James Bond fans are livid after the Oscars totally snubbed one of the actor to play 007 as part of its 60th anniversary tribute to the super-spy. Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony celebrated the franchise marking six decades on our screens this year by showcasing an epic highlights reel of Bond’s greatest moments. But, while all six stars to embody the character were featured in the video, presenters Tony Hawk, Shawn White, and Kelly Slater failed to namecheck George Lazenby in their introduction.
Although the three sportsman referenced Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig, they didn’t make any mention of Lazenby. Sure, the Australian actor only played 007 for one outing — in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service — but he’s still a key part of the hero’s cinematic history. So, understandably, Bond fans got up in arms about the snub on social media.
Not cool, Oscars.
An overreaction or entirely justified?
A sneak peek at Lazenby’s reaction at home.
The snub would’ve been acceptable if Lazenby had suddenly appeared to blast Hawk and the others for forgetting him.
Seriously, though, why didn’t they just get some actual Bonds to present this segment?
Of course, if the tribute was fully comprehensive, it should’ve mentioned David Niven, who played 007 in 1967’s spoof version of Casino Royale.
As @PhilNobleJr pointed out, the snub was particularly egregious given that the Craig era has heavily mined Lazenby’s OHMSS for inspiration.
Due to only appearing once in the part, George Lazenby’s contribution to James Bond lore is often disregarded by the general public. Fans, on the other hand, hold up his single movie as one of the best entries in the saga, thanks to its deeper exploration of Bond’s emotional state and tragic romance with his wife Tracey (Diana Rigg). No Time To Die even paid homage to it in numerous ways, with director Cary Joji Fukunaga naming it as one of his personal favorites.