"So near, yet so far"

Martin Campbell, the director who re-energised the James Bond series with Casino Royale after it had lost all credibility with Die Another Day, has revealed he tested eight actors for the Bond role before it went to Daniel Craig. 

He previously spoke about testing Henry Cavill and telling him he looked a "little chubby" during his audition, but he won't tell us who the other six are.

The filmmaker directed fellow New Zealander Sam Neill in the miniseries Reilly, Ace of Spies, but had no idea he tested for the 007 gig when Roger Moore was wrangling over money in the early '80s:

"I didn't even know he'd tested. I had no clue. On Casino, I tested eight people. And don't ask me who they were; I'm not going to tell you. You don't often see the tests. They keep those under lock and key".

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