I had no idea Sam Neill almost played James Bond in the 80s.

Before Timothy Dalton was cast as James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) Sam Neill screen tested for the role in 1986 with Fiona Fullerton.

He utters the immortal line” Bond, James Bond”.

Neill was a cool guy, no doubt about it. He didn’t want to do the audition, his agent bullied (his words) him into doing it. His good friend Pierce Brosnan wanted the role too which was also on his mind.

Nothing ever came of it, but this is still pretty cool.

While it’s a classic "what if" moment in cinema history, it’s still incredibly cool to think about how close we came to seeing Neill take on the mantle. He went on to have a legendary career anyway, delivering iconic performances in Jurassic Park, The Hunt for Red October, and The Piano.

Meanwhile, Pierce Brosnan’s dream eventually came true when he was officially announced as the new Bond on June 8, 1994, before making his iconic debut in GoldenEye.

It’s one of those fascinating Hollywood stories that reminds us how close these legendary roles come to being played by completely different stars.

(Updated.)