James Bond SHOCK: M star Ralph Fiennes was almost cast as 007 instead of Pierce Brosnan

Back in 2012, Fiennes starred in 50th anniversary James Bond movie Skyfall as Gareth Mallory, who replaced Judi Dench as M by the film’s conclusion.

The star has since portrayed the MI6 chief in 2015’s Spectre and is expected to return for Daniel Craig’s final 007 film, Bond 25, in November 2019.

But did you know he was once considered for the role of Bond himself?

During an interview with The Telegraph in 2014, Fiennes let slip he was in talks with Bond producers to star in Goldeneye.

Fiennes said: “There was a conversation that was great and a meeting with Cubby Broccoli [who died in 1996], that was terrific.

“I think that’s all I can say, except that it didn’t lead to anything on both sides.

“I don’t think I felt ready to commit and I think they were looking at Pierce [Brosnan].”

The actor added that he thinks he would have made a “terrible” James Bond.

While Brosnan bagged the role of Bond for 1995’s Goldeneye, it turns out Cubby Broccoli tried to persuade the incumbent 007 Timothy Dalton to return.

Dalton had last appeared in 1989’s License To Kill, but due to a legal dispute between MGM and EoN, his third outing had been put on hold.

Speaking with The Week, Dalton explained: “When [the next movie] did come about, it was probably four or five years later.

“[Broccoli] asked if I would come back, and I said, ‘Well, I’ve actually changed my mind a little bit. I think that I’d love to do one. Try and take the best of the two that I have done, and consolidate them into a third.’”

Dalton continued: “And he said, quite rightly, ‘Look, Tim. You can’t do one. There’s no way, after a five-year gap between movies that you can come back and just do one. You’d have to plan on four or five.’

“And I thought, ‘Oh, no, that would be the rest of my life. Too much. Too long.’ So I respectfully declined.”