Dick Van Dyke Turned Down James Bond After Sean Connery — Here's Why
Approaching 100, Hollywood icon Dick Van Dyke says he nearly became the next James Bond after Sean Connery — and reveals the unexpected reason he turned down 007.
File this under: delightful what-could-have-beens. Dick Van Dyke says he really did get nudged toward playing James Bond after Sean Connery, and he really did shut it down himself. The reason is exactly what you think it is.
So, yeah, Dick Van Dyke as 007 was almost a thing
On TODAY, while talking up his 100th birthday on December 13 and his new book, "100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life," Van Dyke walked through some early-career highlights: Bert in "Mary Poppins" (1964), Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" — and the wild one that never happened.
Al Roker asked if it was true he nearly became Bond. Van Dyke didn't hedge: he said he almost did. After working with producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli on "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," Broccoli floated the idea of Van Dyke stepping into 007's tux post-Connery.
"Have you heard my British accent?"
That was Van Dyke's response. He even mimed a little click to show how fast that conversation ended. Honestly, hard to argue — audiences still poke fun at the Poppins accent.
Why he passed, and how he feels about it now
Van Dyke said he figured fans wouldn't buy him as a spy after so many family-friendly roles. He also admitted that turning it down nags at him a bit — not because he thinks he should have been Bond forever, but because it would have been one heck of an experience.
Turning 100, still moving
He also sounded genuinely amused at the whole longevity thing. He said he never expected to make it past 80 and has no idea what secret sauce got him this far. These days, he's happy singing and dancing with his wife, Arlene Silver, and promoting the new book as he heads into the big 1-0-0.