When watching the James Bond movies in order, one witnesses an interesting portrait of what the tastes of the audience were like at the time of a given film's release. That much extends into the casting process as well, which is part of the story that saw Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill almost playing the role of 007 himself. Possessing a keen insight into the process himself, this “almost Bond” is suggesting his own choices for the role, with one of the candidates being a rather obscure choice at that.
Speaking with The Telegraph during an interview, the New Zealand acting legend once again revisited his reluctant James Bond audition. He summed up that moment in a crisply comic manner and would eventually drop a couple names for the job. It goes without saying that the first choice is an unconventional pick:
It was one rather excruciating moment in a long career but people keep asking me about the Bond thing. And I can only say I’m very glad I’m not an ex-Bond but I do have a couple of recommendations. [Rob Collins is] an indigenous actor, extremely handsome, and really good. He’d shake things up a bit.
Of the two names the star gave in his interview, Rob Collins is definitely more obscure to audiences at large. The indigenous Australian actor is best known for his roles in TV series like Cleverman and Total Control and really hasn’t landed a project that’s exported him to superstardom outside of his home country.
That being said, a nod from someone like Sam Neill is bound to be a hell of a boost, and could spike interest in Rob Collins’ body of work thus far. Not to mention with something as simple as a Daniel Craig Wimbeldon sighting boosting the odds of frequent competitor James Norton, the Neill/Collins connection might even put the Wrong Girlˆs star in the statistical spotlight sooner than later.
As for the other actor that was named in this interview, Jack Lowden was the more conventional choice that was put into play again. Lowden is definitely more of a well known name with audiences, thanks to films like Fighting With My Family and Benediction; as well as TV series like Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. CinemaBlend has even suggested Lowden for the 007 short list in the past so, while he’s a bit of a back bench competitor himself, Jack is a name we’ve seen pop up in betting odds roundups of the past.
Admittedly, the buzz surrounding the next James Bond will probably go on for a little longer than anticipated. While producer Barbara Broccoli previously stated that Bond 26 would start shooting in 2024, one has to wonder if the originally set plan will have to move due to the current SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike actions.
That gives anyone like Rob Collins a lot of room to become a potential frontrunner, as we’ve seen this sort of situation turn on a dime. Though if there's anything that would put Scottish actor Jack Lowden over his Australian competition, it'd be the fact that Collins is currently 44. Should previous reporting hold true, the search for a younger Commander Bond would rule him out, while the 33-year-old Lowden fits the potential age range rather nicely.
For now, it’s exciting to see Sam Neill throw his opinion into the ring, as both an acting legend and former Bond contender himself. This sort of news rarely comes at fans from the front, but more often from the sides, with competitors some people didn’t know were there. Thanks to Neill, Rob Collins could now technically be considered the velociraptor in the room, acting as a potential spoiler to the race ahead.
