Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke opened up about his early roles during a recent interview. The actor, who is very close to his centennial birthday celebrations, revealed how he almost played James Bond after Sean Connery.
Let’s take a closer look at why exactly he declined the role of the British secret agent, which would be the role of a lifetime for many.
Dick Van Dyke reveals why he rejected James Bond role
Dick Van Dyke sat down with TODAY for an interview, discussing his upcoming 100th birthday on December 13th, as well as his new book 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life.
As he spoke about his early roles, playing Bert in Mary Poppins (1964) and Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, TODAY‘s Al Roker asked him about one that he declined.
When asked if it was true whether he could have almost become James Bond, Van Dyke replied, saying, “I almost did.” He continued to explain how, after working with Albert “Cubby” Broccoli on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the producer asked him whether he would like to be Bond. “And I said, ‘Have you heard my British accent?’” Van Dyke shared. Further, he made a “click” gesture, indicating that the conversation ended right there.
Dick also mentioned regretting turning down the chance to be 007, remarking it would “have been a great experience.” He also added that his audiences wouldn’t accept it from him, as turning from family-oriented roles to a spy would be a drastic change.
Further, also speaking of turning 100 soon, Van Dyke said, “I didn’t expect to get past 80, at the most. The fun thing is, I don’t know what I did, right? I have no idea.” He then spoke about how he enjoys singing and dancing with his wife, Arlene Silver.
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