown reasons, Ejiofor was unable to take the part and it was instead given to Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz.
Lee Van Cleef As Whitaker In The Living Daylights
Though Timothy Dalton was impressive in his first appearance as James Bond in The Living Daylights, the movie is somewhat forgettable, especially the lackluster villains. Even the corrupt military bad guy named Whitaker was dull despite being played by the great character actor Joe Don Baker.
But there was another interesting choice for the role as Lee Van Cleef was reportedly up for the role. Van Cleef was known for roles in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and has a strong presence. However, his talents might have been wasted in such a role.
Anthony Hopkins As Elliot Carver In Tomorrow Never Dies
Anthony Hopkins is another actor who has circled the world of James Bond several times, including being offered the chance to play 007 himself. Hopkins confirmed that he met with the producers about replacing Sean Connery but passed on the role.
However, he was later approached to play 006 in GoldenEye which was initially conceived as a mentor figure for Bond before Sean Bean took the role. The sequel, Tomorrow Never Dies, then tailored the villain role of Elliot Carver for Hopkins only for him to turn it down.
Orson Welles As Auric Goldfinger In Goldfinger
The titular villain in Goldfinger, the movie that both established and perfected the Bond formula, was eventually played by Gert Fröbe, and he made the character an instant icon. According to Christopher Bray's book Sean Connery; The Measure of a Man, the producers' first choice for the role was actually Orson Welles.
However, the mastermind behind Citizen Kane proved to be too expensive. Welles would go on to play a different Bond villain, Le Chiffre, in the 1967 spoof Casino Royale. It's also hard to imagine Welles performing Goldfinger's famous death scene in the movie.
Rutger Hauer As General Orlov In Octopussy
Although the title character is the main villain, Octopussy has a secondary villain in the form of the power-hungry Soviet warmonger, General Orlov.
Rutger Hauer was one of the earliest actors considered for the role. Hauer’s roles in Blade Runner and The Hitcher proved that he could play a mean villain. However, the role ultimately went to Steven Berkoff who also specialized in villain roles, such as in Beverly Hills Cop.
David Bowie As Max Zorin in A View To A Kill
The Bond producers were determined to get a pop star in the cast of A View to a Kill to attract younger viewers. This is why Grace Jones ended up appearing in the movie. Prior to Jones’ casting, David Bowie was offered the role of Max Zorin, one of James Bond's most ridiculous villains.
However, according to Slate, Bowie turned it down because he didn’t like the script (and his blunt feedback wasn’t appreciated by the producers) and wanted to star in Labyrinth instead. The role was also offered to Mick Jagger and Sting before Christopher Walken was cast.
Jean Reno As Renard In The World Is Not Enough
The Pierce Brosnan Bond movie The World is Not Enough features an interesting twist with its Bond villains. However, the most physically formidable is a terrorist named Renard who was ultimately played by Trainspotting's Robert Carlyle.
According to the book Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films, French actor Jean Reno was first offered the part after he gained some international fame due to his performances in The Professional and Ronin. However, Reno ultimately turned the role down for personal reasons.
Al Pacino As General Medrano In Quantum Of Solace
Although Dominic Greene is the main villain in Quantum of Solace, he serves a larger, more powerful villain, as he's helping an exiled Bolivian general named Medrano to overthrow the government and take control of the country.
Though it was a supporting role in the movie, it was reported by The Mirror that Oscar-winner Al Pacino would take the role in a cameo capacity. This ended up not being the case perhaps due to the role being expanded beyond a short appearance.
Jack Palance As Francisco Scaramanga In The Man With The Golden Gun
Though he was not cast as the first Bond villain in Dr. No, Christopher Lee ended up making an impression as the titular foe in The Man with the Golden Gun. Lee played Scaramanga, a deadly international assassin who sets his sights on Bond.
While Lee had a long history of playing villains, he was not the first choice for the role. Oscar-winner Jack Palance was offered the part according to the book Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond Film Companion.
James Mason As Karl Stromberg In The Spy Who Loves Me
Although he’s erroneously credited as Curt Jurgens, Curd Jürgens gave an unforgettable turn as the villainous Karl Stromberg – an evil genius bent on starting World War III – in The Spy Who Loved Me. He was cast on director Lewis Gilbert’s recommendation, as they'd worked together before.
Before Jürgens was cast, British actor James Mason was considered for the role of Stromberg. Known for his sophisticated on-screen presence, it would have been interesting to see Mason in a big spy adventure.
Faye Dunaway As Octopussy In Octopussy
Critics were divided by Maud Adams' portrayal of the titular role in Octopussy. One wonders how the character would’ve been played differently if Faye Dunaway had been cast, as was originally planned.
Dunaway was a huge star at the time thanks to her iconic roles in movies like Network and Bonnie and Clyde. Not surprisingly, Dunaway proved to be too expensive for the movie and would likely have been a distracting star power in the role.
Gary Oldman As Blofeld In Spectre
Bringing back the iconic Bond villain Blofeld in Spectre was met with a mixed reaction, especially as the movie made the mistake of trying to sell his appearance as a twist. However, casting Christoph Waltz in the role did help.
However, there was reportedly another Oscar winner up for the part as well. Gary Oldman was a top choice for the part which is not hard to imagine given the countless villain roles he has played. However, with the connection revealed between Bond and Blofeld in Spectre, Oldman might have been outside the necessary age range.
Frank Sinatra As Hugo Drax In Moonraker
Though Shirley Bassey ended up singing the theme song for Moonraker, the song was originally offered to Frank Sinatra. But in a rare move, the artist considered for the theme song was also considered for the Bond villain.
While it is easy to imagine Sinatra's iconic singing voice playing over the credits of a Bond movie, it is a lot more difficult to picture him as the megalomaniacal Hugo Drax in his space station in Moonraker. Michael Lonsdale ended up providing a more suitable bad guy performance in the part.