#49: George Lazenby
The very cracked ballad of the Aussie beefcake who became a one-shot Bond
Ian Fleming wrote James Bond as a renaissance thug - a street-smart, hard-hitting, no-nonsense charmer with wallop in his fists and trouble in his trousers who was "good looking in a rather cruel way... and smelled of cordite and sweat. Delicious!"
Within this prosaic framework, a son of a Sydney railway worker stands alone as the best - and the most atypically brutal - Bond of all.
George Robert Lazenby's fame as 007 was fleeting - he starred in only one film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, before Sean Connery returned - but the story of how 'Aussie George' landed the most coveted action role in cinema is legend.
Lazenby's childhood was spent skiing and stock car racing, both of which he excelled at. After school he worked as a mechanic and used car salesman before serving in the Australian Special Forces as a sergeant and martial arts instructor in several black belt disciplines.
In 1964 Lazenby left Sydney for a new life in swinging London, his hulking physique, chiselled looks and strident manner immediately securing him work in front of the camera. By 1968, he was the highest paid male fashion muse in the world and quite the society figure thanks to his role as Europe's Marlboro Man.
A chance encounter in a hair salon with Bond producer 'Cubby' Broccoli set in train his destiny. Buoyed by the old man's praise, Lazenby launched an incredible campaign to win the vacant role, despite his only acting being in a 1965 Italian spy spoof.
Scraping together every sheckel, Lazenby bought a Rolex knock-off and talked a Savile Row tailor into selling him a suit specially cut for Sean Connery. He even rocked up to audition in an Aston Martin he'd rebuilt himself from scratch.
Machismo, arrogance, natural acting - and breaking a stuntman's nose in a fight scene - won Lazenby the role ahead of 414 others including Burt Reynolds and a 22-year-old called Timothy Dalton.
Bond II faced a global press shocked that a non-actor (and non-Brit!) was to strap on the holster of the world's most famous secret agent.What are you most looking forward to about playing Bond? Lazenby: "The broads and the bread".
Indeed. Lazenby later said: "I had a lot of fun playing Bond because it was an extension of my real life. I was getting Hollywood starlets, booze and drugs passed to me left, right and centre... I liked all the things Bond liked: casinos, beautiful women, the good life. I was cocksure, confident and I knew how to survive. In a way I became James Bond."
Not enough for the studio. After the shoot wrapped, Lazenby flouted the strict edicts on dress code and public conduct. He turned up at the premiere with a beard and an earring on a motorbike, having quit a seven-film deal so as to not be "typecast".
Lazenby's star never rose again. In 1973 he was set to sign a lucrative contract for a martial arts series, only for co-star Bruce Lee to die. With it went all hope. The only high note came when he came home to Sydney for 1975's The Man from Hong Kong. Even a plan for him to play Jesus in Monty Python's Life of Brian fell over.
In August 2008 his name was attached to the nightmare headline 'George Lazenby Punched Pregnant Ex-wife and Broke Her Nose while Son Was Dying of Cancer' - part of a bitter custody battle with ex-tennis star Pam Shriver for their three kids.
Today, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is regularly hailed as one of the best Bond films ever and Lazenby "the best 007 that never was". The Sydney soldier's name lives on: Lazenby. George Lazenby.
Lifeline
1939 Born in Queanbeyan, NSW on Sept 5
1964 Becomes highest paid male model in European history
1968 Wins role of Bond from 414 others
1970 Quits seven-film 007 contract
1983 Briefly cast as Bond in Never Say Never Again
1993 Eldest son dies of brain tumour. Quits acting for good
2008 Custody case fuels lurid headlines
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