23 replies to this topic

[bondrocks14]

After the PTS, during the scene where Agent XXX is in bed with her "lover"...well...I think that man looked like he could have been Bond. Now, time for opinions!

[Monsieur B]

Yes, I believe that chap died recently (within the last year, at least). Billington, I think his name was. Wasn't he considered when Roger was retiring every other week in the early 80s?

[Roger Moore's Bad Facelift]

After the PTS, during the scene where Agent XXX is in bed with her "lover"...well...I think that man looked like he could have been Bond. Now, time for opinions!

Wasn't that actor actually used as Bond in screen testing potential Bond actresses for TSWLM? I believe Cubby had the girls play off of him, as he filled in for Rog during screen tests. I forget the details. It is in my "Wonderful World of 007" film book which, sadly, I don't have with me at the moment. Blast.
Whatever the details were, I am pretty sure that the actor, Michael Billington, was an oft-considered candidate for Bond.

[Andrew]

He was supposedly a front runner a few times for the role.

[K1Bond007]

After the PTS, during the scene where Agent XXX is in bed with her "lover"...well...I think that man looked like he could have been Bond. Now, time for opinions!

It's in the PTS because he's killed in the PTS. Michael Billington. He auditioned for the role several times during Moore's tenure and most likely would have gotten the gig had Moore stepped down. Notably for LALD, FYEO, Moonraker, and Octopussy IIRC.

[Qwerty]

There is an excellent article in one of the OO7 magazines covering his past auditions for the role.

[Kingdom Come]

Sorry to hear he had died. But yes he did look right for Bond - and on one of the audio commentaries of Spy either Gilbert or whoever they also mentioned he would have made a good Bond!

[Double-0-Seven]

I always thought that he looked like a good Bond. I think he would have been a good replacement if Roger Moore had left after For Your Eyes Only. I'm sorry to hear that he passed away.

[Bond Bombshell]

Michael Billington would have been an excellent James Bond. IMO, he had the looks, muscular physique, good voice, humour, and was a better actor than he was ever given credit for. His Connery-like hairy chest and close friendship (or was it relationship?) with Barbara Broccoli would have helped as well! I could never work out why he never became a major star. I guess some actors just don't get the lucky breaks. Billington had a long involvement with James Bond, dating from OHMSS to the mid 80s. Good articles and audition pics can be found at his official site -

http://www.michaelbillington.org.uk/

Brits can currently see Billington starring in early 70s sci-fi series, UFO. Its being shown on Saturdays on ITV4 at around 7:00pm. I have fond memories of this show as a kid, and I was saddened to hear of Billington's death last year. Ironically, he died within a week of Ed Bishop - his UFO co-star and fellow Bond actor.

Edited by Bond Bombshell, 20 March 2006 - 01:04 AM.

[Andrew]

Wow I've never seen those pictures before! He looks quite convincing. It seems like he was given the run around by the producers, from what I read in those interviews.

He definatly could've pulled the role off.

[killkenny kid]

Yes, he had the right look for the time.

[SecretAgentFan]

No offense, but I

[Trident]

Michael Billington would have been an excellent James Bond. IMO, he had the looks, muscular physique, good voice, humour, and was a better actor than he was ever given credit for. His Connery-like hairy chest and close friendship (or was it relationship?) with Barbara Broccoli would have helped as well! I could never work out why he never became a major star. I guess some actors just don't get the lucky breaks. Billington had a long involvement with James Bond, dating from OHMSS to the mid 80s. Good articles and audition pics can be found at his official site -

http://www.michaelbillington.org.uk/

Brits can currently see Billington starring in early 70s sci-fi series, UFO. Its being shown on Saturdays on ITV4 at around 7:00pm. I have fond memories of this show as a kid, and I was saddened to hear of Billington's death last year. Ironically, he died within a week of Ed Bishop - his UFO co-star and fellow Bond actor.

Funny coincidence that this thing comes up just now. As a matter of fact I'm watching UFO on DVD right now. And Billington almost immediatly reminded me of the Bond type. And another thing: he reminded me very much of Lewis Collins from The Professionals. Another "Almost-Bond"-actor who never actually made the touch down on the role. Compare the two:

Collins
http://www.dream-cra...tos/enter02.jpg

Billington
http://www.fanderson...paulfoster.jpeg

[Bond Bombshell]

Funny coincidence that this thing comes up just now. As a matter of fact I'm watching UFO on DVD right now. And Billington almost immediatly reminded me of the Bond type. And another thing: he reminded me very much of Lewis Collins from The Professionals. Another "Almost-Bond"-actor who never actually made the touch down on the role. Compare the two:

Collins
http://www.dream-cra...tos/enter02.jpg

Billington
http://www.fanderson...paulfoster.jpeg

I have the complete Professionals boxset on DVD. It wasn't that long ago that I watched an episode entitled "The Rack", which ironically co-starred Billington. He looks a bit odd in the episode because he has shaved his eyebrows off in order to play an ex boxer. I agree that they are similar. They both have that debonair macho thing going on that would work well as Bond, but then I'm biased as I was such a big fan of these gentlemen and their respective shows as a kid, and still am.

If you have the all the episodes of UFO, its worth having a look at "Reflections In The Water" and "Destruction". These feature David Warbeck as the Skydiver Captain, another actor who was auditioned for Bond in the early 80s. This bloke really could be Collins' double. Like Billington, he was lost to cancer much too young.

Here's a DVD capture of Collins and Billington in The Professionals, followed by a pic of Warbeck.

 Collins_Billington.jpg   62.84KB   57 downloads

Edited by Bond Bombshell, 30 March 2006 - 05:34 AM.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Yes, Michael Billington... In fact, he played Bond in the screen-test for TSWLM.

[ACE]

Theres an excellent and detailed memorial of him in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang # 2 written by Scottish Bond scholar, Brian Smith who knew Billington. Fascinating stuff, detailing the screen tests, when and with whom.

[Scottlee]

Billington would indeed have been very good as 007. He practically is Bond during that TSWLM pre-title if you look at the way he acts.

[medrecess]

I felt for a long time that Cubby wanted me to play Bond, but from my own point of
View I think the Bonds lost something when Harry Saltzman left. I would have happily played
the part quite well for Live and Let Die, for which I tested for director, Guy Hamilton, and The
Man with the Golden Gun, for which I didn't test.

The Spy Who Loved Me had a good opening, but I felt the Film fast became comic book; the same for Moonraker, which I did test for, and For Your Eyes Only, for which I was on 'standby.' They suited Roger's style, but wouldn't have suited mine.

The final test was for Octopussy, which had the feel of a 'turkey' about it which made me
very cautious. I had a very good personal relationship with Cubby right up until his death so
I was a little surprised when I was referred to only as 'the Russian Agent' in his posthumously
published Autobiography. Seems I was edited out. Bit like the Watergate tapes in my view.
Isn't life strange!

Excerpts from his interview.This guy was considered for almost all of moore's films.Too bad he didnt make it. he would have been a good Bond.

How tall was he ?

[Mr_Wint]

Michael Billington reminds me of Connery... and I think that is one of the reasons to why he never got the role. After the Lazenby experience, I believe Cubby wanted a new interpretation of the role for each new actor. That is what he got with Moore and Dalton (both not with Billington or Sam Neil). Well, that's my theory at least.

[Blofeld's Cat]

The fist scene I saw Billington (in bed with Anya) in The Spy Who Loved Me I thought it was Rog for a second. From an oblique angle Micheal looked very much like him.

[medrecess]

Dont you think it is unbelievable that this man was considered for vond over a period of 15 years and still didnt make it.Bad luck or maybe not destined.God bless him.

[medrecess]

Michael is not very tall for bond

[Scottlee]

That interview piece was interesting. He was in the frame a long time wasn't he?

Unfortunately though, to someone who watches all the Bond films about once a year, the sight of Billington entering the fray post-TSWLM would have felt awkward after seeing him killed by Roger Moore's Bond.

[SeanSean]

He has the Bond look. In the black and white pic on the first page he actually looks like Rog a bit.

Kind of sad that he is most known for almost becoming James Bond. Sort of like Henry Cavill so far. He was a frontrunner for Bond, Superman, and Batman and lost out on all of those roles.