'Avatar' Star Sam Worthington Auditioned for 007—And Failed
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After 13 years between movies, Sam Worthington is back as Jake Sully in the Avatar series, leading James Cameron's long-awaited sequel The Way of Water—but there was a time when he had ambitions to lead another franchise.
The actor recently revealed to Variety that he auditioned for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale, back when the 007 movies were undergoing a soft reboot following Pierce Brosnan's tenure in the '90s and early '00s—and that he was up for the iconic role alongside ER heartthrob Goran Visnjic and a young Henry Cavill, who would eventually go on to play Superman... and who is still rumored to be in the running for Bond 16 years later.
However, despite really wanting the part, Worthington admits that there were aspects to the character that he struggled to embody during the audition process, which saw him reenacting a From Russia With Love scene.
"I could play Bond as a killer, but I couldn’t get the debonair down for the life of me," he said. "The suit did not fit... I had no idea what I was doing."
Ultimately, the job went to Daniel Craig, who would play Bond in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Specter, and No Time to Die. But Worthington claims that the rigorous audition—which involved producer Barbara Broccoli personally giving him a haircut to better resemble her idea of what Bond should look like—was a valuable learning experience.
"They are so detailed and meticulous," he said. "They are protective and passionate about this series. And what I learned is that you listen to these people. It’s the same thing with James Cameron. He’s done all the research and there’s nothing you can’t ask him that he doesn’t have an answer for."
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