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The iconic actor who played James Bond in the 80s was seen in public in a rare sighting recently.
Timothy Dalton joined the ranks of Sir Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Roger Moore, and Daniel Craig as 007 in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989).
Undeniably suave as Bond, Dalton looked almost unrecognisable as he made his way through a Los Angeles airport recently, over 30 years since he last played the secret agent.
The notoriously private actor struck a casual figure in all black and a pair of glasses worn low on the bridge of his nose, blending into the crowds at LAX.
By the time Dalton took on the role of Bond, he had already been considered for it several times, with producers first approaching him about the part in 1968.
Dalton claimed he turned the role down – meaning it went to Roger Moore – and later said in an interview: ‘Originally I did not want to take over from Sean Connery.
‘He was far too good, he was wonderful. I was about 24 or 25, which is too young. But when you’ve seen Bond from the beginning, you don’t take over from Sean Connery.’
After two successful Bond films in 1987 and 1989 respectively, legal disputes delayed the production of the third Bond film Dalton was contracted to star in, during which his contract expired.
To the public’s surprise, Dalton turned down the opportunity to play Bond for a third time in 1993, passing the bowtie to Pierce Brosnan.
Dalton portrayed Bond with more gritty realism than his predecessors, which divided critics and fans – but many diehard devotees remain certain Dalton was the best to ever play the role.
The recent pictures of Dalton in LAX come amid continued speculation about which actor will take over the role of 007.
Since Daniel Craig finished his turn as the notorious secret agent in 2021 with No Time to Die, fans of the franchise have been frantically speculating about who the new actor to take up the spy’s licence to kill could be.
While Aaron Taylor-Johnson is still considered the favourite for the role, a source firmly denied his involvement back in March, throwing a wrench into the theory.
Based on speculation and online odds, the names being thrown around to play Bond include Callum Turner, Regé-Jean Page, Damson Idris, Theo James, Leo Woodall, Taron Egerton, and James Norton, among others.
While it remains to be seen who will take on the role, true fans know Timothy Dalton was among the best to ever take on the catchphrase: ‘Shaken, not stirred.’
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English (US) ·