Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicDid Dick Van Dyke miss out on doing 007? The legendary actor reveals how he was offered a license to kill.
Few literary or cinematic characters evoke such an iconic image as “Bond, James Bond,” an international super spy so enigmatic that it took no less than seven actors to bring him to life. While everyone might remember the performances of Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, David Nieven, Pierce Brosnan, and the iconic Sean Connery, the role almost went to a Disney Legend.
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Dick Van Dyke has worn a lot of different hats in his extensive career. Actor, dancer, inventor, clown, TV dad, the list goes on and on, but one of the figureheads sought out the performer in 1968 to fill the shoes of none other than Sean Connery himself.
Dick Van Dyke as 007?
@cbssundaymorning Dick Van Dyke reveals he was asked to play James Bond after Sean Connery left the role — but he had concerns about the accent. #dickvandyke #entertainment #actor #jamesbond #bond #acting #cbssundaymorning #marypoppins
Apart from Dick Van Dyke, only one other American actor was asked to enlist in Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Burt Reynolds. Van Dyke isn’t exaggerating in the video above, as has a stronger connection with the James Bond franchise than some might guess.
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At the time, Van Dyke starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), produced by Albert R. Broccoli and written by James Bond creator Ian Flemming (because how can someone named “Truly Scrumptious” not be a Bond Girl?), and was approached by the producers to fill in for the original Bond, Sean Connery.
For those who missed the friendly jab Van Dyke makes in the interview, his British accent from his portrayal of Bert in Mary Poppins (1964) has been ridiculed for years. As hilarious as it might be to imagine, hearing Van Dyke’s comical cockney accent come out of a character like James Bond would certainly take some of his suave and sophisticated elements away.
Joking aside, Van Dyke was truly the performance powerhouse in the ’60s. While he might not have made it as the character, it’s still understandable why the producers might want to approach him. Of all the words of tongue and pen, the saddest are “it might have been.”
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