The Iconic '70s Role Clint Eastwood Was Offered And Why He Turned It Down

Clint Eastwood is an icon in the film industry. He's had many notable acting roles that have left impressions on generations of people. But of all the roles Eastwood has had, you may be shocked to learn that he was almost cast as James Bond, reportedly in the 1971 flick "Diamonds Are Forever." It was unfortunately not meant to be, as Eastwood passed on the offer, despite the monetary and cultural allure of the role.

Eastwood stated that his main reason for not taking on the job as Agent 007 was because he didn't want to try to fill Sean Connery's shoes. "But to me, well, that was somebody else's gig. That's Sean's deal. It didn't feel right for me to be doing it," he said while speaking to the LA Times in 2010 (per SlashFilm). Eastwood added that the project would've paid "pretty good money." 

If "Diamonds Are Forever" was the Bond film Eastwood was approached about, Connery ultimately reprised his role for it. Connery admitted he did not like playing James Bond that much, and stepped away from the franchise until his final appearance in 1983's "Never Say Never Again" (with Roger Moore taking up the mantle in the interim, even starring in a separate Bond movie in 1983). Add in that even Daniel Craig was reluctant to become Bond and you'd almost think the role was cursed.

In 2026, Clint Eastwood officially retired, but nevertheless has generated a greatest hits list other actors can only dream of. As a result, it's not surprising that he was offered many iconic film roles which he didn't take in the end. Some of those include Superman (of the 1970s series that made Christopher Reeves famous) and John McClane in "Die Hard" (which went to Bruce Willis). Admittedly, these roles now seem impossible to imagine with anyone else starring in them, let alone Eastwood, who's acting style was a bit too serious for some of the more comedic elements.

Nevertheless, perhaps the most surprising role Eastwood rejected was that of Harmonica in "Once Upon a Time in the West," directed by his longtime collaborator, director Sergio Leone. Apparently, Eastwood clashed with Leone during the pitching process. Specifically, Eastwood felt that roles created by Leone were overshadowed by other elements. In "Conversations with Clint: Paul Nelson's Lost Interviews with Clint Eastwood, 1979–1983," the actor was reported as saying, "There was no challenge for me anymore. ... In each one progressively the impetus became on the production values rather than the story" (via Screenrant). Eastwood appeared in the 1968 western "Hang 'Em High," directed by Ted Post, after choosing not to do "Once Upon a Time in the West." Eastwood also served as an uncredited executive producer on "Hang 'Em High," which was the beginning of his career expansion to roles behind the camera.