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The salary of playing James Bond through the ages...
DaltonCraig007
They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
<b>Sean Connery</b>
DN : $17,000
FRWL : $250,000
GF : $500,000
TB : $750,000
YOLT : $750,000 + 25% of net marchandise profits = $1,000,000
DAF : $1,200,000 + 12.5% of net US profits = $6,700,000
<b>George Lazenby</b>
OHMSS : $80,500
<b>Roger Moore</b>
LALD : $1,000,000
TMWTGG : $1,000,000
TSWLM : $1,000,000
MR : $4,000,000
FYEO : $3,000,000 + 5% of net US profits = $4,607,500
OP : $4,000,000 + 5% of net US profits = $5,265,800
AVTAK : $5,000,000 + 5% of US gross = $7,515,000
<b>Timothy Dalton</b>
TLD : $3,000,000
LTK : $5,000,000
<b>Pierce Brosnan</b>
GE : $1,200,000
TND : $8,200,000
TWINE : $12,400,000
DAD : $16,500,000
(Wanted salary for Bond 21 : $20,000,000)
<b>Daniel Craig</b>
CR : $3,220,000
QOS : $7,245,000
SF: $17 000 000 plus bonuses for certain box-office milestones
SP: $24 000 000 + endorsements
DN : $17,000
FRWL : $250,000
GF : $500,000
TB : $750,000
YOLT : $750,000 + 25% of net marchandise profits = $1,000,000
DAF : $1,200,000 + 12.5% of net US profits = $6,700,000
<b>George Lazenby</b>
OHMSS : $80,500
<b>Roger Moore</b>
LALD : $1,000,000
TMWTGG : $1,000,000
TSWLM : $1,000,000
MR : $4,000,000
FYEO : $3,000,000 + 5% of net US profits = $4,607,500
OP : $4,000,000 + 5% of net US profits = $5,265,800
AVTAK : $5,000,000 + 5% of US gross = $7,515,000
<b>Timothy Dalton</b>
TLD : $3,000,000
LTK : $5,000,000
<b>Pierce Brosnan</b>
GE : $1,200,000
TND : $8,200,000
TWINE : $12,400,000
DAD : $16,500,000
(Wanted salary for Bond 21 : $20,000,000)
<b>Daniel Craig</b>
CR : $3,220,000
QOS : $7,245,000
SF: $17 000 000 plus bonuses for certain box-office milestones
SP: $24 000 000 + endorsements
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Comments
and wow pierce wanted 20.000.000 $ for next movie? no wonder they got craig for next movie
Amazing how much the salaries jumped for Connery and Brosnan.
Also interesting is how little Brosnan got for his first film. Good call (as a businessman) on Brocolli's part - everyone knew how much Brosnan wanted the part so no need at the time to lure him with a huge intial salary.
From what I understand Craig would be earning something between $12M - $15M for Bond 23 correct? Sounds about in line with other actors.
But given this was his first acting job, with no experience and nothing to back him. I'd say the producers were taken their biggest gamble ever. And eighty thousand back in 1968/1969 would've been an awful lot of money.
Seems that after four films (five for Connery) that the actors can or have negotiated for a percentage of the profits. If Craig can hang out, and get it, it would be most advantageous for him.
Also, I don't recall Dalton being paid that much for his films. If I recall reading around 87 that he was getting just shy of 1 million. I could be wrong of course.
Had he made a second his salary would've jumped enormously. But there was the multiple offers to keep him. All of which were generous, but the 10 film contract that would've seen him play Bond untill the late 80's was surely the best contract for an unknown actor.
(Has anyone got a link or can re-post the infamous story of the deal/s offered to Lazers to stay with Bond?
If you've never read it, it's a brilliant Bondian read.)
Lazenby was offered a 7 Bond film contract from James Bond production company Eon before, during, and after filming of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Despite the popular belief that he quit the role or that he was fired, he actually simply was in a lengthy contract disupute, of which his saying he had quit the role was part of his negotiating ploy. There was a lengthy dispute over Lazenby's Bond contract because it was 14 inches thick and covered everything from how Lazenby should behave in public, how he should dress, what car he should drive, how he should wear his hair, that he always be cleanly shaven, how he handle his personal life, where he should dine out, who he should be seen in public with, among numerous other things over the 14 year length of the contract. Lazenby felt he needed to be paid extra money in order to keep in line with such a Draconian contract for so many years. In the end, Lazenby turned down a very large amount of money and demanded twice what he was offered, and Bond production company Eon and United Artists then removed him from there plans in the Bond franchise.
Lazenby was offered a then huge actor's salary of $1 million to play 007 in Diamonds Are Forever by Bond co-producer Harry Saltzman and United Artists, but he demanded twice that amount and thus was never signed for the role.
Ever Wondered Why George Lazenby Only Made One James Bond Movie?
The question of how come George Lazenby only played 007 in one Bond film has long been one of those great movie trivia questions. There are many conflicting reports and stories on why George Lazenby was only in one 007 movie, and there seems to be a real dearth of the actual facts or story being printed in the press or known to most of the public as to why he only donned the famous Bond tuxedo and played the world's most famous film character just once.
The following is the true and complete account of why George Lazenby only made one James Bond film, a subject that has baffled many people for years, who have often wondered how a previously unkown model/actor from a small town in The Outback of Australia could have been in his right mind to leave what was at the time the world's most coveted celebrity status position, and thus end up being known as the proverbial and quintessential one-hit wonder. The following article about Lazenby's Bond contract negotiations is based on the historical accounts by United Artists film studio and Eon Productions Company that detailed these particular events in question.
Why George Lazenby Didn't Have All The Time In The World
It has often been reported that George Lazenby signed only a one film movie contract to make On Her Majesty's Secret Service, choosing to decline the 7 film contract that he was offered by Eon and United Artists. However this is in fact incorrect. In October of 1968, Lazenby turned down the 14 year/7 film contract that he had been offered and instead chose to sign a 7 year/4 film contract instead. Lazenby also agreed in this contract to sign a Legal Letter of Intent to play James Bond 007 in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, which was to follow Lazenby's first 007 movie, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
It should be noted that Lazenby felt he wasn't going to make another Bond film during the middle of On Her Majesty's Secret Service's production because he had grown extremely tired of the treatment he was receiving on all accounts. However this does not change the fact that he was still under contract, and that the Bond producers always thought he was going to make the next Bond film. The producers simply believed this was a ploy by Lazenby's managers to get him a better deal, which it in fact was. The fact that Lazenby already felt he was done at that point changes none of the below.
Also some of Lazenby's comments in interviews have been largely taken out of context to make it seem like he implied that he only was signed and obligated for one Bond film. That is absolutely wrong. Lazenby was only paid for one Bond film, with an additional first payment for his next Bond film. Meaning then, that because he had only been paid for one, that was the only one he had to make legally, providing he was not released from his contract. This has then been taken out of context and skewed by numerous media reports and "non-biased" interviewers as to mean he was only signed to a one picture deal, which is totally incorrect.
The 7 year/4 film contract that Lazenby signed was at industry minimum standard pay for a lead actor in films as big as the Bond films, with the built in industry pay increases for each successive film. This did not sit well with the Bond producers who wanted the young Lazenby locked in to his contract for 7 films at the minimum pay rate they wanted him to get. Lazenby's managers however advised him that it would be better to sign a smaller contract at first, then re-negotiate his longer 7 film deal later on, so that he could demand more money for future films after he had already made some Bond films.
It has been widely reported that when Lazenby announced he was quitting the role of Bond during the filming of On Her Majesty's Secret Service that he indeed was only obligated contractually to make that film. But that is not accurate. Lazenby was in fact signed and obligated to make 4 Bond films over a 7 year period. During filming of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the Bond producers constantly offered him the 7 film deal. Meaning he would then sign for 3 extra films in addition to the 4 that he had already signed on for. This offer to Lazenby was eventually extended to 7 Bond films after On Her Majesty's Secret Service, or 8 Bond films in total, and then finally to 7 Bond films after On Her Majesty's Secret Service, in addition to 5 non-Bond films made by United Artists. Lazenby wanted to sign the contract that included the 5 non-Bond films, but his personal manager told him not to.
It was announced to the press once again that Lazenby was leaving the role of Bond at the premiere of Secret Service. It was Lazenby's publicist that actually made the announcement. Lazenby also said he was leaving the 007 role while on an airing of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. By this point Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli were furious with Lazenby and did not know what to do with him. Contrary to popular belief, Lazenby was not free from his contract at this time. He was still obligated to make 3 more Bond movies. Also contrary to popular belief, Lazenby was not fired at this time. Instead the Bond producers decided to let Lazenby out of his Bond contract the day after the premiere of On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
The big dispute between Lazenby and Bond co-producer Cubby Broccoli was over the rules in Lazenby's contract. He actually could be fired for something as simple as not shaving every day while not even filming a Bond movie. There was even a clause in his contract that stated that he had to get his dinner guests approved by Cubby Broccoli before he could be seen dining out with them in public. There were numerous clauses of this nature in his contract and none of them sat well with Lazenby.
The Bond producers finally realized that they had to let Lazenby out of his contract because he was not going to behave as they wanted him to unless they did so. For example, Lazenby's wearing a beard and long hair in public, hanging out at nightclubs and bars, and saying he was quitting the role numerous times. This sort of thing was done by Lazenby so that he could get the 7 film deal he wanted, but minus all the Draconian rules it had contained within it. In order to do that he first had to get out of the original contract that he had signed.
Although Cubby Broccoli didn't want to take these clauses out of Lazenby's deal he realized he had no choice, so Saltzman and Broccoli released Lazenby from his deal. They then began negotiating with him on his new contract. The many reports that he was by this time officially no longer Bond are wrong. At this time Harry Saltzman and Lazenby negotiated with each other directly, minus Broccoli and Lazenby's managers. Saltzman had been given full power by United Artists and Broccoli to get Lazenby whatever deal he wanted as long as it stayed within the salary range they wanted to pay him. Lazenby would then take the offers to his manager for approval.
Saltzman then offered Lazenby a contract for 7 more Bond films and 5 non-Bond films minus all the Draconian clauses in the deal. However, the offer was still to start at the minimum industry standard pay with the same built in industry standard increases for each successive film. Lazenby and his now rather infamous top personal manager/publicist Ronan O'Rahilly, a well known British producer who created Radio Caroline, worked for The BBC and who also managed The Beatles for just one week's time (although some people say it was actually for just one day's time), turned that offer down. They countered it by asking for twice the pay rate offered, as well as Lazenby getting twice as big a dressing room, twice as big a limo, twice as big a trailer, twice as big a personal expense account with Eon, and also with a clause in the contract that stated that Lazenby would keep all the Saville Row suits, Rolex watches, and Bond cars used in his films.
Although Saltzman, and in particular United Artists, were willing to meet these demands, Cubby Broccoli was not. Broccoli insisted that since Sean Connery did not even get much of that treatment, it did not make sense to give it to Lazenby, even though he would essentially become the world's biggest movie star if he signed the deal. Broccoli remarked how Richard Burton had made similar demands from Eon and UA while he and Lazenby were the final two candidates for the Bond role, and that they wouldn't give Burton what he wanted. In Broccoli's mind he felt that George Lazenby was better for Bond than Burton, but he also felt that if Eon and UA weren't willing to give Burton the sort of perks that he had wanted, it would be foolish to give them to Lazenby. Broccoli therefore would not agree to Lazenby's demands.
Studio heads from United Artists then met with Saltzman and Broccoli in New York and instructed them to offer Lazenby a longer term deal, termed "a lifetime contract", in the hopes that this would entice him to take the money being offered, as it would ensure that Lazenby would be at the top of the movie business for many years. The thinking behind this was that Lazenby would take less money and perks than he was asking for if he had a guaranteed, extremely lucrative, and heralded gig for the rest of his career, and that this would then firmly establish in the public and press that Lazenby was Bond for life and that Connery, or no one else was going to be Bond.
Eon offered Lazenby 10 additional Bond movies, which would have given him a total of 11 Bond films in all. The contract was to cover a period of 20 years beginning in 1970 and ending in 1990. Lazenby's last Bond film was to be shot in 1988, and released in 1989. This film eventually became Licence To Kill starring Timothy Dalton, who in a strange twist of irony was actually offered the role of Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service before auditions for unkowns were held.
Cubby Broccoli felt that it was of absolute top priority that they establish in the minds of the press and the public that Bond was Lazenby's gig exclusively and that he be known entirely for Bond. In Broccoli's view, Eon could fully groom Lazenby for the Bond role since he was known simply for it and had not been a professional actor; and that by having everyone know Lazenby had a lifetime contract that would cover two whole decades, it would make the public not only change their mind's that only Connery was clearly Bond, but it would also eventually lead to Lazenby replacing Connery in the public's minds as the definitive Bond.
When Lazenby was offered this deal he was anxious to sign it, but he still had to get approval for it from his managers. This was because Lazenby had signed an agreement with his managers that they had to approve of all of his deals. He had signed this agreement just days after he had won the Bond casting. Lazenby felt that his biggest obstacle and hurdle in playing Bond was the public's belief that Bond was Connery's gig, so the lifetime contract was the perfect way for him to overcome that, since everyone would be told that he was signed for the next 20 years. This would stop any sentiment amongst the movie-going public that Connery could be brought back if people were hard on Lazenby and stayed away from his films at the box office.
When Lazenby showed the contract offer to his main manager, he was advised by him that Bond would not last that much longer past the early 1970's because it was no longer a viable character for the times. He advised Lazenby that the tuxedo-clad super-spy had become a cultural dinosaur that was out of touch with the realities of the popular hippie culture of the time. He also advised Lazenby that by signing this contract, he would become completely type cast in the Bond role and then find himself stuck in a star role that was no longer fit for the times, and one that would not enjoy even half the success that it had in the earlier 1960's Sean Connery era. Lazenby did not agree with this advice and wanted to sign the contract, but his managers would not approve of it, and because he had signed the agreement with them that he couldn't sign any deals without their approval, he could not accept the offer.
When Lazenby then had to turn this offer down, Harry Saltzman broke off contract talks and went back to United Artists along with Cubby Broccoli to discuss their options. At that point they first considered looking for a new Bond, and also offering a huge contract to Sean Connery. They then decided to sign American actor John Gavin to the Bond role as an insurance policy. Gavin's contract stated that if they could not get Lazenby or Connery signed in time to make the scheduled filming start of Diamonds Are Forever, that Gavin would then make the film. However, if either Connery or Lazenby could be re-signed to make the film, Gavin would then receive a one-time $500,000 severance pay, and no longer be attached to the role. UA and Eon could not simply delay the film because they already had sold some of the film's overseas merchandising profits to various investors, and if the film was delayed they could then be sued for that money.
UA and the Bond co-producers finally decided to simply offer Lazenby a film contract for Diamonds Are Forever at a salary of $1 million. Saltzman met Lazenby in London, in February of 1970, and offered him $1 million to make Diamonds Are Forever, and told him that after that film was completed that they could then either negotiate further films for Lazenby, or that if Lazenby wanted to then quit he could. Saltzman explained to Lazenby that they did not have time to cast another Bond, that it had cost them over $1 million just to cast him, and that they could not take on neither that task, nor cost again at the time. So Saltzman told Lazenby that, Eon needed enough time to prepare for Bond 007 actor casting again if it had to be done over. He also informed Lazenby that Eon/UA had to make the scheduled production start of Diamonds Are Forever, because if they did not, John Gavin would get the role, and they didn't want that to happen.
Lazenby was also willing to sign this deal. However when he brought it to his main personal manager he was told that the salary was not high enough. Although Lazenby just wanted to take the deal, he still had to get the approval from his managers. Lazenby was told to tell Saltzman that he would make just one more 007 film for a salary of $2 million, and that he would then not make any more Bond films after that. When Lazenby told this to Saltzman, he was informed that the producer had only been authorized to offer up to $1 million by his partners, and that he would have to discuss the $2 million demand with them.
Saltzman flew back to New York to meet with Broccoli and studio heads from United Artists to discuss his last meeting with Lazenby. When Saltzman informed them of Lazenby's final demand, Cubby Broccoli became outraged. Saltzman and UA were actually willing to pay the $2 million salary but Broccoli refused. He was particularly angry at Lazenby not only demanding such an astronomically huge salary at that time, but also the news that even if Lazenby got such a pay he would still not make another Bond film. The $1 million film salary that they were offering to Lazenby to star in Diamonds would have made him the highest paid male lead for base salary in movie history. Broccoli therefore felt that Lazenby's $2 million asking price was simply an out of line demand, especially considering Lazenby would not commit to more than one more film.
It was then that United Artists decided that Lazenby was out of consideration for the Bond role. United Artists executive David V. Picker, then ordered Saltzman and Broccoli to re-sign Sean Connery at any cost. They offered Connery a then huge base salary of $1.25 million, as well as 12.5 percent of the film's net US profits, extra pay for the film going over the set shooting schedule, and also funding for Connery to produce and star in 3 film projects of his own choosing.
This was seen as the biggest deal ever for an actor for a single film to that point. In the end, Connery ended up earning a reported $6 million total for Diamonds Are Forever (three times the amount Lazenby had asked for), and he donated his entire $1.25 million base salary that he earned from the film to the Scotish International Educational Trust, which Connery co-founded. Only one of Connery's 3 non-Bond films allocated in the deal was actually produced, and Connery claimed that Bond co-producer Cubby Broccoli never paid him the $4.75 million of the film's profits that he was owed, although there was never any legal verification or ruling that was true. Connery signed the deal just days after Lazenby's handlers had made their final salary demands. Gavin was paid his $500,000 contract buyout by United Artists.
Lazenby, for having signed a Legal Letter of Intent to star as 007 in Diamonds, had been given an early initial payment of his salary for that film prior to the time that Connery had been officially signed to return the Bond role. Under the agreement in Lazenby's Legal Letter of Intent, if he did not star as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever, he would have to reimburse Eon for the initial payment he had received for the film. Lazenby reimbursed Eon for this money after Connery signed.
http://www.freewebs.com/moonrakerbondstation/georgelazenby.htm
well according to that he basically got horrible advice, got a little greedy, was stupid, arrogant, and also was treated like crap by the producers, so that pretty much = you are only going to make one film.
As for the box office, this would seem to indicate that OHMSS did fairly well,
http://www.freewebs.com/sonybankablebonds/
On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969
Production Cost: $7,000,000
Marketing Cost: $2,500,000
US Gross: $22,800,000
Overseas Gross: $64,600,000
Worldwide Gross: $87,400,000
Theatrical US Rentals (studio net profits before production and marketing costs):
$9,117,000
Theatrical Overseas Rentals (studio net profits before production and marketing costs): $23,283,000
Theatrical Worldwide Rentals (studio net profits before production and marketing costs):
$32,400,000
US Admissions: 16 million
Overseas Admissions: 46.4 million
Worldwide Admissions: 62.4 million
Net Studio Income From Box Office: $22,900,000
EDIT: Just beaten by @DaltonCraig007! ;-)
According to the site me and Samuel linked to, Craig earned 8,6 millions for CR... Much more than what I read on IMDb !!
Of course don't vergot Ticket prices almost double with CR. In 1999-2002 a ticket cost fl 11,00-fl 16,00 in The Netherlands (LOTR 1 cost fl 17,00). Twine be fl 12,00 in January 2000. DIe Another Day release 1 year later after introduce the €. € 7,75 is what people pay in 2003 for DAD, But Harry Potter 2 in 2002 cost me € 8,50 or € 9,00 because it whas longer then 150 minutes and on a Sunday, Spider-Man cost me € 7,70. CR cost € 9,50 (fl. 21,00) QOS € 10,00 (fl 22,00). 2011 ticket prices are € 11,00 (Fl 33,00), € 12,50 or € 13,50. So the first 2 years after there introduce the Euro the prices of a cinema tickets be close the old prices. Those days you get 2 tickets for the prices of 3 old prices.
EDIT: Ah, here it may be:
http://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=4998&catid=2&t=mi6&s=dn
£2 million though not $2million.
BTW this thread's way too interesting to only have 19 comments.
Connery to Pierce: "Are they paying you enough Money?" haha
01:52
Sean felt that he was being robbed from the get go. Hench, the nasty comments he later heaped on producers Brocholi and Salzman.
Good to see that the Bond actors are so well compensated these days. I mean with those budgets can't blame an actor from asking for so much. I am sure that Roger, Brosnan and Dalton and now Craig are grateful to EON for the opportunity.
If Sean Connery could see this trust me Sean they were overpaying him. Brosnan owes them a refund.
What are you talking about with QOS? Craig isn't paid nearly as much as Brosnan was even though he's doing a much better job. That's assuming these figures are correct.
Yes, but his real salary was only 1. something mill. - so 8,6 is absolutely wrong. Not that I would mind, but its not true. The bonus was, because they KNEW, that they owed him after paying him so little.
"According to IMDB Lazenby was paid $400,000 for OHMSS,"
That seems a more realistic figure. That would have been a lot in 1969.
Apparently - and this may be a load of nonsense - Hugh Jackman and Clive Owen - were offered the part but wanted a percentage deal and Eon refused. If this is true then it's similar to Brosnan wanting more of the Bond cake - rumours of 40 million (percentages added) for a fifth Bond film?!!! - but Eon saying "no, you've had enough, we'll get Craig instead! :D
*The precise figures may not be known - after all, a salary is something an actor may want to keep quiet about and I doubt Eon would want everyone to know the exact sum.
With regard to Lazenby and his contract - I would take it with a pinch of salt. Lazenby still maintains Peter Hunt never spoke to him throughout the filming of OHMSS - which does sound hard to believe. Hunt said this was not true, he spoke to him. No-one knows if that is true so it's hard to believe anything you read about Lazenby and his reasons for not returning in DAF. And if it's true that Hunt didn't speak to Lazenby (presumably because Lazenby was too unprofessional or too difficult), why would Eon want to work with Lazenby again? He would be a nightmare to work with, surely? I can't imagine Eon would ever hire Lazenby for six more Bond films if he were so difficult to work with.
My own feeling is Lazenby quit Bond because he didn't like the fame, couldn't handle the role. Just my own guess, of course.
"Brosnan was paid approximately $16 million for Die Another Day. He increased his fee to $25 million for Bond 21, with a percentage deal attached. The percentage fluctuated between 15 and 20 percent of the estimated gross for Bond 21. Die Another Day made $450 worldwide box office, so Brosnan was asking for a figure in the region of $40 million on top. No precise percentage deal was ever finalized because no deal was agreed on his overall fee. Brosnan refused to compromise, arguing the time and cost in his making Bond 21, the film shoots last six months, was not worth it to him and his family. Making a Bond film is a year long commitment. Six months shooting and up to six months promoting in all the territories. Brosnan argued a fee similar to Die Another Day was not enough to commit him to a year long schedule.
Eon and MGM were fed up with Brosnan's criticisms of the series. They argued Brosnan was effectively holding the franchise to ransom and terminated contract talks in the late summer/early fall of 2003. In early 2004, Eon released news to the press that Brosnan was considered too old for the role and a replacement would be found. This was only partly true. MGM and Eon are keen to find a new, younger actor to play Bond. They believe the franchise is best served with a younger actor in the role. It is more appealing to the audience demographic. The studio was prepared to wait and cast a new Bond for Bond 22 but Brosnan's refusal to compromise on his fee made the decision easier. The new Bond would now be for Bond 21, and not, as was intended, Bond 22. News was leaked that Brosnan was too old for the role. This was done to force Brosnan's hand and make him announce his retirement. And this week he has done that.
In the fall of 2003, Eon and MGM pursued their first-choice candidate to take over from Brosnan - Hugh Jackman. Jackman had always expressed a desire to play Bond. He agreed to sign up to play Bond before Van Helsing's release because Eon/MGM offered him a multi-picture deal. They were not prepared to offer him a two-picture contract if he delayed his decision till after Helsing's release. Jackman's fee as a major lead actor has now risen since the large weekend opening of Van Helsing. That is how stars' fees are determined. MGM were not prepared to wait and then negotiate. "
Impossible to know if this is entirely accurate but you never know...
One thing is fact - Hugh Jackman has expressed a desire to play James Bond and he was offered the role or approached.
In London for the making of his new film Les Miserables, Jackman admitted he had been approached in the past to become British spy James Bond, the Sunday Express newspaper reported.
"I got a call from my agent saying 'there's some possible interest in you for Bond, are you interested'?" Jackman said.
"At the time I wasn't. I was about to shoot X-Men 2 and Wolverine had become this thing in my life.
"But I think every male at some point thinks about playing Bond. So it was not right then but it may be right if it comes back.
"As an actor you've got to keep taking risks."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/movies/hugh-jackman-hints-at-future-james-bond-role/story-e6frf9h6-1226168389786
I'm sure he would have wanted more than Craig got for CR so Eon saved some money going with Craig!
And then he went on about how much he loved and respected the role and would play it as long as he could. Yeah he loved it so much but wasn't willing to settle for anything less than the GDP of some small contries as his salary. He's so full of it. Well sorry guys that's it for my Brosnan rant. IMO easily the worst thing to happen to the series. Im happy Craig has turned the tide as far as performances and quality go.
What are you talking about? The worse thing to happen to the series was hiring Lee Tamahori as director ;)
It is a load of money but EON earned quite a lot of dosh due to Brosnans' movies. If any actor wants more money he has the right to ask it as is it the choice of the producers to turn it down. I do not mind the amount asked but it resulted in a big fat NO from his bosses and they went on to another actor who undoubtely will earn more and more depending on his succes rate. Untill EON decides to get a new actor.
I find that Brosnan was worth the money he got paid by EON because he did make them lots of money.
If I find the amounts paid to some stars nuts is a whole different discussion that is not solely confined to the Bond actors.