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Sam Worthington was on the verge of homelessness when he was awarded the biggest role of his lifetime. Despite being turned away from franchises like DC and James Bond, he had found a home in the otherworldly realm of Pandora in James Cameron’s unique, transcendental, visionary epic,Avatar.But the rejections of the past still bear a mark on Worthington’s career.
Much has been said about the actor’s time as a finalist in the 007 race. Reports about his “self-sabotage” perked up interest and raised some eyebrows among the fans of the franchise who were on the lookout for their next Bond. Among contestants who were equally qualified for the role, Daniel Craig rose as the sure winner.
And though there was much outcry and belligerence among the fans at first, Craig proved himself beyond doubt and not only transformed the character but revolutionized the franchise as a whole. Sam Worthington, on the other hand, moved on to greener pastures, or to be more accurate, to greener worlds.
Sam Worthington’s brief past as a 007 contender
In the early 2000s, Pierce Brosnan laid down his badge as MI6’s smartest, ruthless, and debonair spy as a result of much behind-the-scenes studio politics and drama. The James Bond franchise began their hunt for the next 007 soon after, opening up their casting floor to names like Henry Cavill, Rupert Friend, Dougray Scott, Clive Owen, Alex O’Loughlin, Julian McMahon, Matthew Rhys, and Goran Višnjić [via007 Wiki].
Despite scoring a place on the coveted list, Sam Worthington ultimately did not make it as a finalist, unlikeCavill whose controversial loss of the Bond rolehas been a subject of much debate among the pop culture community. Later, Worthington revealed that he had self-sabotaged his audition for James Bond and the loss was no one’s fault but his own.
Sam Worthington’s Avatar Salary is Nothing Close to What Matt Damon Could Have Earned But It’s Still Higher Than Robert Downey Jr’s MCU Payday
In an interview withVariety, Worthington spoke about his clumsy screen test in which he reenacted a scene from the 1963 film,From Russia With Love:
I could play Bond as a killer, but I couldn’t get the debonair down for the life of me. The suit did not fit. I had no idea what I was doing.
With the producers mapping out the arc of their 007 IP well into the future, Bond’s casting was a call they simply could not gamble upon. As such, Barbara Broccoli, the visionary producer behind the franchise, even proceeded to personally cut Worthington’s hair to better fit him into the mold of Bond. However, theAvataractor simply could not deliver when called to action.
Sam Worthington sabotaged his James Bond audition
20 years after his James Bond audition, Sam Worthington’s screen test forCasino Royalewas leaked online alongside that of Henry Cavill. The YouTube video has sparked a massive online debate about the now A-lister’s self-proclaimed “awful” audition that had cost him the coveted role back in 2005.
The seven-minute clip reveals Worthington repeating iconic dialogues from the Bond franchise such as“Martini, shaken not stirred”and“Bond, James Bond.”However, in his own recollection, the entire audition process was a bust.
Sam Worthington Lost Green Lantern to Ryan Reynolds for Trying to Be Like Tom Cruise: “It didn’t make much sense to me”
In a 2023 interview for an Australian radio show (viaComicBook), Worthington revealed the exact moment when he knew he had fumbled his chance to play 007 inCasino Royale:
I went and did the audition with Martin Campbell, who ended up directing Casino Royale. You walk in, there’s the girl in the bed, you charm her. I could get the killer of Bond down. I just couldn’t get the charm. I couldn’t charm her.
Despite his loss, Sam Worthington would go on to make himself one of the most coveted stars in Hollywood a few years later after landing James Cameron’sAvatar. His competitors for the Bond role, including Ewan McGregor, Henry Cavill, Antony Starr, and Dougray Scott also went on to build a coveted career in the industry with Cavill still being considered a widely popular choice for 007 even 20 years down the line.
Casino Royaleis currently streaming on Prime Video.
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2409
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
