- Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli, remarked that Lazenby could have been the best Bond had he not quit after just one film.
- He was offered a seven-movie deal by the Bond producers, but quit the role because he felt that the tuxedo-clad Bond would die out in the new hippie culture that had permeated society in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- He was a close personal friend of Bruce Lee. He met Lee in 1972 and the two became fast friends. Lazenby studied Lee's personal martial arts and philosophical teaching of "Jeet Kune Do" under Lee until the time of Lee's death in 1973. Lazenby was actually going to have dinner with Bruce the night he died. Lazenby would later say that it was Lee's teachings that allowed him to go on to have such a successful business career and personal life.
- He says that his favorite Bond film is Goldfinger (1964).
- He is estimated to be the wealthiest actor to have played James Bond.
- Later regretted leaving the Bond series after just one film. He claimed he listened to bad advice.
- Was a personal-combat instructor in the Australian Special Forces; he has black belts in Judo, Shotokan-Ryu Karate, and Jeet-Kune-Do...having studied martial arts under Bruce Lee himself.
- Was the #1 male fashion model in the world from 1964 to 1968.
- His agent, Maggie Smith, told him that he should apply for Bond, since in her opinion, his arrogance would surely win him the role.
- He was the youngest actor to play James Bond, being 30 when On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) was released.
- Was considered by producer Kevin McClory to play James Bond 007 in Never Say Never Again (1983) but was dropped from consideration when Sean Connery confirmed he wanted the role.
- Served as a sergeant in the Australian Special Forces.
- Earlier in life, Lazenby donated a kidney to a family member.
- He was supposed to have dinner with Bruce Lee the night that Lee died. He attended Lee's funeral service.
- Broke a stuntman's nose during a Bond fight screen test, and it was this physical strength that finalized his selection as Bond.
- He holds the unique distinction of having been both The Marlboro Man and James Bond, as he played 007 in one film and was also the European Marlboro Man.
- He was Golden Harvest studios original replacement for Bruce Lee after Lee died. Lazenby had already signed a contract with the studio to co-star with Lee in Game of Death (1978), but Lee died during filming. Lazenby then replaced Lee in what was to be Lee's next film, "The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss", The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss (1974). After that film, Jimmy Wang Yu was signed to replace Lee and Lazenby moved back to his original co-starring role as the "Western Adversary".
This makes Lazenby the actor that first replaced Sean Connery as James Bond and also the actor that first replaced Bruce Lee as Golden Harvest's martial arts action hero after Lee's death. Many subsequent actors would then follow Lazenby playing Bond as well as imitating Bruce Lee. - His publicist, Ronan O'Rahilly, announced that Lazenby would not make a second Bond film. After this he was released out of his Bond contract. Lazenby himself, stated afterward that he never told his publicist he was quitting Bond.
- Was the highest paid male model in Europe prior to playing James Bond.
- He owns mansions in Hawaii, USA; Brentwood, California, USA; Australia; and a 600 acre estate/ranch in Valyermo, Unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, USA.
- Except for TV commercials, he had no previous acting experience when he was cast as James Bond.
- Is an accomplished skier and in fact had won two skiing contests in Australia before becoming James Bond.
- Lived in Keith Moon's famous London Waterhouse complete with Hydro Hovercraft that came right into the living room through the front door, for a period of 6 months in the late '60s.
- John Cleese wanted him to play the part of Jesus in the Monty Python movie, Life of Brian (1979). Cleese said in his opinion it would be absolutely hilarious to have Lazenby portray Christ, and he wanted the tag line of the film to be "George Lazenby IS Jesus Christ." But when the film's producers contacted his agent they were informed that he was overseas working on another film project and was unavailable. Kenneth Colley was then cast as Jesus.
- Zachary, his son with Christina Gannett, died of brain cancer when he was 20 years old in 1994.
- His lead role in the prime time soap opera Rituals (1984) was considered to be his "comeback gig". Many industry experts expected this would bring him to "A" status in Hollywood. However, "Rituals" received poor ratings and was canceled after just one season by ABC.
- He is the only actor, other than Sean Connery, to play James Bond to have served in the military and the only one to have served in any branch of the Special Forces as Bond did.
- Lazenby signed a four-film contract with Raymond Chow's famed Hong Kong- based Golden Harvest Productions in 1973. He was first to co-star with Bruce Lee in Lee's upcoming film Game of Death (1978), as Lee's Western adversary. However, Lee died just four days after Lazenby signed the contract. At the time Lazenby signed the contract, it was considered the most coveted available contract in the international movie industry. But Lazenby's soon-to-be huge comeback after having earlier quit the role of James Bond ended when Lee suddenly died. Lazenby would go on to star in the next three Golden Harvest films that were originally set to feature himself and Lee. The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss (1974) ("The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss"), The Man from Hong Kong (1975) and International Assassin (1976) ("A Queen's Ransom"). In "Tie jin gang da po zi yang guan" Lazenby took on Lee's role and Angela Mao took on the role Lazenby was first intended to play. While in the next two films, "The Man from Hong Kong" and "E tan qun hing ying hui", Jimmy Wang Yu replaced Lee and Lazenby returned to his original role.
- He was set to co-star in the biggest budgeted action/martial arts film of all time in 1973, along with Bruce Lee. However, Lee died two weeks before the film was to begin shooting. (The film, originally titled "Shrine of Ultimate Bliss," was eventually made, but on a considerably smaller budget, and was given a limited theatrical release, excluding the U.S.)
- With the death of actor Sean Connery, October 31st 2020, Lazenby is now the earliest and oldest living actor who has portrayed James Bond.
- During the 1970s and 1980s he raced motorcycles and in the 1990s he backed a restaurant chain, the Spy House.
- In the past, admitted to not seeing any of the 007 movies to be released after his own, On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). However, he has commented, and been quoted, on various Bond movies, especially the Bond films of the Daniel Craig era (see below).
- Dated Jill St. John (the main Bond girl in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), the first official Bond movie after Lazenby's single appearance) and Barbra Streisand (who later married James Brolin who screen tested for 007 in the 1980s, and was considered for the Bond role at least one other time).
- Lazenby has ridden his various motorcycles across the United States, on three different occasions.
- Has three offspring with Pam Shriver: son, George Edward Robert Samuel Lazenby III (b. 12 July 2004); twins, Samuel Robert and Kaitlin Elizabeth (b. 1 October 2005).
- He was offered James Coburn's role in Duck, You Sucker! (1971), but turned it down.
- The first film that Lazenby was signed to make with Bruce Lee, Game of Death (1978), which was already in production at the time of Lee's death in 1973, was not released until 1978. Because of the press coverage surrounding Lee's death, and because Lazenby was to have dinner with Lee the night before he died, Golden Harvest Productions decided to delay the film and remove Lazenby from it. Because Lazenby had an agreement to be in the film he was paid for it, and also was edited into the film with archive fighting footage from one of his other Golden Harvest films.
- Semi-retired from acting in 1993, and intended to retire completely in 2003, only to return to acting in 2012, averaging one film or television role per year since restarting, with two films in the pipeline as of 2020..
- Was a car salesman in Canberra, Australia after leaving school.
- Competes on the senior circuit in off-road dirt bike racing, and in stock car racing. George has won several celebrity stock car races and dirt-bike races, as well as amateur and professional races in both.
- Worked as a prestige car salesman in London's Park Lane district in the 1960s.
- Living on his 600 acre ranch in Valyermo, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, USA with his wife, ESPN Sports tennis analyst and former internationally top-ranked pro-tennis player Pam Shriver. (June 2003)
- He is believed to be the only Bond star who did not have his hair enhanced at all.
- He is the only James Bond actor to have martial arts experience prior to taking on the role.
- Splitting his time between his homes in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA; in Australia; on his 600 acre ranch in Valyermo, unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, USA; while also traveling with his wife, ESPN's Pam Shriver, to all of the major pro tennis tournaments around the world. (February 2005)
- His daughter Melanie Andrea, from his first marriage to Christina Gannett, was born on September 13, 1973. Melanie is one of Manhattan's top real estate agents, and in May 2013 was the broker for the sale of a unique, block-long, $10 million condominium apartment to Chelsea Clinton and husband.
- He is a big fan of Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt.
- Lakers star Kobe Bryant was at one time one of George's neighbors at one of George's Southern California homes.
- Lazenby's favorite hobby is playing golf. He plays it at least 5 or 6 times a week.
- Supposedly contracted to make twenty sequel television movies of the original Emmanuelle (1974), to be made for French television, in the role of Mario, Sylvia Kristel's mentor. In the end, he only made seven "Emmanuelle" movies, in the role of Mario, with Kristel, although she made an "Emmanuelle" feature film during that run of TV movies, without him, or the character of Mario, who was an exclusively television character.
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