Tony Winner Hugh Jackman Reveals He Turned Down 'James Bond' Role

In a new interview with Variety, actor Hugh Jackman reveals that he was offered the opportunity to take on the role of iconic secret agent James Bond. "I just felt at the time that the scripts had become so unbelievable and crazy, and I felt like they needed to become grittier and real," the Tony winners shares. " And the response was: 'Oh, you don't get a say. You just have to sign on.' I was also worried that between Bond and 'X-Men,' I'd never have time to do different things."

After moving on to the lead in 2003's X-MEN sequel, the role of 007 went to Daniel Craig.

Jackman's newest film, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, hits theaters on December 20th. Of taking on the role of circus owner P.T. Barnum, Jackman tells the site, "We like to say that we made the movie that Barnum would have liked to make."

Read the interview in full here.

Hugh Jackman is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning actor. Jackman's dedication to the Broadway community was feted at the 2012 Tony Awards, where he received a Special Award from the TONY AWARDS Administration Committee, recognizing his accomplishments as a performer and humanitarian.

He previously starred on Broadway in Keith Huff's play, A Steady Rain, opposite Daniel Craig, and as 1970s singer-songwriter Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz, for which he received the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical as well as Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards. Other Broadway credits include The River and Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway.