Licence to kill

Music star reveals he could have been Bond...

11:54 04 October 2010

Sir Tom Jones has revealed that he narrowly missed out on starring as James Bond.

The singer told Real Radio that he was approached by bosses about playing the secret agent but he was too recognisable.

Producers deliberated whether he was right for the part, but his high public profile meant that they decided against it.

Sir Tom told the station:

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“When I was young I would have liked to be James Bond, and at one time it was discussed.

"I think it came from Cubby Broccoli, who was the man in charge, and he said when my name was put forward, 'Tom Jones is so recognisable as Tom Jones - he's a character, he's become this singer with a big character'.

“'So in order for him to do James Bond, would people accept him as being James Bond? Could they get past him being Tom Jones?' - and so apparently that was what the problem was,” Sir Tom concluded.