Odd as it might sound, there have been many times in the history of the James Bond franchise where an American actor almost played the role. Ian Fleming's Bond was born to a Scottish father and Swiss mother, so it made sense the first actor to play the role in a movie was Scotsman Sean Connery. The character has since been played by an Irishman, an Australian, and a Welshman too. A fact some devotees of the franchise might not know is that the very first actor to play James Bond was an American named Barry Nelson.
He played "Jimmy" Bond in a 1954 TV adaptation of Casino Royale for anthology series Climax! Now that Daniel Craig has exited the role following No Time To Die, the race is on again to find the next performer to play 007. Almost every actor linked to play Bond next - Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, etc - share one thing in common: they're all British. Whereas in the past, Bond producers tended to cast a wider net when considering potential actors, it's now considered a given a British actor must play the part. That said, some interesting American performers have been linked to the role in the past too.
10 James Brolin
Of all the American stars linked to Bond, James Brolin probably came the closest. After he completed his three-picture deal to play 007 with The Spy Who Loved Me, Roger Moore had to be approached with a new deal for each of his subsequent four adventures. Octopussy would become his sixth outing, but for a time, it appeared he wouldn't be returning after all. Several actors were approached about taking Moore's place - including future Bond Timothy Dalton - but it was The Amityville Horror's Brolin who soon emerged as the frontrunner.
The actor certainly had the good looks and charm required of the role, though a 007 with an American accent might have been an adjustment for audiences. Brolin screen-tested to play Bond and was reportedly set to move to London to prepare for filming when producers got wind that the rival, unofficial Bond Never Say Never Again starring Connery was gearing up. Deciding they needed an established 007 performer, they went back to Moore, who ended up winning the 1983 "Battle Of The Bonds" between the competing blockbusters.
9 Clint Eastwood
Connery's acrimonious exit following You Only Live Twice was a turbulent period for the series. George Lazenby eventually landed the role in On Her Majesty's Secret Service - only to infamously exit after only one movie. Connery was lured back by a generous deal for Diamonds Are Forever, but he made it clear it was the "last" time. Speaking with the LA Times' Hero Complex (via Independent), Eastwood revealed he was approached about 007 around this time.
According to the actor, his lawyer also represented series producer Albert Broccoli, and "I was also offered pretty good money to do James Bond if I would take on the role." He notes this was after Connery left, though it's unclear if this was for On Her Majesty's Secret Service or Live And Let Die, which became the first of Roger Moore's Bond movie run. Either way, Eastwood wasn't interested: "But to me, well, that was somebody else's gig. That's Sean's deal."
8 Burt Reynolds
Like Eastwood, Burt Reynolds was another American star coming into his own around the end of the '60s. Just like Clint also, Reynolds was approached by producers after Connery retired. The actor revealed to USA Today that he rejected the part as he didn't think viewers would accept an American Bond. He later regretted the choice, stating "It was a stupid thing to say. I could've done it and I could've done it well." Reynolds would later find franchise success with the Smokey And The Bandit and Cannonball Run movies.
7 Cary Grant
There were few movie stars of their era quite as suave and charismatic as Cary Grant, whose most famous movies include His Girl Friday and North By Northwest. Grant was said to be one of the first performers approached to play Bond in Dr. No, even though he would have been approaching 60 when the role was offered. However, Grant would only commit to one film, and since it was hoped there would be a whole series of James Bond movies, they sought someone who would sign up for a multi-picture deal.
6 John Gavin
Gavin is best known for Psycho and Spartacus and came close to being the first American 007 on two occasions. Gavin was actually hired by producers for Diamonds Are Forever, but after the lukewarm response to On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the studio insisted Connery return and that they would make whatever deal he wanted. Gavin was thus replaced, though he was paid his full fee. Gavin was also in the running for Live And Let Die, but it was felt the part should be played by a British actor.
5 Sharon Stone
Possibly the only time in the history of the James Bond franchise a female actor was considered came with GoldenEye. After Dalton exited the project, producers looked at various ways to reinvent 007 for the '90s. This included making the character Black or female, with Stone being specifically cited in a 1995 EW feature on the project. Stone was riding high off the success of Basic Instinct and Sliver during this time, but it was ultimately decided to go back to the "classic" mold of Bond instead.
4 Adam West
Playing Batman in the '60s TV show of the same name made Adam West's career; sadly, it also typecast him horribly in the years after it ended. Playing Bond could have changed that, with his co-star Burt Ward revealing to the Daily Express in 2017 that West was approached for Diamonds Are Forever. Like Eastwood and Reynolds though, West passed as he felt the movie should go to a British performer.
3 Robert Campbell
In 1967, five candidates were selected for the final auditions for On Her Majesty's Secret Service. John Richardson, Anthony Rogers, Hans de Vries, Robert Campbell and eventual winner Lazenby were all screen-tested for the role. Of the five, Campbell might be the most mysterious, with the American performer appearing to have no further acting credits in the aftermath of his failed audition.
2 Dick Van Dyke
Comedy legend Dick Van Dyke starred in the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968, which was based on a novel by Bond author Ian Fleming. It was also produced by Cubby Broccoli, and Van Dyke once recounted on the Kevin Pollack Chat Show that the producer approached him about replacing Connery after You Only Live Twice. However, the actor's legendarily awful cockney accent appears to have immediately put paid to Broccoli's notion, as after Van Dyke asked if he'd heard his accent, the producer apparently said 'Oh, that's right! Forget it!'"
1 Mel Gibson
Gibson's name was cited for James Bond many times from the '80s onwards, though it's tough to separate rumor from fact. He was apparently in the running for GoldenEye, but when asked by JoBlo in 2022, Gibson revealed he was first offered the part in the early '80s when he was 26. If the timeline is correct, he was likely being approached about Octopussy, during the period when Moore wasn't committed. Gibson claims to have considered but passed as he feared being typecast as Connery had been.
Source: Independent.ie, USA Today, EW, The Kevin Pollack Chat Show, Daily Express, JoBlo