Dick Van Dyke shares why he turned down James Bond role

WASHINGTON: Veteran actor Dick Van Dyke shared that he “almost” became James Bond, and still regrets turning down the chance to play 007, according to People. The 99-year-old actor, whose award-winning career has spanned decades and continues to go strong today, spoke to Al Roker for a special interview.

When Roker asked, “Is it true you could have almost become James Bond?” Van Dyke responded, “I almost did,” adding that he was approached to play the iconic spy upon Sean Connery’s departure. “Producer Albert Broccoli came to me and said, ‘Would you like to be Bond?’ And I said, ‘Have you heard my British accent?’ Click!” said Van Dyke.

Did you know that Dick Van Dyke was offered James Bond?! pic.twitter.com/uZvhe1hzNW

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He noted that he would have taken the role. Still, he ultimately felt it would have been such a departure from his other family-friendly roles in films like Mary Poppins that audiences may not have “accepted it from me,” as reported by People. He added, however, that playing the role of Bond would no doubt “have been a great experience.”

The actor earned a Tony Award for originating the role of Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway in the 1960s and captured viewers’ hearts on series such as The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder, and movies including Mary Poppins (in which he used a cockney accent) and Dick Tracy, reported People.

Van Dyke also noted that he has no plans to slow down in his acting career, despite his age. “I don’t want to. I mean, it’s my hobby. It’s my life. I love it,” he told Roker, adding, “I’m looking for work right now.”

He shared how his life has changed ahead of his 100th birthday and reflected on the challenges that come with ageing, “It’s frustrating to feel diminished in the world, physically and socially,” he wrote, adding, “I get invites to events or offers for gigs in New York or Chicago, but that kind of travel takes so much out of me that I have to say no. Almost all of my visiting with folks has to happen at my house.”

The actor also revealed in the essay that he still tries to “hit the gym three times a week. “I don’t know why this is something I still want to do, but it is,” Van Dyke wrote, adding, “If I miss too many gym days, I really can feel it, a stiffness creeping in here and there. If I let that set in, well, God help me,” according to People. (ANI)