The departure of Roger Moore from the role of James Bond in the mid-1980s left something of a crisis for the venerable spy franchise. Moore played the part in seven films -- still more than anyone else, with Daniel Craig stepping down at five -- and replacing him turned into a surprisingly complicated challenge. Pierce Brosnan, the preferred choice, was hamstrung by his television contract for NBC's Remington Steele, delaying his eventual entry into the franchise until 1995's Goldeneye.
Timothy Dalton finally won the spot and played Bond in two films: 1987's The Living Daylights and 1989's License to Kill. His performances have aged quite well, with a 2006 article in the Guardian comparing him to Craig at the start of his well-regarded run. But he wasn't the only actor considered. Sam Neill, star of the Jurassic Park movies, auditioned for the part. He lost it -- and went on to describe the experience as "mortifying" -- but it opens up an intriguing case of "What If." Neill is a terrific actor and could have easily put his own stamp on 007. Had he ended up with the role, neither it nor the Jurassic Park movies would look quite the same.
Why Sam Neill Wasn't Cast as James Bond
Neill spoke about the experience in a June 2022 article in Cinemablend, and in his own words, was not thrilled with the prospect. He claims he let his agent talk him into it. He was concerned about being forever connected to the part, and with Moore leaving such an imposing mark, it's not hard to understand his fears. But he dutifully showed up for an audition. "Luckily, I never heard from them again," he relates.
The DVD and Blu-ray editions of The Living Daylights contain a few clips from his screen test. It's much better than Neill lets on, and James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson praises the actor in the same clip: "All of us were impressed with Sam Neill and very much wanted to use him." They ended up going with Dalton in what was apparently a tough choice.
How Sam Neill's Casting Could Have Changed James Bond... and Jurassic Park
Wilson wasn't wrong, however. Neill is an actor known for his versatility -- standing out in everything from the haunting historical drama The Piano to the gonzo sci-fi horror movie Event Horizon -- and had a handle on 007 despite his lack of enthusiasm for the part. He'd previously starred as the title role in the BBC miniseries Reilly: Ace of Spies, and his work there clearly shows what he could have done as 007. He possessed a grit in that effort that echoed Dalton's eventual turn as James Bond, and success might have furthered delayed or even knocked Brosnan out of consideration.
It might have kept him out of Jurassic Park, too. The Steven Spielberg dinosaur movie appeared in 1993, two years before Brosnan first played Bond in 1995's Goldeneye. Had Neill taken the role instead, his fears of typecasting might have come true, leading Spielberg to go with someone else. Indeed, according to a 2013 article in Entertainment Weekly, Neill came onto the project just a few weeks before shooting began. The studio likely wouldn't have made the move if 007 commitments were looming on the actor's schedule.
Things turned out a good deal differently. Jurassic Park now ranks among Neill's most recognizable films, but his long career has never hurt for a wide variety of parts. It might not have happened if everyone thought of him as James Bond. Both Dalton and Brosnan were far more interested in the role than Neill, and both acquitted themselves well as Bond. It's hard to imagine any of them complaining about how it all went down.