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Entertainment & Media
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The Ultimate Bluff: How a Car Salesman Conned His Way into Playing James Bond
How did an Australian model with zero acting experience become 007? With a stolen suit, a Rolex, and supreme confidence. George Lazenby faked his entire resume and bluffed his way into the audition, proving that sometimes you just have to look the part to get the part.
In 1968, the producers of the James Bond franchise faced an impossible task: replacing Sean Connery. The original 007 had become synonymous with the role, and his departure after You Only Live Twice left a void that seemed impossible to fill. The global search for the next Bond was on, attracting thousands of hopefuls. Yet, the man who would ultimately land the part wasn't an established actor; he was a 28-year-old Australian car salesman and model with no professional acting experience to his name. His name was George Lazenby, and his path to stardom was a masterclass in audacity.
Crafting the Character Off-Screen
Lazenby knew he couldn't compete on credentials, so he decided to compete on persona. He reasoned that to be James Bond, he first had to look like James Bond. His transformation began with a trip to Sean Connery's own tailor on Savile Row. In a stroke of incredible luck, he discovered that Connery had ordered a suit but never returned to pick it up. Lazenby bought it. Next, he acquired the essential Bond accessory: a Rolex Submariner watch. The final touch was a visit to Connery's barber for an identical haircut. Fully equipped, he looked less like an aspiring actor and more like James Bond on his day off.
Infiltrating the Audition
With his new look providing a powerful dose of confidence, Lazenby walked into the casting offices of Eon Productions. He strode right past a distracted receptionist and into the path of the film's director, Peter Hunt, and producers Albert "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. When they inevitably asked about his acting experience, Lazenby didn't miss a beat. He invented a string of credits from films he claimed to have made in places they couldn't easily verify, like Czechoslovakia and China. His sheer nerve was captivating. As Lazenby himself later recalled:
I told them I was an actor and, of course, I'd never acted in my life. They asked me to come back and see the director... So I had to go and learn how to act in two weeks.
An Audition That Packed a Punch
Impressed by his look and bravado, the producers invited him for a screen test. Lazenby managed to hold his own through dialogue and charisma tests, but the defining moment came during a fight scene choreography test with a professional stuntman. Tasked with faking a fight, Lazenby—a trained martial artist—got carried away and accidentally punched the stuntman squarely in the face, knocking him to the ground. In the stunned silence that followed, Lazenby was sure he'd blown his chance. Instead, Cubby Broccoli was thoroughly impressed by his raw aggression and authenticity. The accidental punch had sealed the deal. He had found his new Bond—a man with the physical grit the role demanded.
A One-Time Legend
George Lazenby would go on to star in just one Bond film, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Despite his unconventional casting, the film is now considered by many critics and fans to be one of the best in the entire series. Advised that the Bond character would soon become obsolete, he famously turned down a seven-film contract, a decision he later admitted was a mistake. While his tenure as 007 was brief, the story of how he got there remains one of Hollywood's most enduring and entertaining legends—a testament to the power of a good suit, perfect timing, and unparalleled audacity.