PREVIEW

Dick Van Dyke has explained why he turned down the opportunity to play James Bond. The 99-year-old was approached by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang producer Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli who oversaw the James Bond franchise - about taking over from Sean Connery as 007. However, although he could have made history as the first American to play the British agent, Van Dyke turned it down because he knew his accent wouldn't be up to scratch. During an interview on the Today Show, anchor Al Roker asked, "Is it true you could have almost become James Bond?" and he replied, "I almost did.” ”Cubby Broccoli came to me and said, 'Would you like to be Bond?' And I said, 'Have you heard my British accent?’”, he explained with a laugh, referring to his Cockney accent in 1964's Mary Poppins. The veteran entertainer, who turns 100 next month, admitted that he still regrets turning it down as it would "have been a great experience”. However, he wasn't sure if audiences would have "accepted" him in the role, as it was such a departure from his hit family films like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The role of James Bond eventually went to Australian actor George Lazenby, who played the secret agent for one film, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He was succeeded by Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. It has yet to be announced who will replace Craig, who bowed out in 2021's No Time to Die. The next film will be directed by Dune's Denis Villeneuve and produced by Amy Pascal and David Heyman, who have taken over from Broccoli's heirs Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
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