Hilarious footage emerges of Sam Neill's James Bond screen test
Jurassic Park star Sam Neill appeared on the Today show to discuss his career and new memoir 'Did I Ever Tell You This?' but the hosts had other plans.
Karl Stefanovic, Sarah Abo and Brooke Boney managed to dig up an old screen test that left the 75-year-old red-faced.
"Oh, my God, no - That is so cruel to play that, so cruel," a flustered Neil said, as footage from his James Bond audition started rolling.
In the video, a young Neill armed with a gun and donning an unbuttoned shirt bursts into a bedroom-to the surprise of a naked woman- and says the famous line "My friends called me Bond, James Bond".
Neill said he was thankful that he didn’t get the part and that someone else was chosen to do the role.
"I felt so awkward all day that we made that thing and it just went on and on and on," he said.
"I am so relieved they offered it to someone else, they are welcome to it - you don't want to be the Bond that no-one likes, you know - that is a fate worse than death."
Although he didn’t get the role of agent 007, the actor has starred in three of the Jurassic Park films, Event Horizon, The Dish and Peter Rabbit.
He also told the Today show hosts that he never intended on becoming a professional actor and his success was completely unexpected.
"I never really imagined I would have a career in film, let alone a career as an actor," he said.
"At the rather advanced age of 30 I suddenly realised I could make a living at what I loved best and I never looked back until I wrote (the memoir) and it has been good to look back - it has been really good for me."
Image: Today Show, Channel 9