Sam Neill was "bullied" into auditioning for James Bond
The 77-year-old actor has claimed he has only ever auditioned for three roles in his life, one of which saw him secure the part of Harry Beecham in period drama My Brilliant Career, but he also lost out to Timothy Dalton in playing the suave spy in the late 1980s and to Richard Gere in the iconic Pretty Woman, but he thinks the right people were ultimately cast.
5 July 2025
He told the Sunday Times Culture magazine: "I'd just finished the film Sleeping Dogs (1977) in New Zealand, when I got an audition to star in My Brilliant Career, which really put me on my way.
"I think I've done three auditions in my life, and the other two I failed. I was bullied into auditioning for James Bond by my bully agent [in 1986], and failed that.
"The other - and I quite wanted to do this one, unlike Bond - was for Pretty Woman. They said someone else was better on both occasions, and they were right, of course."
Sam was born in Northern Ireland but raised in New Zealand and growing up, he never imagined he would be able to pursue a career as an actor.
He said: "I never imagined for a moment that I would be an actor, coming from a small, obscure town in the furthest away place. There was no moment. I'm surprised to this day."
The Jurassic Park star credits late acting legend James Mason for changing his life.
He said: "I grew up loving British actors and British films - everything from Alec Guinness to John Mills and Alastair Sim. But the first one I really admired was James Mason, particularly after watching 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an absolute cracker.
"He had such tremendous charisma and became a mentor to me. When I was in my late twenties and working in Australia, he and his wife sent me an air ticket and said, 'Come and stay with us in Switzerland because we like what you do and think you should have a career abroad.' He changed my life."
© 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity
