The Eiger Sanction Is Eastwood's Swing At A Bond Film (& Why He Passed On 007)
While he passed on playing the character years previously, The Eiger Sanction was Clint Eastwood's swing at making a James Bond movie. Dr. No was the first entry in the James Bond movie franchise, which adapted the hugely popular novels by Ian Fleming. The film rocketed star Sean Connery to stardom worldwide, and the series became one of the first blockbuster franchises. However, Connery walked away following 1967's You Only Live Twice, due to growing dissatisfaction with playing the role and the financial compensation he received for it. Various actors were considered as his replacement for On Her Majesty's Secret Service, including Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood.
George Lazenby, a model with little prior acting experience, eventually landed the role. Both Lazenby and On Her Majesty's Secret Service received lukewarm reviews at the time, but it's now considered a classic and is one of Christopher Nolan's favorite James Bond movies. Despite Bond being considered a fundamentally British franchise, quite a few American actors have been eyed for the role over the decades. In addition to the aforementioned Reynolds and Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, John Gavin, and James Brolin were all approached at various points.
Related: Why Anthony Hopkins Passed On Playing Bond In Live & Let Die (& His Rejected Villain Roles)
In fact, Brolin very nearly played the part in Octopussy, and even screen-tested as Bond for the film. Since the movie was going to compete with the non-EON-produced 007 adventure Never Say Never Again — fronted by a returning Sean Connery — producers decided to lure Roger Moore back to the part instead. In Clint Eastwood's case, the actor has professed he's not a big fan of the spy genre, and he turned down future
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