Charles Dance gave up on being James Bond in 1985 thinking he “would’ve f***ed it up”

There were several memorable villainous characters in Game of Thrones, but few were as influential and admirable as Charles Dance’s Tywin Lannister. His mere presence on the screen dictated seriousness, and the audience knew he meant business. Dance is one of the most revered talents in the acting industry, having played a plethora of roles in films such as Alien 3 to incredibly popular shows like The Crown, and of course, Game of Thrones. He recently revealed he was once amongst the favorites to play the quintessential spy James Bond back when he was younger.

Why did Charles Dance turn down the role of James Bond?

In his interview with The Guardian, the actor revealed it wasn’t that he did not want to be the next James Bond, he was persuaded he would be depressed if he didn’t get the role. He said, “No, of course I didn’t turn down James Bond!”

He revealed it was his agent who talked him down, “I urge you not to do it. Just think how you’ll feel if you don’t get it. It will kill your career stone-dead.”

Dance recalls thinking, “If I’d got it, I would have probably f***ed it up.”

Who was Charles Dance going to replace as James Bond?

Dance was one of the fan-favorites amongst the top candidates to replace Roger Moore, who stepped down from the series in 1985. The role ultimately went to Timothy Dalton, who you may recognize from DC’s Doom Patrol.

What is Charles Dance’s next project?

Dance can now be seen in another spy series The Rabbit Hole, starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Ben Wilson. The series premiered quite recently on Paramount Plus on March 26, 2023.

Read Next: Charles Dance (Tywin) believes Game of Thrones would’ve failed if not for HBO