Dick Van Dyke, 99, Reveals He Was Once in the Running for James Bond Role - Here's What Happened Next
In a surprising revelation, Dick Van Dyke has come clean about his past attempt at playing a British icon on screen. The actor, best known for his iconic role as Bert in Mary Poppins, confessed that he was once considered to play James Bond.
During an appearance on the Today TV programme, Van Dyke recalled being approached by Bond producer Albert Broccoli after his performance in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968. "Would you like to be Bond?" Broccoli asked, but Van Dyke replied with a cheeky remark, "Have you heard my British accent?"
Van Dyke has long since apologised for the infamous cockney accent he sported as Bert, which has been dubbed one of the most atrocious in cinema history. However, his attempt at playing Bond was another example of his struggles with adopting a British accent.
When asked about his experience, Van Dyke said that cast and crew should have flagged up any concerns over his accent during Mary Poppins. He also credited an Irish dialect coach for his inaccuracies.
Despite this setback, Van Dyke remains active in the acting world, stating that he doesn't want to retire - it's "my life." The actor is promoting a new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life, and continues to charm audiences with his quick wit.
Interestingly, Van Dyke has had several close calls in the past, including being rescued from drowning by porpoises while surfing and crashing his car on the California freeway. With Daniel Craig's departure from the franchise, no American actor has been announced as the next Bond - yet. Scottish, Irish, and Australian stars have previously filled the role.
As the search for the new Bond continues, fans will be eagerly awaiting news of who will take over the iconic character.
In a surprising revelation, Dick Van Dyke has come clean about his past attempt at playing a British icon on screen. The actor, best known for his iconic role as Bert in Mary Poppins, confessed that he was once considered to play James Bond.
During an appearance on the Today TV programme, Van Dyke recalled being approached by Bond producer Albert Broccoli after his performance in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968. "Would you like to be Bond?" Broccoli asked, but Van Dyke replied with a cheeky remark, "Have you heard my British accent?"
Van Dyke has long since apologised for the infamous cockney accent he sported as Bert, which has been dubbed one of the most atrocious in cinema history. However, his attempt at playing Bond was another example of his struggles with adopting a British accent.
When asked about his experience, Van Dyke said that cast and crew should have flagged up any concerns over his accent during Mary Poppins. He also credited an Irish dialect coach for his inaccuracies.
Despite this setback, Van Dyke remains active in the acting world, stating that he doesn't want to retire - it's "my life." The actor is promoting a new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life, and continues to charm audiences with his quick wit.
Interestingly, Van Dyke has had several close calls in the past, including being rescued from drowning by porpoises while surfing and crashing his car on the California freeway. With Daniel Craig's departure from the franchise, no American actor has been announced as the next Bond - yet. Scottish, Irish, and Australian stars have previously filled the role.
As the search for the new Bond continues, fans will be eagerly awaiting news of who will take over the iconic character.
... I mean, can you imagine him as Bond? Would've been pretty funny 
! He always said he's a Cockney at heart, but still... who tries on a British accent for a role and makes fun of it afterwards? 
Anyway, I love that he's still active in the acting world, and it's awesome that he's promoting his new book, 100 Rules for Living to 100 
. Maybe one day we'll see him play Bond... but only if he promises to stick to his Cockney charm 
!
he was actually pretty funny about it tho. I mean who doesnt love a good cockney accent? But seriously, its kinda cool that hes still active in the acting world and promoting his new book. I wish more people would be honest about their mistakes and take the high road like Dick Van Dyke did. By the way, speaking of books, has anyone read "To Kill a Mockingbird" in school yet? 
I think he's still got some great roles left in him especially with that new book of his, maybe someone should look into making a Bond-esque film with him - but let's be real who would play the next Bond 
. I mean, think about it, if you're from a non-British background trying out for a role like James Bond, does that even count as "British" enough? It's like they're saying, "Hey, we've got this all-American guy who thinks he can just waltz in and play us." 
He's already had some issues with his British accent in Mary Poppins, and I guess it didn't exactly help with the audition 
. And honestly, who wouldn't want to play Bond at some point? It's like the ultimate dream role for any actor 
. Now that Daniel Craig has left the franchise, there are so many talented actors vying for the role... fingers crossed someone amazing takes over soon! 
. But you've got to give him props for being honest about it and not beating himself up too much. It's cool to see he's still active in the industry, promoting his new book and all that. And who knows, maybe someone with a similar sense of humor would be perfect for the role now? 
he seems like such a charmer and i love how he's not taking himself too seriously about it all 
anyway gotta go check out his new book now 
At the same time, who knows what could've happened if he'd actually gotten the part? Maybe he would've brought a weirdly charming flair to the character that no one's ever seen before... or maybe his accent would've driven everyone crazy like Bert did! 
. But honestly, who needs James Bond when you can have a dodgy British accent like Bert from Mary Poppins 
?