James Bond actor George Lazenby, 84, retires in emotional announcement after health battle

25 July 2024, 13:26

He took on the responsibility of 007 on just one occasion.

But George Lazenby's turn as the ever-smooth spy James Bond in the 1969 thriller Her Majesty's Secret Service was effusively praised.

That's despite the film being critically panned upon its release, even though Lazenby's performance was singled out as a major positive.

Still, it wasn't enough to convince the star to return as 007 once again, even though it has been reappraised as one of the finest Bond films in the long-running film franchise.

In an interview with the Guardian in 2017, Lazenby elaborated on his decision, explaining: "I had advice that James Bond was over anyway."

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"It was Sean Connery’s gig and, being in the 60s, it was love, not war. You know, hippy time. And I bought into that.

Lazenby's acting career never quite recovered, but his determination helped the veteran actor overcome his recent health issues.

Sadly though, in an emotional statement, George has confirmed he'll be retiring from acting as "getting older is no fun".

Taking to Twitter/X to address his loyal fanbase, George wrote: "This hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s time to announce my retirement from work."

"Therefore, I won’t be doing any more acting or making public appearances, doing any more interviews or signing any more autographs as of today. It’s been a fun ride but getting older is no fun."

"I would like to thank my manager and friend, Anders Frejdh, for helping me since 2013 – the best representative I ever had," the 84-year-old actor continued.

"I can now concentrate on spending more time with my family. My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me. George xx."

George's statement comes after the Australian had a fall in December which caused a brain injury and left him hospitalised.

His injury came after he kept a low profile for the year, having been sacked from his live theatre show, The Music of James Bond, for bragging about sexual conquests and making inappropriate comments.

He later issued an apology, saying he was "saddened to hear" some of his stories "might have offended" people.

"It was never my intention to make homophobic comments and I am truly sorry if my stories that I have shared many times were taken that way," he said on Twitter/X at the time.

Lazenby's path to stardom was an unlikely one - born on 5th September 1939, he relocated to London after serving in the Australian army.

There he worked as a car mechanic and salesman, and as a male model before pursuing acting.

He scored the role of James Bond having only acted in commercials before, admitting that he bluffed he way into the gig by purchasing a tailor-made suit from the same tailor as Sean Connery.