Do you expect me to talk?': Dick Van Dyke says he turned down playing James Bond

"Now, the actor who has since apologised for the most atrocious cockney accent in the history of cinema as chimney sweep Bert in the Disney classic has revealed he was in the running to play another UK icon on screen: James Bond. Speaking on the Today TV programme in the US, Van Dyke, who turns 100 next month, said that Bond producer Albert Broccoli approached him to ask if he fancied the role of the British spy in his first big screen outing."

"In press since, Van Dyke has credited his notoriously inaccurate attempt in that film to an Irish dialect coach, while also suggesting that cast and crew, including the London-born Julie Andrews, should have flagged with him any shortcomings. Van Dyke continued by saying that he is still actively seeking acting work, saying: I don't want to [retire], I mean, it's my life. I love it."

For more than six decades Dick Van Dyke has faced criticism for his attempted British accent in Mary Poppins. He apologised for the cockney accent he used as chimney sweep Bert. Van Dyke revealed that producer Albert Broccoli approached him about playing James Bond before Sean Connery was cast, and Van Dyke declined because of concerns about his British accent. He attributed his Mary Poppins accent to an Irish dialect coach and said cast and crew, including Julie Andrews, should have flagged shortcomings. He continues to seek acting work, won multiple Emmys and a Tony, and is promoting a book titled 100 Rules for Living to 100.

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