James Bond star and movie legend announces he’s retired from acting at 84 saying ‘it hasn’t been an easy decision’
JAMES Bond star George Lazenby has announced he’s retired from acting at 84 years old.
Actor George made the announcement on Instagram yesterday, assuring fans it hadn’t been an easy decision while thanking his manager.
He wrote: “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. 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. My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the years. It has meant a lot to me. George xx.”
Last November, George suffered a head injury following a fall and was hospitalised.
The movie legend took a tumble at his home and was rushed to hospital for treatment and has been in a nursing home in California for the past few weeks.
The following month, his management team said the star was back at his Los Angeles home.
Anders Frejdh Management took to X, formerly Twitter, to update fans on his health.
They said: “I’m very happy to report our client George Lazenby has safely returned home.
“After an accidental fall at home in November leading to a head injury, he’s rehabilitated well thanks to the great team at Beverly West Healthcare for which I, his family and friends are grateful for.
“Not easy getting old but at 84, George has certainly demonstrated what a fighter he is. Love and only love.”
The Aussie actor played the suave, fictional spy in the 1969 movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, alongside Diana Rigg, who died aged 82 back in 2020.
The actress had battled cancer for six months before her passing, where she recorded a heartbreaking message pleaded for a law change surrounding assisted death.
Lazenby, a former model, had only appeared in adverts before being picked for the high-profile role, replacing Sean Connery.
While the picture topped the box office in the United States, grossing $1.2m in its first week, critics were not impressed with the film – or George’s performance.
“Creepy” and “explicit” remarks
He had been keeping a low profile after he was kicked off a music tour in 2023, having made a number of “creepy” and “explicit” remarks while being interviewed.
George had appeared on stage to be interviewed as part of a tour called The Music of James Bond, but upset members of the audience in Perth with his sexually explicit anecdotes.
He was then dropped from further performances of the tour.
An audience member told 6PR, an Australian radio station: “He spent all of the interview just talking basically about his sexual conquests, he was homophobic, he swore, he certainly wasn’t talking about his Bond movies, he downplayed The Queen, a day after she died.
“At one point he named an Australian cricketer whose daughter he was chasing and he said he dragged the daughter out of the pub and put her in the car in London, which is horrific… he named women he had slept with, and there were children in the audience, and a lot of families who had brought their kids probably to their first classical music concert.
“It was creepy, it was offensive… He was disgusting, there’s no two ways about it.”
Having been jeered off the stage, Lazenby said he was “saddened to hear” that his stories had caused and offence and he had only wanted to “entertain”.
He said in a statement: “I personally have friends within my close circle who are gay and I would never wish to offend anyone.
“Having been surrounded by strong women all my life, I have always admired and respected women and their wishes.
“It was never my intention to make hurtful or homophobic comments and I am truly sorry if my stories that I have shared many times were taken that way.”
