Tennis great Roger Taylor, the 83-year-old Sheffield native and three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist in 1967, 1970, and 1973, was a beloved figure known as the nation`s underdog before Tim Henman rose to prominence. He recently disclosed a fascinating detail from his past: he was seriously considered to become the next James Bond after Sean Connery stepped down, a possibility that ended when his wife objected to a required swimsuit audition.
Taylor shared this previously untold story in his new autobiography, “The Man Who Saved Wimbledon.” Following Sean Connery`s departure from the iconic spy role after launching the franchise with Dr. No in 1962 (Connery passed away in 2020 at 90), producers began searching for a new lead for the 1969 film “On Her Majesty`s Secret Service.”
Taylor, a handsome 6ft left-hander, captured Hollywood`s attention with his performance in the 1967 Queen`s final. Noel Berryman, then vice-chairman of Queen’s Club, recounted that the wife of scriptwriter Richard Maybourne spotted Taylor during that match and declared, “There’s your new James Bond.”
Taylor initially dismissed the idea as a joke, writing in his book, “I assumed this was some kind of a wind-up.” However, Berryman was serious and arranged a meeting with some film financiers in Park Lane. Taylor`s wife, Frances, found the entire prospect “ridiculous,” but Taylor himself, despite having no prior acting experience, was intrigued by the opportunity.
He even admitted to practicing his Bond persona during the first week of Wimbledon, “staring menacingly into mirrors trying to capture the essence of 007.” He described the meeting as being in “a state of conflict: excited, nervous and also worried that my attention was being taken away from Wimbledon.” Upon arrival, he was led into a room where several men, including two smoking large cigars, simply stared at him in silence, making him feel intensely self-conscious. The bizarre meeting ended without him delivering a single line, and he promptly returned to the tennis grounds.
As the Wimbledon tournament continued, Berryman informed Taylor that he had impressed enough to earn a second screen test at Pinewood Studios – with the stipulation that he “bring my swimsuit!” Taylor, now married to his second wife Alison, recalled his then-wife Frances`s reaction: “At which point Frances became very irate. She’s a Scottish Baptist and clearly didn’t fancy becoming a Bond girl.” Her strong disapproval effectively closed the door on his potential 007 career.
Reflecting on the experience, Taylor is often asked if he regrets missing the chance. He still finds humour in the contemporary press calling him “the James Bond of tennis.” He admits that seeing the man who *did* get the role, Australian model George Lazenby, years later in a California bar looking “like a broken man” and “the worse for wear” made him wonder if he had “had a lucky escape after all.”
Despite the near-miss and his current battle with incurable amyloidosis, Taylor maintains a sense of curiosity. “That said, every time I watch a Bond movie there’s a little bit of me that wonders what if?” He concludes humorously that, regardless, he “did perfect the ‘Bond, James Bond’ line, you know.”
Roger Taylor`s official biography, “The Man Who Saved Wimbledon,” published by Pitch Publishing, is available from June 30th for £25.
