The actor desperate to delete their two James Bond auditions from history: “It has plagued my life”

Actor James Purefoy has revealed he auditioned for the role of James Bond twice, in the 1990s and again in the early 2000s, without success on either occasion. He suggested that subconscious self-sabotage played a part both times, as the prospect of landing such a life-changing role left him increasingly uncertain the closer he got to securing it.

Purefoy was among the final contenders before Pierce Brosnan was cast ahead of GoldenEye in 1994, and again a decade later when Daniel Craig was chosen. He admitted the experience has "plagued" his life, saying he wishes it had never become public knowledge that he had been up for the part, as he is now regularly reminded of the job he never got.