How George Lazenby Bluffed His Way to Bond

A note to young leaders.

Last weekend, I stumbled upon a remarkable documentary called “Becoming Bond.”

It’s about a car mechanic from country NSW, who had never acted a day in his life, being cast to play James Bond.

His name is Lazenby. George Lazenby.

His first and only Bond film was one of the highest grossing films in 1969, collecting USD 82 million worldwide on a budget of USD 7 million, and earning him a Golden Globe nomination. No other Bond before or since has been nominated for a Golden Globe.

Two questions spring to mind. How did a man with no acting experience land one of cinema’s most coveted roles? And why, having succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations, did he walk away?

What makes the story so interesting is that the answer to both questions is the same – self-belief.

Before auditioning for Bond, he found out where Sean Connery had his hair cut, and booked a chair. He went to Connery’s tailor, and walked out with one of Connery’s suits. He bought a Rolex Submariner. Then he presented himself to the producers not as an aspiring Bond, but as the finished article.

When the conversation turned to his acting credits, he invented a career in Czechoslovakia, China and Russia – countries chosen less for their film industries than for the difficulty of ringing them for a reference in 1968.

It’s tempting to call this a con. But a con persuades people of something false. Lazenby persuaded them of something that was merely not yet true – and the film proved him right.

Then came the sequel. Or rather, it didn’t.

Before the film had even opened, the producers offered Lazenby a contract for six more Bond films, and USD 1.0M up front. He was only 30. He turned it down.

Having bluffed his way to becoming Bond, Lazenby now believed he could go one better. He wanted to become the next Clint Eastwood. He grew a beard and long hair, and arrived at the premiere of his own Bond film looking like he had wandered in from Woodstock.

The producers went back to Connery. The James Bond franchise flourished. Lazenby became a B-grade actor and slipped into obscurity.

So which is the lesson: the audition or the exit?

Both. Self-belief is both rocket fuel and wrecking ball.

Lazenby had the audacity to play James Bond before anyone had cast him. That was the rocket fuel. His mistake was to keep playing him after the cameras had stopped rolling.