Sam Worthington reveals he was a finalist for James Bond before Daniel Craig

Before Daniel Craig, Avatar star Sam Worthington was tipped to take on the coveted role – but says he blew the audition.

Sam Worthington. Picture: Jesse Grant/Getty Images

Sam Worthington could have been the iconic 007 if only he had nailed the audition.

In a recent interview with Variety, the Avatar star went into detail about how he had missed out on playing the legendary British Intelligence officer, James Bond.

After Pierce Brosnan finished his tenure as Bond, producers were looking for a younger actor, and, after the success of Avatar, Worthington was put on the list of finalists to play the role, Fox News reports.

The actor said the Bond suit ‘did not fit’. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

The British-born Aussie actor travelled to London for the audition, where he met with producer Barbara Broccoli, and asked to replicate a scene from the 1963 Bond film From Russia With Love, starring Sean Connery.

“I could play Bond as a killer, but I couldn’t get the debonair down for the life of me. The suit did not fit,” he said.

“I had no idea what I was doing.”

The role of Bond ultimately went to Daniel Craig. And although Worthington didn’t get the part, he said he learned a lot about what goes into creating, and sustaining, a successful franchise.

Daniel Craig went on to star in five Bond films. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

He compared his experience with Bond producers to working with James Cameron on Avatar, saying “they are so detailed and meticulous” about the material and will do anything to protect it.

He said the creators have ”done all the research,” and speaking specifically about Cameron said, “There’s nothing you can ask him that he doesn’t have an answer for.”

Avatar was first released in 2009 and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. It broke many box office records and went on to become the world’s highest-grossing film of all time, making $US2.789 billion ($A4.16 billion), surpassing Cameron’s other hugely successful film, Titanic, which made $US1.84 billion ($A2.74 billion).

Jake Sully and Neytiri in Avatar: Way of Water. Picture: 20th Century Studios

The success of the first film came with the promise of many sequels to come, the first of which, Avatar: The Way Of Water, premiered earlier this month. The film also stars Zoe Saldana, who reprised her role of Neytiri from the first movie, as well as Kate Winslet, Edie Falco and Stephen Lang.

In the sequel, Worthington’s Jake Sully has started a family with Neytiri but is forced to uproot them from their home in the jungle and move to the water tribes, when a new threat of war with the humans emerges. There, his family are forced to learn the way of the water tribe.

The third instalment of the franchise is expected to premiere in December 2024, and during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Worthington said that filming on part three and four has already begun.

Worthington with wife Lara at the world premiere of Avatar: The Way of Water. Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney

“We’ve filmed about 80 per cent, 90 per cent of three. We’re still owing some scenes,” he said.

“And in [the fourth movie], we did a few scenes, because the kids were ageing out, so we have to do it before they get a bit older.”

Cameron also confirmed that much of the third and some of the fourth films have already been filmed, telling Entertainment Weekly that he doesn’t want the actors to look obviously older than the children they are meant to be playing.

“Otherwise, you get – and I love Stranger Things – but you get the Stranger Things effect, where they’re supposed to still be in high school [but] they look like they’re 27,” Cameron said.

“You know, I love the show. It’s OK, we’ll suspend disbelief. We like the characters. But, you know.”

While it is unclear how many sequels there will be, during the same interview, producer Jon Landau explained that “each movie is going to introduce audiences to new clans, new cultures on Pandora” and those characters will continue to be “a part of the ongoing evolution” of the story.

This article originally appeared on Fox News and has been reproduced here with permission