Can you imagine Michael Jackson playing James Bond?
While fans can, the rest of the world was not ready to see this in the 80s!
According to famed celebrity agent Michael Ovitz, the late King of Pop pleaded with Hollywood bosses to let him play 007 back in the 1980s.
In his tell-all memoir, Who Is Michael Ovitz lifts the lid on his career and explains that the Thriller hit-maker revealed his desire to be ‘the star of an action movie’ during a meeting at his home.
The industry heavyweight said he and business partner Ron Meyer struggled to keep a straight face after Michael’s announcement and the situation was made even more comical when the music legend’s hat fell in a dish of guacamole.
He recalls that Michael continued his pitch despite a blob of guacamole sliding down his hat. Michael told them he wanted to be a super hero on the big screen. ‘Then the blob fell off, and Ron totally lost it. I cracked up, too, and Michael stalked out.
I found him and explained for 15 minutes that we hadn’t been laughing at him,’ Ovitz writes. ‘Finally, Michael’s face cleared. “OK, Ovitz. OK,” he said. “But I want to play James Bond.” I am proud to report I didn’t laugh, this time.’
Ovitz was then tasked with breaking it to the chart-topping pop star that he wasn’t suited to the role, which has been played by seven actors including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
He managed to fob him off by pointing out that he was ‘thinly built, you’re too sensitive, you won’t be credible as a brutal block of stone.’
While the story is completely believable as we all know Michael really wanted to be in movies, it is also sad to know the industry did not take him seriously. I could see it! It’s late 80s and we got the first Black James Bond… and it’s Michael Jackson! That would have been EPIC!
