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After directing Pierce Brosnan’s first James Bond movie GoldenEye so successfully, Martin Campbell was invited to return to the franchise for the next reboot, Casino Royale.
This was the last time EON Productions held their secret auditions for a new 007, some 18 years ago, where he and producers screen tested around eight potential new Bonds including Daniel Craig and Henry Cavill.
Famously, the future Superman star just lost out to the latest 007 actor and now the director has shared little-known details from the casting process which included acting out a scene in a towel from Sean Connery’s From Russia with Love.
Speaking exclusively with Express.co.uk to promote this week’s London Action Festival, Campbell was very positive about the then 22-year-old’s audition.
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Campbell, who had pointed out to Cavill that he was a little chubby for 007 during the process, told us nevertheless: “He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous. And look, if Daniel didn’t exist Henry would have made an excellent Bond. He looked terrific, he was in great physical shape… very handsome, very chiselled. He just looked a little young at that time back then.”
Asked if even at 40 the Superman star could still play Bond he said: “By the time Daniel got to [No Time To Die] really he was at an age where one more would have been too old for him. I think they sign on for three Bonds, I’m not absolutely 100 per cent certain of that. I know with Pierce he had to sign on to three when we did him. So that’s going to take, what, six years of your life maybe? I suspect Daniel [had] the same deal. And the next guy’s going to have to do that.
“Henry’s 40, so by the time he’s done the third one he’s going to be 50 and anything beyond that’s two, three years per Bond. He’s in good shape Henry, he’s a good guy. He did very well in the audition, but ironically he was too young.”
The director, who would be open to rebooting Bond a third time, also dispelled the rumour that he favoured Cavill – who is currently at 7-2 to be the next 007 – over Craig.
Campbell said: “I wasn’t favouring Henry. The way they work with Bond and it’s pretty terrific is when they decide on the actor and you audition – in our case, it was eight people – it’s very democratic. You sit around a table, eight or nine of you.
“It was myself and the producers, casting director etc etc. And you go through the eight people and you put your hand up as you talk through each person and ultimately everybody has to be unanimous in their decision, if you see what I mean.”
This week, the two-time Bond director is taking part in the London Action Festival where he’ll speak at a Q&A during a 25th-anniversary screening of The Mask of Zorro. The 79-year-old will also be on a panel called Anatomy Of A Set Piece, in which he will talk about what he thinks is one of the best action scenes in cinema history.
Asked what his favourite from his own movies are, he said: “That opening of Casino was pretty good. I was quite pleased with that. And the end scene of that too.”
THE LONDON ACTION FESTIVAL runs from Wednesday 21st – Sunday 25th June. Tickets are on sale now via the website HERE
