He lost out on James Bond role to George Lazenby

Gambon was once in the running to play James Bond.

However, he believes he didn't convince producer Cubby Broccoli - who asked him to audition after seeing him in the BBC series ‘The Borderers’ - because he underplayed himself and was a "bit fat".

According to Michael himself, he told the executive: “I haven’t got nice hair and I’m a bit fat.”

George Lazenby was ultimately cast as 007 in the 1969 film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'.