Spartacus

John Gavin

Could have been Bond in: "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971)

Case file: As we mentioned with Adam West, it seems odd to imagine an American actor playing the oh-so-British James Bond, but that's almost what happened on the seventh Bond film. One-shot star George Lazenby ... moreleft the series after "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969), and the producers decided to go with Gavin, best known as Janet Leigh's boyfriend Sam in "Psycho" and Julius Caesar in "Spartacus." How would Bond have worked out as a rather bland, if rugged, American leading-man type? We'll never know, because, even though Gavin signed a contract, Sean Connery was persuaded at the last minute to return in the role one more time. (Joseph Marzullo/Retna Ltd.)