Jeremy Irons had talks to play James Bond – but "wasn’t very interested" in the "iconic role".
The English actor had a meeting with late 007 producer Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli in 1980 when he was shooting ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’ about potentially taking over the role, which was being played by Roger Moore at the time.
Irons admits he spurned the opportunity because he felt playing the suave big screen spy would typecast him for the rest of his career.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph newspaper, he said: "I once had a meeting about James Bond. I was making ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’. Chubby Broccoli [then the producer of the franchise] came down – we had a meeting in Lyme Regis and I wasn’t actually very interested because, perhaps wrongly, I thought it’s such an iconic role I would find it hard to get away from it".
Although he decided 007 wasn’t for him, Irons is tipping his ‘High-Rise’ co-star Tom Hiddleston for the part and believes he could more-than adequately fill Bond’s tuxedo, currently donned by Daniel Craig.
The 67-year-old star said: "He’s a fairly conventional James Bond, but he has the style, the wit, the looks and the physique".
Although some actors may have looked back on their decision to snub the role of Bond as a mistake, Irons is pleased with what he has achieved over his five-decade spanning career and doesn’t have any regrets.
The ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ star said: "I’m not a person who lives with regrets. I’ve made my bed and I sleep well in it at night. Things could have gone a different way. Would I have been happier or not? Should I have put more back into English theatre than I have? In truth I never really had the desire to. I always used to feel, so and so can play that part so much better than me. I don’t know."
Jeremy Irons had talks for James Bond
