Most people with even a passing interest in the James Bond franchise will no doubt be completely aware that Henry Cavill was the runner-up behind Daniel Craig when the iconic secret agent was being recast ahead of Casino Royale, but what about the rest of the field?
Hugh Jackman famously turned it down, but as one of the most coveted roles in all of cinema, there would have been a substantial list of candidates ready and willing to throw their hat into the ring in order to get a shot at donning the tux, wielding the Walther PPK, and saving the world from inevitable destruction.
One of them was Matthew Rhys of The Americans fame, so at least he’d go on to enjoy a stellar career in onscreen espionage. Looking at it from a modern point of view, though, he’d have been a decent fit for the part, but he revealed to The Times that he blew his chance by deciding to tell a joke during his audition.
“Very intimidating. We were just told to wear a dark suit and read Casino Royale. I just remember going, ‘Ah.’ I was so not anticipating that question. And then I was like, is it a trick question? Are they waiting for people to go, ‘I wouldn’t do anything. He’s perfect’? Oh, it’s been a bit one-note for a few decades, hasn’t it? I think we can drop the misogynistic joke. I’d give him a limp. I said, ‘Limp?’ Nothing. ‘Eye patch?’ Nothing.”
To be fair, this came after the point that Pierce Brosnan’s Die Another Day had gone way too far when it came to bad puns and even worse quips, so perhaps trying out a bad joke for what proved to be a hard-hitting and gritty reboot wasn’t the best idea.