Sam Heughan Admits He Was Told He Wasn’t ‘Edgy Enough’ To Play James Bond After Rumors He’d Be Next 007

It’s hard to ideate James Bond without Daniel Craig — but determination were different contenders for the portion conscionable arsenic determination are for astir movies. Now, 1 of them has spoken retired astir what it was similar auditioning for the iconic role. Sam Heughan, 42, whose breakout relation was successful Starz’s bid Outlander, revealed successful his upcoming memoir Waypoints: My Scottish Journey (via Entertainment Weekly) that helium didn’t get onshore the gig due to the fact that helium was not “edgy enough.” He wrote, “When I learned the relation had gone elsewhere, however, the feedback I received boiled down to the information that I wasn’t edgy capable by nature. I’m ever keen to instrumentality connected disapproval truthful I tin amended arsenic an actor, but the proposition seemed to beryllium that I lacked this prime successful my existent character. I could not spot what bearing that would person connected playing the role, but it was retired of my hands, and meant to be.”

He besides revealed what the audition process, which helium described arsenic “so hush-hush that cipher ever confirmed that [he] was being considered for the main role,” taught him. “Following that experience, I learned to look people connected that level erstwhile required. Even though I was fundamentally acting extracurricular of the existent audition, it became conscionable 1 much happening I was prepared to bash successful bid to onshore a part,” helium explained. “I considered it to beryllium a situation successful immoderate ways; a show I could unreal was truly maine that I could power connected and disconnected astatine will. It wasn’t a question of becoming a atrocious boy. I realized that the borderline the Bond squad sought could beryllium achieved done self-confidence, which to beryllium just I was surely lacking astatine the time.”

Sam Heughan successful ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’ (Photo: Hopper Stone/Lionsgate/Everett Collection)

Of course, Sam had his large interruption and Daniel, 54, went connected to bring James Bond to beingness successful 5 Bond films. Daniel’s past movie was 2021’s No Time to Die, and helium antecedently announced helium was retiring from the relation and opening up the spot for a caller actor. “I didn’t deliberation that I was going to bash different movie aft Spectre. I genuinely thought that I was going to … conscionable battalion it in,” helium told Reuters ahead of No Time To Die‘s Sept. 2021 premiere.

“But I’m truthful blessed that I got the accidental to travel and bash this one,” helium continued, “And we tied up tons of escaped ends. We’ve tried to archer 1 communicative with each my Bond movies. It’s similar they’re each connected successful immoderate mode and this 1 conscionable benignant of capped it off.”

(Photo: Francois Duhamel/Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection)

He reconfirmed his determination to walk 007 connected during an Oct. 2021 quality connected Good Morning America. “To deliberation backmost for a 2nd of what was achieved and what these movies person meant to truthful galore radical it’s specified a large deal. But it’s clip to finish. It’s done,” helium noted.

So, does Sam happening this whitethorn beryllium his clip to shine? Not quite. “Look, each British histrion surely has been talked astir for the role. I would emotion to spot a Scottish Bond,” helium told Entertainment Weekly. “Maybe I’m excessively aged now. I cognize that they’ve been talking astir making him younger. I consciousness similar that’s wherever they’re gonna go, but who knows what’s successful their mind.”