Sam Neill, the Jurassic Park star who died aged 78, once described his audition for the role of James Bond as 'one of the worst experiences of my life.' In a 2023 interview on Lorraine, Neill said he was 'bullied' into auditioning by his agent for 1987's The Living Daylights, a role that ultimately went to Timothy Dalton.
Neill's Reluctant Audition
Back in 1985, after Roger Moore's final Bond film at age 58, producer Cubby Broccoli sought a younger actor for 007. Neill, a New Zealander, was among those considered. However, the late actor admitted he never wanted the part. 'No one wants to be the James Bond that no one likes. That's an unenviable position,' he said. He also noted that his friend Pierce Brosnan really wanted the role, and Neill hoped Brosnan would get it. 'So I did this ridiculous audition and it was excruciating,' Neill added.
Pierce Brosnan's Delayed Bond
Brosnan was originally cast as Bond for The Living Daylights but had to withdraw due to his contract with the TV show Remington Steele. Dalton stepped in and starred in that film and 1989's Licence To Kill. A legal dispute between EON Productions and MGM stalled the franchise until 1993. When Broccoli asked Dalton to return for GoldenEye, Dalton agreed to only one more film, which Broccoli deemed insufficient after the long hiatus. The role finally went to Brosnan in 1995's GoldenEye.
