How George Lazenby lied his way into starring as James Bond after Sean Connery departure

A series of lies and bluffing led to George Lazenby succeeding Sean Connery as James Bond.

The Australian actor would make his on-screen debut in Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It would not only mark his first and only appearance as the acclaimed secret agent, but his first-ever role. It’s quite the debut for Lazenby, who had big shoes to fill after Connery decided to drop out of the series. He would return with Diamonds Are Forever, but Lazenby was selected for the role after a daring mission of espionage, which had flickers of Bond. Ian Fleming may have been initially unimpressed with Connery, likening him to an “overgrown stuntman”, but he was won over by the veteran performer. Finding his successor was not an easy task, but producers decided Lazenby would be a fitting leading man.

Lazenby had never acted before playing Bond, and instead showed up to the interview, lied about having acting experience, and cut his hair like Connery. He slipped past the receptionist at the audition and, wearing a suit and Rolex watch, landed himself the part with a convincing audition.

It’s a story which has delighted fans, who believe Lazenby’s breakthrough in Hollywood is fitting given he would portray 007. Lazenby would share how he managed to get into the audition. His name was not on the list of actors called in for the role, but he made it through after he “bolted past” the receptionist.

One fan of Lazenby, who took to the r/TodayILearned subreddit to share their thoughts on the story, wrote: “Slipping by a distracted receptionist is something James Bond would do.” Another agreed, writing: “Yeah, it’s sort of one of those where ‘fuck it, if you’ve made it this far on lies and subterfuge, you’re probably qualified.'”

However, others think a random meeting prior to the audition might have been crucial in Lazenby landing the part. One fan claimed: “He apparently met Broccoli while getting a haircut and was offered a screen test. As well as offering an audition. It sounds like they knew he’d only been in a commercial before.”

Some have theorised that Lazenby fabricated his resume before entering the audition – and successfully deceived both Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.

One supporter explained: “He completely bullshitted his resume, which he made up in the taxi on the way to the audition. Claiming that he’d been in the Australian army, where he was a top shot, ‘that everything came easy to him’. When he finally confessed, Cubby and Saltzman just said that he’d managed to fool two of the most cynical people going. So his acting skills were superb.”

Lazenby would at least get the chance to portray Bond, unlike Liam Neeson, who passed on the role. The veteran performer, now 73, shared that he decided to turn down the role after Richardson intervened. She was wary of a role Neeson described as “gorgeous girls in various countries getting in and out of [Bond’s] bed.”

As a result, Neeson was told he could either take the role or take his leave of Richardson. The Marlowe star would go on to turn down the role and instead marry Richardson in 1994. The role of Bond would go to Pierce Brosnan, who starred in Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, and Die Another Day.