|
George
Lazenby James Bond
On Her Majesty`s Secret Service1969
"This never happened to the other fellow"
"This never happened to the other fellow"
|
|
|
|
George Lazenby" On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969" |
George Lazenby Facts: Bondography
|
Unpublished
James Bond auditions
He was a 28-year-old Australian model living in London, with virtually no acting experience outside TV commercials. But there was something about George Lazenby that placed him a notch above his competitors. Particularly impressive was his physical prowess: In a subsequent audition to test his fighting skills, Lazenby reportedly broke a stuntman's nose. That clinched it. Photo: Loomis Dean |
Description: George Lazenby, the one-time Bond, makes a valiant effort in perhaps the most dramatic film of the series. Underplaying the role at most times, Lazenby is also hurt by the fact that his voice is dubbed for half the film. However, he did have what it takes to be Bond and, given more opportunity, would have adapted to the role perfectly. George Lazenby, född 5 september 1939 i Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australien, är en australisk skådespelare. Mest berömd som den andre James Bond skådespelaren, i filmen " On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969" |
|||
Notes From the Director
Lazenby fiddles with a knife while chatting with Peter R. Hunt. "He
was a great looking guy and he moved along very well," the director,
who died in 2002, once said in an interview with Retro Vision
magazine. "I think if things had gone the other way, he would have
gone on to be a very good Bond."
Photo: Loomis Dean |
Extended Filmography
|
|||
Confident, Playful
Lazenby goofs off behind the scenes of his screen test, boxing with an
unidentified man."“I was so naïve, so green," the actor
reminisced in a 1992 interview with Entertainment Tonight.
"I was a country boy from Australia, basically, who walked into a
Bond role."
|
After 007, Lazenby's film career flopped, performing in a
variety of low budget flicks. In 1971 he performed as Ryker in the war
drama "Universal Solider", but Lazenby's attempt at a more
serious production failed at the box office.
The male model moved to Hong Kong in the 1970's and won a string of roles in Kung Fu adventures. While many proved to be a financial success for the actor, none were particularly memorable to the Western audiences. During his time in the East, Lazenby managed to set up a production with martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Unfortunately, the production did not get beyond the planning stages due to the untimely passing of Lee. |
Awaiting Direction
Lazenby twirls a gun beside potential Bond girl Marie-France Boyer.
"I'm really looking forward to being Bond, for the bread and the
birds," he told LIFE after his casting.
Photo: Loomis Dean |
|
||||
Bedside Manner
The actor looks comfortable beside Bond-girl hopeful Agneta Eckemyr
— but once filming began, rumors sprouted that Lazenby had
personality conflicts with the woman ultimately cast as his love
interest Tracy, Avengers star Diana Rigg. Opinions about the
movie they made are split — initially there was much grumbling about
Lazenby's performance as compared with Connery's, but the years have
been kind to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Entertainment
Weekly ranks it the sixth best of the franchise).
Photo: Loomis Dean
|
George Lazenby" On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969" Bond-girl hopeful Swdedish Agneta Eckemyr |
Character informationThe producers of James Bond introduced George Lazenby to worldwide audiences in a way that is used for lots of other characters throughout the Bond films. As with Sean Connery in Dr No, and Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice, the audience only gets to see parts of the character before they are introduced. Bond is seen lighting a cigar, the back of him, and him looking at Teresa Di Vicenzo through a telescopic sight. It is not until Bond rescues Tracy from the sea, that George Lazenby introduces himself to Tracy in James Bond’s classic way. Numerous elements where inserted into On Her Majesty's Secret Service to convince audiences that George Lazenby was still James Bond. The credits showed scenes from previous films slipping through an hourglass and a scene in James Bond's apartment where he examines famous artefacts from previous films. Unfortunately due to only doing one film George Lazenby did not really have chance to develop his character of James Bond. Who knows what would have happened if George Lazenby would have continued to develop his character in subsequent films, in his role as Bond, James Bond. |
Hitting the Pub
Long and strong, Lazenby leans against a bar in what appears to be a
moment away from auditions. Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry
Saltzman told LIFE that the new 007 would be "an instant
millionaire" — so imagine their shock when Lazenby quit after On
Her Majesty's Secret Service, passing up a seven-year contract
because he thought the emerging counterculture meant the spy franchise
was passé.
|
Film informationThe second entry to the part of James Bond was George Lazenby. Born on 5th September 1939, Lazenby started work as model. Apart from the few TV commercials that he appeared in, (where Cubby Broccoli spotted him) he had no acting experience prior to being cast as James Bond. George Lazenby took on the character of James Bond at a very crucial time in the Bond series; Sean Connery had just left and the part was left to this relatively unknown Australian actor to keep the Bond series going. Due to a mediocre audience reaction, and advised that the Bond series would die out anyway, George Lazenby would only star in one James Bond film. It can be said that Lazenby was against the odds when he took on the role of James Bond. With the pressure of being the new James Bond after Connery’s departure - his long shadow still very much present and combined with Lazenby’s disagreements with Cubby throughout production, things didn't go too smoothly for the Australian actor.
|
|
George Lazenby: A Career Come and Gone
"First I was very humble about it and naïve, and then I kinda
got on the bandwagon and sort of said, 'I must be who they say I am,'
and got carried away and demanded limousines and did the whole
bit," Lazenby said in the '92 interview, regarding his behavior
after his casting. "[It] was obnoxious and arrogant and all the
things you hate about those people. And I got what I deserved."
(That would be roles in B-movies and Bond parodies.)
|
In 1964, Lazenby moved to London with the hope of building a career as a model. However, before getting into the industry, the aspiring showman would have to find work as a car salesman and mechanic once more. He gained his first modeling work after being approached by a freelance photographer. Once Lazenby got himself on the books of a UK-based agent, his career as a model began to gain pace and within a year of successful jobs, Lazenby became one of the highest paid models in Europe. The 28-year-old reportedly earned over £40,000 from his chosen profession in 1967. Most memorably, the Australian star was the face of Marlboro in their advertising campaigns - casually known as the European "Marlboro Man". |
In 1971, Lazenby married his first wife Christina Gannett - heiress to the publishing company Gannett - with whom he had two children, Zachary and Melanie. During the 80's and 90's, Lazenby signed a contract with ABC's American smash drama "General Hospital", prime time soap opera "Rituals", as well as "The Pretender", "Batman" and even took a role in a token episode of "Baywatch". In 1994, Lazenby's son Zachary tragically passed away after a prolonged period of cancer before his divorce from his wife, Gannett. Lazenby's film career teetered in the late '90s and he took a break from the public scene, buying and selling real estate, before he married tennis pro Pam Shriver in 2002. The pair had three children: twins Kaitlin and Elizabeth and Samuel. In August 2008 the pair filed for divorce. "I'm still waiting for that one right, perfect role, to set things right. I'd really love that chance." |
JAMES BOND (GUNNAR SCHÄFER ) IN FRONT OF LONDON MI 6
OFFICE MI6 HQ - The Home of James Bond 007.
George Lazenby James Bond med James Bond Gunnar Schäfer James Bond Museum George Lazenby möter Sveriges James Bond i Malmö. James Bond Gunnar Schäfer from Sweden Nybro. An Exclusive Interview George Lazenby, who played James Bond 1969 "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" Interview with George Lazenby were held m Malmö 28/2 . se trailer |
George Lazenby James Bond med James Bond Gunnar Schäfer James Bond Museum |
007 Dry Martini glass to George
Lazenby James Bond from James Bond Gunnar Schäfer and
The James Bond Museum
Nybro Sweden
The 007 Dry Martini glass is made by James Bond Museum Nybro Sweden
Dry martini glass 007
logo sandblasted Price 45 euro
Gunnar Schäfer James Bond and
George
Lazenby as James Bond Big Ben London Tweet
Gunnar Schäfer James Bond and George Lazenby as James Bond Big Ben London
George
Lazenby James Bond
On Her Majesty`s Secret Service1969
"This never happened to the other fellow"
James Bond 007 Museum Nybro, Sweden. www.007museum.com Contact: 007museum@telia.com tel. +46-481-12960 Open Daily 10.00 - 17.00 (lunch 13-14) Sat 10.00-14.00 Adress: James Bond 007 Museum, Emmabodav. 20 382 45 Nybro, Sweden 0481-12960
James Bond
Materials© 1962 - 2017 United Artists Corporation and Danjaq, LLC. 007 Gun
Logo© 1962 United Artists Corporation and Danjaq, LLC. 007 Gun Logo, Iris
Logo, |