While Hayward was known for her film roles in hits like My Foolish Heart and I Want To Live!, Nicholas Shakespeare has opened up about Hayward\u2019s close call with being James Bond in his Ian Fleming biography, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lashana Lynch became the first woman to hold the title of 007 in 2021\u2019s No Time to Die, but the wheels were apparently already in motion long before, thanks to producer Gregory Ratoff.<\/p>\n In Shakespeare\u2019s biography, he writes (via IndieWire<\/a>): \u201cSince the mid-1950s, many well-known actors had been approached [to play Bond]. Gregory Ratoff had the arresting idea of having Bond played by a woman, Susan Hayward.<\/p>\n \u201cIan had entertained several possibilities, from Richard Burton (\u2018I think that Richard Burton would be by far the best James Bond\u2019), to James Stewart (\u2018I wouldn\u2019t at all mind him as Bond if he can slightly anglicise his accent\u2019), to James Mason (\u2018We might have to settle for him\u2019).\u201d<\/p>\n At the time of trying to bring Bond to the screens in the \u201950s, screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr told Variety<\/a> previously that the films were \u201cunbelievable\u201d and \u201ceven kind of stupid\u201d.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cSo, Gregory thought the solution was to make Bond a woman, \u2018Jane Bond\u2019 if you will, and he even had a plan to cast Susan Hayward in the role.\u201d<\/p> Fleming was intent on making Richard Burton the first on-screen James Bond \u2013 but Burton declined.<\/p>\n It was then a long journey to finding the perfect match for the role, and as Shakespeare reveals in his book, Peter Finch, Cary Grant, Dirk Bogarde, Trevor Howard, Rex Harrison, Richard Todd, Michael Redgrave, Patrick McGoohan, Roger Moore \u2013 who did eventually play Bond \u2013 and Richard Johnson were all considered for the leading part.<\/p>\n Of course, now rumours continue to swirl around the future of the film franchise, after the departure of Daniel Craig as 007.<\/p>\n Currently, all eyes are on Aaron Taylor-Johnson<\/a> as the next James Bond<\/a> after a report in\u00a0The Sun<\/a> previously claimed he has already been offered the role.<\/p>\n While there has been no confirmation of the fact, Taylor-Johnson has been getting the seal of approval<\/a> from not one previous Bond but two.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As well as George Lazenby<\/a>, Pierce Brosnan said that he thinks Taylor-Johnson \u201chas the chops\u201d to take on Bond.<\/p>\n Speaking on The Ray D\u2019Arcy Show on RT\u00c9 Radio 1<\/a>, Brosnan said: \u201cI think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so.\u201d<\/p>\n But Brosnan also previously noted that Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy would make a \u201cmagnificent\u201d James Bond<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Susan](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/Susan-Hayward-5047a70.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Susan")
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