George Lazenby
Encyclopedia
George Robert Lazenby (icon; born 5 September 1939) is an Australian actor and former model, best known for portraying James Bond
in the 1969
film On Her Majesty's Secret Service
.
, at Ovada Private Hospital, to railway worker George Edward Lazenby and Sheila Joan Lazenby (née Bodel), who worked at Fosseys. He went to Bourke Street School in his primary years, and Goulburn High until either 1953 or 1954. The young Lazenby was fond of guns, knives, and riding bikes, and is described by those who went to school with him as "a bit of a larrikin." His sister, Barbara, was an accomplished dancer. When he was about 14 or 15 he moved with his family from Goulburn to Queanbeyan, where he worked as a car salesman, mechanic and model before moving to England.
quit the role of James Bond, and 22-year-old actor Timothy Dalton
declined the role in On Her Majesty's Secret Service
(OHMSS), believing himself too young for it, producer Albert R. Broccoli
chose Lazenby after seeing him in a commercial. Lazenby dressed the part by sporting several sartorial Bond elements such as a Rolex
Submariner wristwatch and a Savile Row
suit (ordered, but uncollected, by Connery). Broccoli offered him an audition. The position was consolidated when Lazenby accidentally punched a professional wrestler, who was acting as stunt coordinator
, in the face, impressing Broccoli with his ability to display aggression. Lazenby won the role based on a screen-test fight scene, the strength of his interviews, fight skills and audition footage.
During the production of the film, Lazenby's voice was dubbed over with George Baker
's in scenes in which Bond impersonated Sir Hilary Bray (Baker's character), something not traditionally done with a leading actor whose original language is English. According to an interview, Lazenby experienced difficulties on the set stemming from director Peter R. Hunt
's refusal to speak directly with him, and Hunt's brusqueness in asking Lazenby's friends to clear the set before filming.
At the time of the release of OHMSS, Lazenby's performance received mixed reviews. Some felt that, while he was physically convincing, some of his costumes were inappropriate ("too loud" according to some) and that he delivered his lines poorly. Others, however, have developed differing views in the decades since the film. In the 1998 book The Essential James Bond, Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrell write: "Although OHMSS was routinely dismissed by critics who cited Lazenby as a brave but disappointing successor to Connery, the intervening years have been notably kinder to both the film and its star. Indeed, due in no small part to Peter Hunt's inspired direction, OHMSS generally ranks among the top films with fans. Likewise, Lazenby has emerged as a very popular contributor to the series and has enjoyed large enthusiastic audiences during his appearances at Bond related events. In summary, OHMSS is a brilliant thriller in its own right and justifiably ranks amongst the best Bond films ever made".
In Roger Moore
's commentary for a 2007 DVD release of The Man with the Golden Gun
, he referenced George Lazenby as follows : "I have a great deal of e-mail contact with George Lazenby; he's sort of on the joke circuit ... that we simply send jokes to each other. OHMSS – very well made film – Peter Hunt – excellent, excellent, excellent fight stuff, excellent snow effects ... but I think the end result for George was that it was one of the better Bonds".
In the pre-title sequence of OHMSS, Lazenby comments: "This never happened to the other fellow", an in-joke
referring to his predecessor Sean Connery
, which has been interpreted by some film critics as breaking the fourth wall
.
Although Lazenby had been offered a contract for seven movies, his agent, Ronan O'Rahilly
, convinced him that the secret agent would be archaic in the liberated 1970s, and as a result he left the series after the release of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. After this role Lazenby began to study drama at Durham University's
College of the Venerable Bede. Lazenby has portrayed James Bond several times over the years in numerous parodies and unofficial 007 roles, most notably the 1983 TV movie
The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. and an episode of The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, entitled "Diamonds Aren't Forever".
Despite starring in On Her Majesty's Secret Service
and 1977's The Kentucky Fried Movie
(the combined gross earnings of which exceeded $100 million worldwide in the 1970s, then the standard establishing an actor as a box office success), Lazenby's acting career did not flourish. One notable TV role came in the BBC
's Play For Today
series in 1973, with Lazenby starring in Roger Smith's The Operation.
In 1973, Lazenby was set to work in Hong Kong with Bruce Lee
. A planned meeting with Lee and Raymond Chow
to discuss a movie project for the Golden Harvest
film Game of Death
collapsed after Lee's sudden death, although Lazenby would still go on to make three of the four films he signed to do with Lee in Hong Kong, The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss
(1974), The Man from Hong Kong
(1975) (also known as The Dragon Flies), and A Queen's Ransom (1976). Lazenby was only featured with archive footage when Game of Death was finally released in 1978, after a five-year delay caused by Lee's death while it was still in production.
Lazenby also made a guest appearance on the popular TV series Superboy
, playing Jor-El
, Superboy's biological father, during the show's second season in 1990. He appeared with Sylvia Kristel
in several new Emmanuelle
films in the 1990s, many of which appeared on cable TV.
Lazenby's autobiography, The Other Fella, is scheduled to be released in hardcover by Century in 2012, the year of James Bond's 50th feature film anniversary, and in paperback by Arrow in 2013.
, Mick LaSalle
of the San Francisco Chronicle
said "George Clooney
is the big zero of the film, and should go down in history as the George Lazenby of the series." (Clooney appeared in Batman and Robin). Actor Paul McGann
has described himself with good humour as "the George Lazenby of Doctor Who
" because, although he has continued in the role of the Eighth Doctor
in other media, he made only one appearance on TV as the Time Lord
. In a 2006 episode of The Daily Show
, comedian John Oliver
suggested that Pope Benedict XVI
is the George Lazenby of the papacy, in comparison to "John Paul II's Sean Connery
". At one point in Rob Zombie
's animated satire comedy The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
, for example, the character Otto
responds "It was a mistake, like casting George Lazenby as 007!"
Sondre Lerche
released a song "Like Lazenby" on the 2009 CD Heartbeat Radio
.
, had filed for divorce from Lazenby. Documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court cite "irreconcilable differences
" for the end of the couple's six-year marriage. The couple has three children, including twins born in 2005.
James Bond (character)
Royal Navy Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. He is the main protagonist of the James Bond series of novels, films, comics and video games...
in the 1969
1969 in film
The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
film On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
.
Early life
Lazenby was born in Goulburn, New South WalesGoulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
, at Ovada Private Hospital, to railway worker George Edward Lazenby and Sheila Joan Lazenby (née Bodel), who worked at Fosseys. He went to Bourke Street School in his primary years, and Goulburn High until either 1953 or 1954. The young Lazenby was fond of guns, knives, and riding bikes, and is described by those who went to school with him as "a bit of a larrikin." His sister, Barbara, was an accomplished dancer. When he was about 14 or 15 he moved with his family from Goulburn to Queanbeyan, where he worked as a car salesman, mechanic and model before moving to England.
James Bond (1969)
In 1968, after Sean ConnerySean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
quit the role of James Bond, and 22-year-old actor Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
declined the role in On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
(OHMSS), believing himself too young for it, producer Albert R. Broccoli
Albert R. Broccoli
Albert Romolo Broccoli, CBE , nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer, who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career, most of them in the United Kingdom, and often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and EON Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the...
chose Lazenby after seeing him in a commercial. Lazenby dressed the part by sporting several sartorial Bond elements such as a Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
Submariner wristwatch and a Savile Row
Savile Row
Savile Row is a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, famous for its traditional men's bespoke tailoring. The term "bespoke" is understood to have originated in Savile Row when cloth for a suit was said to "be spoken for" by individual customers...
suit (ordered, but uncollected, by Connery). Broccoli offered him an audition. The position was consolidated when Lazenby accidentally punched a professional wrestler, who was acting as stunt coordinator
Stunt coordinator
A stunt coordinator, usually an experienced stunt performer, is hired by a TV, film or theatre director or production company to arrange the casting and performance of stunts for a film, television programme or a live audience...
, in the face, impressing Broccoli with his ability to display aggression. Lazenby won the role based on a screen-test fight scene, the strength of his interviews, fight skills and audition footage.
During the production of the film, Lazenby's voice was dubbed over with George Baker
George Baker (actor)
George Baker, MBE was an English actor and writer. He was best-known for portraying Tiberius in I, Claudius, and Inspector Wexford in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.-Personal life:...
's in scenes in which Bond impersonated Sir Hilary Bray (Baker's character), something not traditionally done with a leading actor whose original language is English. According to an interview, Lazenby experienced difficulties on the set stemming from director Peter R. Hunt
Peter R. Hunt
Peter R. Hunt was an English film editor, television producer and director. Hunt was known for his work on the James Bond films with his innovative editing style.-Career:...
's refusal to speak directly with him, and Hunt's brusqueness in asking Lazenby's friends to clear the set before filming.
At the time of the release of OHMSS, Lazenby's performance received mixed reviews. Some felt that, while he was physically convincing, some of his costumes were inappropriate ("too loud" according to some) and that he delivered his lines poorly. Others, however, have developed differing views in the decades since the film. In the 1998 book The Essential James Bond, Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrell write: "Although OHMSS was routinely dismissed by critics who cited Lazenby as a brave but disappointing successor to Connery, the intervening years have been notably kinder to both the film and its star. Indeed, due in no small part to Peter Hunt's inspired direction, OHMSS generally ranks among the top films with fans. Likewise, Lazenby has emerged as a very popular contributor to the series and has enjoyed large enthusiastic audiences during his appearances at Bond related events. In summary, OHMSS is a brilliant thriller in its own right and justifiably ranks amongst the best Bond films ever made".
In Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
's commentary for a 2007 DVD release of The Man with the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun (film)
The Man with the Golden Gun is the ninth spy film in the James Bond series and the second to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
, he referenced George Lazenby as follows : "I have a great deal of e-mail contact with George Lazenby; he's sort of on the joke circuit ... that we simply send jokes to each other. OHMSS – very well made film – Peter Hunt – excellent, excellent, excellent fight stuff, excellent snow effects ... but I think the end result for George was that it was one of the better Bonds".
In the pre-title sequence of OHMSS, Lazenby comments: "This never happened to the other fellow", an in-joke
In-joke
An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
referring to his predecessor Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, which has been interpreted by some film critics as breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
.
Although Lazenby had been offered a contract for seven movies, his agent, Ronan O'Rahilly
Ronan O'Rahilly
Ronan O'Rahilly is an Irish businessman best known for the creation of the offshore radio station, Radio Caroline.O'Rahilly's parents owned the private port of Greenore in Carlingford Lough, County Louth...
, convinced him that the secret agent would be archaic in the liberated 1970s, and as a result he left the series after the release of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. After this role Lazenby began to study drama at Durham University's
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
College of the Venerable Bede. Lazenby has portrayed James Bond several times over the years in numerous parodies and unofficial 007 roles, most notably the 1983 TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. and an episode of The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1986, and on the USA Network from 1987 to 1989...
, entitled "Diamonds Aren't Forever".
Other work
Lazenby has portrayed The Marlboro Man in cigarette advertising.Despite starring in On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
and 1977's The Kentucky Fried Movie
The Kentucky Fried Movie
The Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its...
(the combined gross earnings of which exceeded $100 million worldwide in the 1970s, then the standard establishing an actor as a box office success), Lazenby's acting career did not flourish. One notable TV role came in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Play For Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
series in 1973, with Lazenby starring in Roger Smith's The Operation.
In 1973, Lazenby was set to work in Hong Kong with Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
. A planned meeting with Lee and Raymond Chow
Raymond Chow
Raymond Chow Man-Wai is a Hong Kong film producer, and presenter and was responsible for successfully launching martial arts and the Hong Kong cinema onto the international stage...
to discuss a movie project for the Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest is a film production, distribution, and exhibition company based in Hong Kong. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market for an extended period of time, especially with the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan...
film Game of Death
Game of Death
The Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...
collapsed after Lee's sudden death, although Lazenby would still go on to make three of the four films he signed to do with Lee in Hong Kong, The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss
The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss
The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss, also known as Stoner, A Man Called Stoner, and Hong Kong Hitman is a Hong Kong film which was produced by Raymond Chow and directed by Huang Feng. The film was released in 1974. It was originally scheduled to be Bruce Lee's next film after Game of Death 1978...
(1974), The Man from Hong Kong
The Man from Hong Kong
The Man from Hong Kong, known in the U.S.A. as The Dragon Flies is a 1975 action film that was the first Australian-Hong Kong co-production being filmed in both nations. The film was also the first Australian martial arts film. It was produced by Raymond Chow and John Fraser, directed by Brian...
(1975) (also known as The Dragon Flies), and A Queen's Ransom (1976). Lazenby was only featured with archive footage when Game of Death was finally released in 1978, after a five-year delay caused by Lee's death while it was still in production.
Lazenby also made a guest appearance on the popular TV series Superboy
Superboy (TV series)
Superboy is a half-hour live-action television series based on the fictional DC Comics comic book character Kal-El's early years as Superboy. The show ran from 1988–1992 in syndication...
, playing Jor-El
Jor-El
Jor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
, Superboy's biological father, during the show's second season in 1990. He appeared with Sylvia Kristel
Sylvia Kristel
Sylvia Kristel is a Dutch actress, model and singer. Her most famous role is in the French film Emmanuelle.- Early life :...
in several new Emmanuelle
Emmanuelle
Emmanuelle is the lead character in a series of French softcore erotic movies based on a character created by Emmanuelle Arsan in the novel Emmanuelle...
films in the 1990s, many of which appeared on cable TV.
Lazenby's autobiography, The Other Fella, is scheduled to be released in hardcover by Century in 2012, the year of James Bond's 50th feature film anniversary, and in paperback by Arrow in 2013.
Influence on pop culture
Lazenby's singular portrayal of the iconic Bond character, and his lack of standing as a favourite in the series has resulted in his name being used as a metaphor for forgettable, non-iconic acting efforts in other entertainment franchises. Referring to the Batman film seriesBatman (film series)
The fictional character Batman, a comic book superhero featured in DC Comics publications, has appeared in various films since his inception. The character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s, Batman and Batman and Robin...
, Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
said "George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
is the big zero of the film, and should go down in history as the George Lazenby of the series." (Clooney appeared in Batman and Robin). Actor Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
has described himself with good humour as "the George Lazenby of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
" because, although he has continued in the role of the Eighth Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
in other media, he made only one appearance on TV as the Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
. In a 2006 episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, comedian John Oliver
John Oliver (comedian)
John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
suggested that Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
is the George Lazenby of the papacy, in comparison to "John Paul II's Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
". At one point in Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
's animated satire comedy The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto is a 2009 animated comedy exploitation film that also combines elements of horror and thriller films. It is based upon the comic book series created by Rob Zombie that follows the character of El Superbeasto and his sidekick sister, Suzi-X, voiced by Sheri...
, for example, the character Otto
Otto
Otto is a given name of Germanic origin meaning wealthy.-Given name:*Otto , mayor of the palace of Austrasia briefly in the mid-seventh century*Otto I, Duke of Saxony*the Ottonian dynasty...
responds "It was a mistake, like casting George Lazenby as 007!"
Sondre Lerche
Sondre Lerche
-Career:Sondre Lerche was born in Bergen, Norway. Growing up, Lerche was heavily influenced by the '80s pop that emanated from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as The Beatles, A-ha, the Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar...
released a song "Like Lazenby" on the 2009 CD Heartbeat Radio
Heartbeat Radio
Heartbeat Radio is the fifth album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist Sondre Lerche. The album was released in the U.S. on September 8, 2009 and in Europe on September 14...
.
Personal life
In August 2008, it was reported that Lazenby's wife, former tennis player Pam ShriverPam Shriver
Pamela Howard Shriver Lazenby , is a former professional tennis player and is currently a sports broadcaster from the United States for ESPN2. During the 1980s and 1990s, she won 133 top-level titles, including 21 women's doubles titles and one mixed doubles title at Grand Slam tournaments...
, had filed for divorce from Lazenby. Documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court cite "irreconcilable differences
Irreconcilable differences
The concept of irreconcilable differences provides a possible ground for divorce in a number of jurisdictions.In Australian family law with no-fault divorce it is the sole ground, adequate proof being that the estranged couple have been separated more than 12 months.In the United States it can be...
" for the end of the couple's six-year marriage. The couple has three children, including twins born in 2005.
Selected filmography
- Espionage in Tangiers (1966)
- On Her Majesty's Secret ServiceOn Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
(1969) - Universal SoldierUniversal Soldier (1971 film)Universal Soldier is a 1971 film starring George Lazenby as a mercenary.The film had a £1,000,000 production budget. George Lazenby and his manager, Ronan O'Rahilly, financed the film and were the executive producers. The film was directed by controversial director Cy Endfield...
(1971) - Who Saw Her Die?Who Saw Her Die?Who Saw Her Die? is a 1972 thriller film directed by Aldo Lado and starring George Lazenby. In this film, the parents of a murdered woman search for the killer as the body count grows.-Cast:* George Lazenby - Franco Serpieri...
(1972) - Life and Legend of Bruce Lee (1973) (archive footage)
- The Last Days of Bruce Lee (1973)
- Play For TodayPlay for TodayPlay for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
- The Operation (BBC TV) (1973) - The Shrine of Ultimate BlissThe Shrine of Ultimate BlissThe Shrine of Ultimate Bliss, also known as Stoner, A Man Called Stoner, and Hong Kong Hitman is a Hong Kong film which was produced by Raymond Chow and directed by Huang Feng. The film was released in 1974. It was originally scheduled to be Bruce Lee's next film after Game of Death 1978...
(1974) - The Man from Hong KongThe Man from Hong KongThe Man from Hong Kong, known in the U.S.A. as The Dragon Flies is a 1975 action film that was the first Australian-Hong Kong co-production being filmed in both nations. The film was also the first Australian martial arts film. It was produced by Raymond Chow and John Fraser, directed by Brian...
(Alternate title: The Dragon Flies) (1975) - A Queen's Ransom (1976)
- The Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its...
(1977) - Bruce Lee, The Legend (1977)
- Game of DeathGame of DeathThe Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...
(1978) (archive fighting footage) - Death DimensionDeath DimensionDeath Dimension is a 1978 American B-list action and martial arts film by Al Adamson starring Jim Kelly, Harold Sakata, George Lazenby, Terry Moore, and Aldo Ray.The plot is about a scientist, Professor Mason, who invented a powerful freezing bomb for a gangster leader...
(Alternate title: Black Eliminator) (Alternate title: Freeze Bomb) 1978) - Evening in ByzantiumEvening in ByzantiumEvening in Byzantium is a 1978 television movie produced by Glen A. Larson Productions and Universal Television, and directed by Jerry London, about the Cannes Film Festival being overtaken by terrorists. It stars Glenn Ford, Vince Edwards, Shirley Jones, Eddie Albert and Erin Gray, with Edward...
(1978) (TV) - Saint JackSaint JackSaint Jack is a 1973 novel by Paul Theroux and a 1979 film of the same name. It tells the life of Jack Flowers, a pimp in Singapore. Feeling hopeless and undervalued, Jack tries to make money by setting up his own bordello, and clashes with Chinese triad members in the process.Ben Gazzara stars as...
(1979) - The Nude Bomb (1980) – cameo appearance as James Bond
- General Hospital (1982) (TV Series)
- The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983) (TV Movie) – as the Bond-like character "JB"
- The MasterThe Master (TV series)The Master is a short-lived ninja-themed action-adventure TV series created by Michael Sloan which aired on NBC. The show focused on the adventures of John Peter McAllister, an aging ninja master , and his young pupil, Max Keller...
(1984) (TV Series) - Never Too Young to DieNever Too Young to DieNever Too Young To Die is a 1986 action film, starring John Stamos as Lance Stargrove, a young man who, with the help of secret-agent Danja-Deering must avenge the death of his secret-agent father at the hands of the evil hermaphrodite Velvet Von Ragner .-External Links:*...
(1986) - SuperboySuperboy (TV series)Superboy is a half-hour live-action television series based on the fictional DC Comics comic book character Kal-El's early years as Superboy. The show ran from 1988–1992 in syndication...
(1988) (TV Series) – recurring guest role as Jor-ElJor-ElJor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father.... - The Evil Inside (1992)
- Emmanuelle's Secret (1998)
- Emmanuelle's Heart (1999)
- Emmanuelle's Revenge (1992)
- Emmanuelle's Perfume (1992)
- Emmanuelle's Magic (1992)
- Gettysburg (1993) – as Confederate Brig. Gen Johnston Pettigrew
- YuYu HakushoYuYu Hakushois a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The name of the series is spelled YuYu Hakusho in the Viz Media manga and Yu Yu Hakusho in other English distributions of the franchise. The series tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who is struck and...
: Eizo Hakusho (1993) (voice) - Emmanuelle's Love (1993)
- Emmanuelle in Venice (1993)
- EmmanuelleEmmanuelleEmmanuelle is the lead character in a series of French softcore erotic movies based on a character created by Emmanuelle Arsan in the novel Emmanuelle...
Forever (1993) - Batman BeyondBatman BeyondBatman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
(1999) (TV Series) – recurring role as King (voice) - Batman Beyond: The Movie (1999) (TV Movie) (voice)
- The Pretender (1999–2000) (TV Series) – recurring guest role as the hero Jarod's father Major Charles
- Four Dogs Playing PokerFour Dogs Playing Poker (film)Four Dogs Playing Poker is a 2000 crime thriller directed by Paul Rachman starring Stacy Edwards, Balthazar Getty, Olivia Williams, Daniel London, Tim Curry and Forest Whitaker.-Plot:...
(2000) - Spider's Web (2001)
- YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files (2002) (TV Series) (voice)
- Winter Break (Alternate title: Sheer Bliss) (2003)
External links
- Official George Lazenby Site
- George Lazenby at the National Film and Sound Archive
- 2005 interview Swindon Web, 10 June 2005
- Aushenker, Michael. "'Bond'-ing with George Lazenby" Palisadian-Post, 26 November 2008
- Davies, Barbara. "As Bond star George Lazenby and tennis ace Pam Shriver head for the divorce courts, the truth about... the spy who shoved me" Mail OnlineMail OnlineMail Online is the name of the website of the Daily Mail, a newspaper in the United Kingdom. It contains almost all the stories from the Daily Mail and includes a large archive of main stories...
, 23 August 2008 - "Bond star bedded 'a woman a day'" Stuff, 11 September 2010