007 legend George Lazenby announces his retirement from acting: 'It's been a fun ride but...'
George Lazenby has announced his retirement from acting, more than 50 years as he shot to fame as the second-ever James Bond in the 007 franchise.
George Lazenby has announced his retirement from acting.
The 84-year-old star - who is best known for his role as James Bond in the 1969 007 film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' opposite late screen legend Dame Diana Rigg - admitted on Thursday (25.07.24) that it has been a "fun ride" but that getting older has taken its toll and he has made the difficult decision to retire.
He wrote on X: "This hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s time to announce my retirement from work. Therefore, I won’t be doing any more acting or making public appearances, doing any more interviews or signing any more autographs as of today. It’s been a fun ride but getting older is no fun. "
Away from the 007 series, George - who was married to Chrissie Townson from 1973 until 1995 and then to Pam Shriver from 2002 until 2011 - was also known for his roles in 'Universal Soldier', 'Who Saw Her Die?' and ' The Man from Hong Kong'.
George was a model and had only acted in commercials when he was chosen to replace Sean Connery in the spy franchise but decided only to appear in one installment.
His career stalled in the late 1970s and he moved into business and invested in real estate continued to appear on screen in roles that parodied Bond, and appeared in TV shows such as 'General Hospital' and 'Rituals' before playing Mario in the television adaptations of the 'Emmanuelle' book series.
Having admitted that the Bond movie may have got him into Hollywood, he later explained that it "worth the 10 years it cost" him in terms of work, he recounted his time with the franchise as part of the 2017 documentary 'Becoming Bond'.
George's final screen appearances will come in the form the upcoming films 'Mundije' and 'Z Dead End', both of which are still in post-production.
His statement concluded:: "I would like to thank my manager and friend, Anders Frejdh, for helping me since 2013 - the best representative I ever had. I can now concentrate on spending more time with my family. I sincerely thank everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me. George xx"
