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(Credits: Far Out \/ Gage Skidmore)<\/p>\n
Sun 7 September 2025 13:30, UK <\/p>\n
A true Hollywood icon, Harrison Ford<\/a> has often been typecast as a moody maverick over the years, but within that core persona, he has managed to portray everything from a space-travelling smuggler to a rock and roll hotrodder. <\/p>\n Boasting one of the most expansive and beloved filmographies of any actor, the Chicago-born star has been a fixture of the silver screen since back in the 1960s, consistently pushing himself to new heights and taking on a breadth of new roles. They are the kind of roles that breed a lot of sentimentality from audiences and are one of the largest reasons why the actor has enjoyed such a rich connection with his fans over the past six decades. It is also why so many people believe that Ford\u2019s presence can enhance any production.<\/p>\n For most actors, the chance to play a hero like Han Solo or Indiana Jones is a once in a life time affair, and Ford absolutely delivers on them. But one role always eluded the actor, Her Majesty\u2019s secret weapon and the ultimate secret agent: James Bond. Drenched in shaken martinis and dry wit, since the early days of the Bond franchise, back in the Sean Connery era of the 1960s, the British spy character has captured the attention of audiences and filmmakers alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, if you\u2019re reaching into your grandfather\u2019s old trunk in the attic and about to wave a British flag and whine that no American should ever play the iconic role, you need to think twice. The first actor to ever proclaim themselves as James Bond was Barry Nelson, a Californian actor who took on Bond as part of the 1954 TV series Climax!, and that\u2019s without considering two of the more iconic portrayals. <\/p>\n Do a little more digging and you\u2019ll start to note that two of the character\u2019s most beloved portrayals also came from outside of the British Isles<\/a>, with Australian George Lazenby and Irish Pierce Brosnan also taking on the 007 moniker. <\/p>\n But, if we\u2019re honest with ourselves, there\u2019s something very un-Bond-like to Ford that means he would have been a very rogue casting. Ford is rugged and rough, far removed from the slick and stylish Bond, and probably fits a side role much more easily. But, Ford was put forward for the role back in the 1980s following a run of collaborations with Steven Spielberg. For multiple years, the American director was desperate to direct a Bond film<\/a>, going to great lengths to try to convince Cubby Broccoli to give him a shot, but to no avail. <\/p>\n Spielberg was so determined to prove his credentials that he created a scene in 1984\u2019s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in which Ford\u2019s character is more or less dressed up as Bond, white tuxedo and all. Ultimately, though, the tactic didn\u2019t pay off and, although both Spielberg and Ford were apparently considered by the Broccolis, neither ended up being recruited for the Bond franchise.\u00a0<\/p>\n