We Could’ve Had The Wildest James Bond Ever, But He Turned The Role Down

Many actors starting out in Hollywood dream of the breakout role that will bring them fame and fortune and open many more doors. Chances are, however, that same role will become a prison for any actor, forcing them to stay forever locked within the confines of a certain genre.

This became a huge problem for Hugh Jackman after the first access of his performance as the Wolverine. Although the role of an extremely popular character brought the actor all the love and respect in the world, along with some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, it also made it extremely difficult for him to break out of the action movie cycle.

There were so many offers of the same kind that Jackman decided not to accept any of them. Even the most iconic ones, like James Bond, which he could easily get.

In an interview with IndieWire, the actor opened up about his motives for turning down all those roles:

“I didn’t want to do the same things. You know, the role of the hero action star. I mean, it was the meat-and-potatoes of a lot of American film, that archetype. It was all various forms of heroic guys in tough situations. I was like, ‘Uh, no. This is a problem,” he said.

Instead of following the same pattern of playing the same character over and over again, just in a slightly different setting, Hugh Jackman decided to follow his heart and spend some time on his passion projects.

Of course, the role of James Bond would bring the actor even more success and recognition, but it probably wouldn't fill his heart as much as Broadway plays do.

Although many fans would still pay a lot of money to see Jackman portray the famous spy, the chance is already gone. There has been no official announcement about the new James Bond actor, but the producers have made it clear that they're looking for a man in his 30s, so 54-year-old Hugh Jackman is out of the running, no matter how good his shape is.

Source: IndieWire