Former James Bond actor George Lazenby retires from acting

Australian actor and former James Bond star George Lazenby has announced he has retired from acting at the age of 84.

The former model took up the 007 mantle from Sean Connery in 1969 for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He was the second actor ever cast in the role, and only appeared as Bond in only one film.

Lazenby announced that he was officially retiring from acting and won’t be making any more public appearances.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s time to announce my retirement from work,” the actor wrote on X.

“Therefore, I won’t be doing any more acting or making public appearances, doing any more interviews or signing any more autographs as of today. It’s been a fun ride but getting older is no fun.”

Lazenby added: “I can now concentrate on spending more time with my family. My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me. George xx.”

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, directed by Peter Hunt, was Lazenby's first major acting job. He claimed to have turned down $1 million in cash to reprise the role, and stated at the time: "Bond is a brute … I've already put him behind me. I will never play him again. Peace - that's the message now.”

He struggled to find more major roles after quitting the role, starring in TV movies and commercials. Some of his other credits include the Emmanuelle film series and several James Bond movie spoofs like 1975’s The Man From Hong Kong. He most recently starred in the action film Mundije.

Panned for many years, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is now regarded as one of the best James Bond films, with fans and directors like Christopher Nolan championing it as one of the series’ strongest instalments.

In December last year, Lazenby had a fall which caused a head injury and left him hospitalised. He has been keeping a low profile in recent years, after being accused of making offensive comments during an on-stage interview in Australia in 2022. Lazenby reportedly made misogynistic comments about his sexual prowess and was accused of making "creepy" and "disgusting" remarks, some of which audience members in Perth described as "homophobic".

In March this year, Lazenby gave his stamp of approval for Aaron Taylor-Johnson to become the next James Bond – the 34-year-old being repeatedly linked to the role.

Lazenby advised the actor “to be true to himself and reinvent the role to fit him.”