Michael Gambon was one of the most enormously proficient actors of his generation.

In his decades-long career, Gambon delivered several memorable and award-winning performances on the silver screen, often leaving the audience spellbound. His down-to-earth nature, unique cinematic skills, magnetism, and aura helped him collaborate with many top-level boundary-pushing directors on their grandiose film projects.

The actor sadly passed away at age 82 on September 28, 2023, leaving behind his rich legacy, which millions of fans will cherish forever. While Gambon undoubtedly played some of the most influential and charismatic characters on the silver screen, the actor once admitted that he turned down the offer to play the role of a British secret agent in the 1969 spy film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service claiming, “I’m not like him [Bond].” The actor claimed he rejected the job to depict 007, the part Henry Cavill fans have been campaigning for him to play since Daniel Craig’s departure from the James Bond franchise.

Michael Gambon Rejected to Potray James Bond in the Film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Michael Gambon

The late legendary star Michael Gambon was best known for depicting the iconic character of Albus Dumbledore in six installments of the beloved Harry Potter franchise. He made his debut in the franchise, starting with the 2004 movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, convincingly playing his part, and this role propelled him to even greater fame.

Throughout his celebrated career, the actor achieved tremendous fame and popularity, making him a fan-favorite star who arguably nailed each of his on-screen characters. According to reports, James Bond film producers once invited the actor to audition for the role of 007, which he ultimately turned down for a surprising reason.

Michael Gambon

In an interview with The Independent, The Wings of the Dove movie star revealed the reason he turned down the opportunity to play such a significant part, saying,

“I said I didn’t want the part because I’m not like him [Bond]. I haven’t got nice hair, and I’m a bit fat, and he (producer Cubby Broccoli) said, ‘well, the present James Bond doesn’t have any hair… it’s a wig’. Nice man.”

Michael Gambon turned down to play the iconic character of James Bond in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. After he passed on the opportunity, the role eventually went to actor George Lazenby.

Henry Cavill Fans Want the Actor to Play the Role of James Bond

Henry Cavill

Over the years, fans of Hollywood Stalwart Henry Cavill have been yearning and campaigning for him to portray the role of James Bond after Daniel Craig departs from the iconic spy film series franchise. In an interview with USA Today, Cavill admitted that he enjoyed reading those articles about Bond and how his fans have been wanting him to depict this character. The actor told the outlet,

“It is enormously flattering to read those articles that pop up about Bond all the time and who’s the favorite. I enjoy that, of course. But it’s all about how much time I have, and these roles need to be respected, and a lot of work needs to be put into them. You can’t just be jumping from iconic role to iconic role with no time to prep for them.”

According to various reports, Henry Cavill previously auditioned for the role of 007 in the Daniel Craig-led movie Casino Royale. As per reports, Martin Campbell offered the job to Craig instead of Cavill, who was “too young” to portray the character.