In a recent interview popular Hollywood actor, Liam Neeson revealed that he was offered the role of the world-famous spy James Bond before Daniel Craig filled the shoes, but he had to reject the part. The actor shared that in the 1990s producer Barbara Broccoli contacted him several times for the role but he didn’t accept the offer due to his wife Natasha Richardson.
Neeson, the star of the Oscar-nominated movie Schindler’s List had to turn it down because his future wife, Natasha Richardson, told him that she would dump him if he accepted the role.
Neeson met Richardson while they were starring in the Broadway revival of Anna Christie in New York City in January 1993. By the next summer, they were married, and there was no looking back.
After the success of Schindler’s List, the James Bond producers reached out to Neeson to gauge his interest in being the next James Bond in the movie franchise. Although Neeson was eager to accept the role, Richardson did not want him to play James Bond for unexplained reasons.
Neeson recalled, “My lovely wife said to me while we were shooting Nell down in the Carolinas, ‘Liam, I want to tell you something: If you play James Bond, we’re not getting married.'”
Neeson listened to his future wife and did not take the role. However, he did not stop pretending to be the master spy. He often went “behind her back, making my fingers as though I’m holding a gun, and [humming the James Bond theme],” he joked.
He added, “She gave me a James Bond ultimatum. And she meant it!”
Neeson explained that Richardson did not want him to play James Bond because of all the “gorgeous girls in various countries getting into bed and getting out of bed.” He joked that “a lot of her decision-making was based on that!”
Instead of Neeson, the Broccoli family settled on Pierce Brosnan as their new 007 spy. His franchise debut was the 1995 release of Goldeneye. The Broccolis still run the James Bond movie franchise to this day.
Liam Neeson had to turn down the chance to play James Bond because of his future wife’s ultimatum. While he was disappointed, he respected her wishes and did not take the role.
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Sources: AWM, Theprint, Meristation