Both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan were both linked to the role as far as at least a decade prior to them taking the role but had to decline due to various reasons, with Dalton himself being approached for the role in 1967 at the age of 21 and finally taking the role in 1987 at the age of 41.

Richard Burton declined to play Bond.

Dalton denied the offer again in 1979 when he felt the plot directions of the Bond films were becoming less realistic and more dependent on gadgetry and repeated plot formulas. Roger Moore was also a runner up for the role of Bond in 1962, but was rejected in favor of Sean Connery. Dalton also did not accept the role for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service feeling that at the time he did not want to be looked at as the man who replaced Connery.

A number of actors, who more or less got the green light for a serious consideration into playing James Bond, however declined the offer for various reasons below:

• Cary Grant (1961): Felt he was too old at time being 58
• Richard Johnson (1961): Terence Young’s choice but did not want a contract
• Patrick McGoohan (1961): Felt the role was too promiscuous
• Rod Taylor (1961): Felt the role was beneath him
• Richard Burton (1959, 1961, 1968): Felt the role was a new untested concept/wanted more than the producers would pay
• Burt Reynolds (1968): Felt Bond should be British
• Adam West (1968): Thought the role belonged to a proper Englishman
• Colin Farrell (2004): Was not satisfied with plot direction
• Hugh Jackman (2005): Was not satisfied with plot direction
• Ewan McGregor (2005): Feared typecasting

See also:

• Bond, James: Actors
• Bond, James: Actors - Rejected