Former James Bond star George Lazenby has announced he’s made the difficult decision to retire.
The Australian actor is best known for his performance as 007 in the film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, taking over the iconic role from the late Sean Connery.
Posting to X (formerly Twitter) in the early hours of Thursday morning, George shared: “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.”
The 84-year-old continued: “It’s been a fun ride but getting older is no fun.
“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.”
He concluded: “My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me.”
Prior to landing one of the most famous roles in cinema history, George actually had no big-screen experience, having previously only worked in the entertainment industry as a model.
After one Bond film, George made the decision not to return for follow-up Diamonds Are Forever, which saw Sean Connery returning to play the secret agent.
George’s additional performances included films like Universal Soldier, Who Saw Her Die?, The Man From Hong Kong and The Kentucky Fried Movie.
After largely moving away from acting, George was the subject of the 2017 docudrama Becoming Bond, which centred around his experiences with the franchise and how his decision not to reprise the role impacted his life and career.