Sean Connery was a troublesome act to comply with: though George Lazenby was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the 12 months — Actor for his efficiency in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, vital opinion was break up.
Some thought Lazenby was “humourless,” “somewhat stiff,” “annoying and smug” and “boring,” however others thought he rose to the event.
It was not critique that stifled Lazenby’s progress within the franchise, however reasonably, negotiations dragged on all through the manufacturing of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Lazenby by no means signed a contract, regardless of being supplied one for seven movies — his agent, Ronan O’Rahilly, satisfied Lazenby that the key agent picture could be seen as archaic because the liberated Nineteen Seventies approached, and Lazenby dropped out of the function earlier than the movie was even launched.
He did painting Bond quite a few instances through the years in unofficial and parody 007 roles, although by 1973, Lazenby mentioned he was “flat broke” and had grow to be an alcoholic and suffered two nervous breakdowns.
“After the Bond fiasco no one would contact me”, Lazenby instructed The Los Angeles Occasions. “Harry Saltzman had all the time mentioned, ‘In case you do not do one other Bond you may wind up doing spaghetti westerns in Italy.’ However I could not even get a kind of. My agent could not consider it. However the phrase was out — I used to be ‘troublesome.'”
Lazenby went to Europe to pursue his profession, and was really in Hong Kong to fulfill with Bruce Lee about Sport of Demise the day Lee died. He ventured again Down Underneath to mannequin in addition to star in a couple of native commercials and an episode of Matlock Police, earlier than going again to Hollywood to take appearing classes in an effort to revitalise his profession.
Albert R. Broccoli mentioned casting Lazenby was his “greatest mistake in 16 years” as Lazenby was “smug” and “could not cope with the success.” Broccoli additionally mentioned that Lazenby did not get together with fellow castmates and crew members.
Regardless of Lazenby saying he had solely met Sean Connery briefly as soon as, Connery really got here to his defence.
“I’ve identified George for a few years and conceitedness just isn’t in his character,” Connery instructed The Los Angeles Occasions in 1978. “Alas I can not say the identical for Cubby [Albert R.] Broccoli.”
That very same yr, Lazenby took out an advert in Selection, providing his appearing companies.
“If I may get a TV sequence or a very good film, I swear I might do it for nothing”, Lazenby instructed a journalist on the publication.
“Folks ask me if the Bond film wasn’t value it if it received me into appearing. It is true that it received me in, nevertheless it wasn’t well worth the ten years it price me.”
Between the years of 1969 and 2003, Lazenby held varied roles in lots of tv productions, documentaries and movies, although none fairly so publicised as Bond. In 2014, nevertheless, he did make an appearing comeback, and his newest movie Within the Blink of An Eye is presently in post-production.
Lazenby has been married and divorced twice, and he had 5 youngsters together with his ex-wives. Sadly, nevertheless, his son, Zachary, whom Lazenby had together with his first spouse Chrissie Townson, handed away on the age of 19 after being recognized with a mind tumour when he was 11.
Lazenby now resides in Los Angeles.
