This never happened to the other fellow: The fluctuating stardom of James Bond and George Lazenby

Abstract

When George Lazenby, who succeeded Sean Connery as James Bond, attended the world premiere of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) with long hair and a beard, he was criticized by the British press for his ‘very un-Bond-like’ appearance, which would come to define his only take on the Bond persona. Since the film’s release, however, critics and fans have begun to acknowledge the idiosyncratic qualities of Lazenby’s performance and its more grounded contribution to the mythology of 007. As a result, Lazenby’s star image has been revitalized. Jaap Verheul’s chapter argues, firstly, that star studies must acknowledge the failed production of stardom, and secondly, that Lazenby’s re-appraisal warrants further examination of the fluctuations in the star images of both actors and their on-screen personas.