The Big Picture

• George Lazenby lied to secure the role of James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, claiming he had acting experience.
• Despite being offered more Bond films, Lazenby chose to abandon the character and franchise due to changing cultural tides and a fear of typecasting.
• While the actor's tenure as James Bond was short-lived, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is beloved by devoted fans, who consider it one of the series' best entries.

Depending on who you ask, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the sixth installment in the James Bond film franchise, is either the black sheep of the long-running series or an underrated gem worthy of reappraisal. Starring George Lazenby in his first big screen role, the 1969 spy thriller was the first entry not to feature Sean Connery, and perhaps inevitably, the Australian native's performance quickly became a sticking point among fans and critics alike. Though On Her Majesty's Secret Service would ultimately garner a legion of vocal devotees, including Christopher Nolan and Steven Soderbergh, the film didn't catapult its newly-discovered leading man into the stratosphere of stardom upon release, making the actor's turn as cinema's most iconic spy a one-time deal. But despite Lazenby's short-lived tenure as Bond and the criticism he received, the story of how he secured the coveted role serves as proof that honesty can be an overrated virtue in show business.

George Lazenby Was a Model Before He Was James Bond

After relocating from Australia to London in 1964 in pursuit of a woman, George Lazenby worked as a car salesman for Hunt Bros. and Mercedes Benz before finding success as a model upon crossing paths with a photographer. Having received the award for Top Model of the Year in 1966, he was afforded opportunities for appearances in television commercials for companies like MacRobertson's chocolates. With his profile on the rise, he moved to Paris, and though he wasn't a film actor, he was a fan of the James Bond films and aspired to emulate the British superspy's charismatic exterior and lifestyle.

"I was a country boy, 22-years-old," Lazenby recalls in the 2012 documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007. "I took this girl that I really fancied to see Dr. No. Here's this guy who can get any girl he wants, kills people who get in his way. 'Jesus, I'd like to be that guy.'" Years later, when Sean Connery stepped away from playing Bond after five films, Lazenby spotted an unlikely yet enticing opportunity to throw his hat into the ring as the next 007. Pulling out all the stops, he was prepared to do whatever it took to secure a meeting with producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, sacrificing honesty in favor of single-minded determination and self-promotion.

Replacing Sean Connery as James Bond Was a Daunting Task

According to George Lazenby, the search to find an actor to fill Sean Connery's intimidating shoes as James Bond included "800 applicants and 300 screen tests." Undeterred by the odds, and donning a snazzy suit and Rolex watch after visiting Connery's barber, the salesman-turned-model managed to slide his way past a secretary and get in a room with Broccoli and Saltzman, gatekeepers of the Bond franchise. Faking it till he could make it, Lazenby told the pair of producers he was an experienced actor who'd worked on films in Czechoslovakia, Russia, Germany, and Hong Kong. The lie paid off, and he was invited back to meet with director Peter Hunt the following day.

By his own admission, Lazenby was a nervous wreck when he sat down with Hunt. In a moment of sudden and inexplicable lapse of dishonesty, he confessed to the director, "Peter, I've never acted before." Much to Lazenby's surprise, however, Hunt burst out laughing and said, "You fooled two of the most ruthless guys I've ever met in my life. You're an actor." Though he had an in with Hunt, the wannabe actor still had to prove himself worthy of playing 007. "I'm told that mine was the biggest screen test in history," he remembers. "They tested me for four months. They tested me every which way — fights, horseback riding, swimming."

At long last, the Bond franchise found its new leading man in George Lazenby and On Her Majesty's Secret Service commenced production in 1968. According to The New York Times article linked above, the shoot wasn't without complications, particularly regarding Lazenby's daredevil tendencies in front of and behind the camera. The actor's colleagues, however, largely sang his praises in the decades since. "For someone who had never done a movie before, he was quite good," said co-star Diana Rigg. By the time the film was set to be released in December 1969, however, Lazenby's opportunity of a lifetime took an unexpected turn.

Why Did George Lazenby Stop Playing James Bond?

Despite being offered a contract by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to star in more films, George Lazenby decided to walk away from the James Bond franchise before On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released. While it's been suggested that he was considered by some as difficult to work with, the actor has refuted such claims. According to Lazenby, he stepped away from playing Bond at the urging of an agent who predicted the character's popularity would be rendered irrelevant and dated, effectively fizzling out amid the counterculture of the late 1960s and early '70s. "It was Sean Connery’s gig and, being in the '60s, it was love, not war," the actor told The Guardian. "You know, hippy time. And I bought into that."

So convinced was Lazenby that the franchise wouldn't be able to compete with the evolving sensibilities of the incoming Hollywood New Wave that, while attending the premiere of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he abandoned his previously sharp and clean-shaven appearance in favor of long hair and a beard. Having embraced the cultural revolution (along with fears that he would be typecast) his unexpected decision to abandon the character that put him on the cinematic map wasn't without consequences, with the actor theorizing that he likely lost out on opportunities as a result. "I’m glad I didn’t do another one," said Lazenby. "I didn’t want to be known as James Bond. The only time I had regrets was when I was broke." While he continued working on and off for decades, he'd ultimately conclude that acting wasn't his true calling, but his short-lived stamp on a legendary character and franchise, brought about by a not-so-little white lie and unwavering self-confidence, remains of cinema's most memorable and intriguing one-off performances.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is available to watch on Max in the U.S.

Watch on Max