- Born
- Birth nameGeorge Robert Lazenby
- Height6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- George Robert Lazenby was born September 5, 1939 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia, to Sheila Joan (Bodel) and George Edward Lazenby. He moved to London, England in 1964, after serving in the Australian Army. Before becoming an actor, he worked as an auto mechanic, used car salesman, prestige car salesman, and as a male model, in London, England. In 1968, Lazenby was cast as "James Bond", despite his only previous acting experience being in commercials, and his only film appearance being a bit-part in a 1965 Italian-made Bond spoof. Lazenby won the role based on a screen-test fight scene, the strength of his interviews, fight skills and audition footage. A chance encounter with Bond series producer Albert R. Broccoli in a hair salon in 1966, in London, had given Lazenby his first shot at getting the role. Broccoli had made a mental note to remember Lazenby as a possible candidate at the time when he thought Lazenby looked like a Bond. The lengths Lazenby went to to get the role included spending his last pounds on acquiring a tailor-made suit from Sean Connery's tailor, which was originally made for Connery, along with purchasing a very Bondish-looking Rolex watch.
Lazenby quit the role of Bond right before the premiere of his only film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), citing he would get other acting roles, and that his Bond contract, which was fourteen pages thick, was too demanding on him.
In his post-Bond career, Lazenby has acted in TV movies, commercials, various recurring roles in TV series, the film series "Emmanuelle", several Bond movie spoofs, TV guest appearances, provided voice for several animated movies and series, and several Hong Kong action films, using his martial arts expertise.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpousesPam Shriver(June 12, 2002 - May 2011) (divorced, 3 children)Christina Gannett(1971 - 1995) (divorced, 2 children)
- ChildrenMelanie Andrea LazenbyZachary LazenbySamuel Robert LazenbyKaitlin Elizabeth LazenbySamuel Lazenby
- ParentsGeorge Edward LazenbySheila Joan Lazenby
- Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli, remarked that Lazenby could have been the best Bond had he not quit after just one film.
- He was offered a seven-movie deal by the Bond producers, but quit the role because he felt that the tuxedo-clad Bond would die out in the new hippie culture that had permeated society in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- He was a close personal friend of Bruce Lee. He met Lee in 1972 and the two became fast friends. Lazenby studied Lee's personal martial arts and philosophical teaching of "Jeet Kune Do" under Lee until the time of Lee's death in 1973. Lazenby was actually going to have dinner with Bruce the night he died. Lazenby would later say that it was Lee's teachings that allowed him to go on to have such a successful business career and personal life.
- He says that his favorite Bond film is Goldfinger (1964).
- He is estimated to be the wealthiest actor to have played James Bond.
- [Albert R. Broccoli] will tell you that I was a failure and difficult to work with. Unfortunately, he told a lot of people that and it meant that it was impossible to get employment.
- [the result of his decision not to continue playing James Bond] I didn't have a job, I had two kids, I was married, and I was broke.
- [when asked why he wanted to be James Bond] I'm looking forward to the broads and the bread.
- I look back and think, "How did that happen?" I had no idea where I was going when I got into the Bond film. When I became famous I didn't know how to handle it, so it almost drove me crazy. In retrospect you can only blame yourself. I'd loved to have had that time over again and done another one or two [Bond films], it would have worked out great for me.
- Fame is short-lived and you're the last to know when you are no longer hot. I used to be able to stroll into London clubs like Tramp. But one day I turned up and the doorman blocked my way. Suddenly I was no longer Bond, I was just plain old George Lazenby, and that didn't even give me license to get into a club.
- Emmanuelle's Secret (1993) - $50,000
- Emmanuelle's Perfum (1993) - $50,000
- Emmanuelle's Magic (1993) - $50,000
- Emmanuelle's Love (1993) - $50,000
- Emmanuelle in Venice (1993) - $50,000
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