Thirty years after his rocky onetime outing as James Bond in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service—and five years after the tragic death of his son and the failure of his 24-year marriage—Lazenby's life may be more tranquil, but it is still dynamic. When he's not golfing or tinkering with his tractor, he roars around his property on his four-wheeler or one of his three motorcycles. "There are a lot of 60-year-olds waiting to collect Social Security," says longtime friend Tom Hynes. "That ain't George. He's a very active guy."
That vitality, plus a healthy dose of chutzpah, helped Lazenby bluff his way into replacing departing 007 Sean Connery. Then a model in England, he told the Secret Service casting director that he was an actor, ski instructor and judo expert—all whoppers. Lazenby weathered the nine-month shoot, performing all his own stunts, but promptly began "enjoying the heck out of" his spot on the A-list. "Those people know how to live," says the actor, whose life became a blur of glitzy parties, Ferraris and round-the-clock VIP treatment. "It blew me away."
But Secret Service didn't deliver at the box office, and its star received disappointing reviews. Lazenby's handlers advised him to say no to a multipicture 007 deal. "He made a serious mistake," says pal Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in 14 Bond movies. "He was so full of himself that he didn't realize what was happening." Agrees Lazenby: "It was a dumb thing to do."
Un-Bonded, he never regained his footing in Hollywood. Personally, his life was even more traumatic. In 1985, his son, Zack, then 11, developed brain cancer and died in 1994; Lazenby's marriage to Zack's mother, Christina, 47, a home-maker, dissolved that same year. (Lazenby also has two daughters: Melanie, 26, a student in Paris, with Christina; and Jennifer, 39, a dance instructor in Perth, Australia, from a previous relationship.) "Zack's bravery was just phenomenal," Lazenby says, sobbing. "Whenever I have a problem, I think about him, and mine doesn't mean anything."
Lazenby's own early years were remarkably problem-free. Raised in rural Goulburn, Australia, the oldest child of George, a butcher who died in 1976, and Joan, 79, a clothing store assistant, Lazenby moved to London at 24. He was working as a car salesman when a customer, a photographer, tapped him to model. When cast as Bond, he was just 29, the youngest 007 ever. (Of his fellow Bonds, Lazenby likes Connery's performances best: "The other guys weren't as physical.")
Lazenby, who admits he hasn't seen the newest Bond film, The World Is Not Enough, has snared few acting roles in recent years beyond a recurring part last season on NBC's The Pretender. "He's got thick skin," says Melanie. "He just goes back and keeps trying."
Though Lazenby (who is single but would "love to have a girlfriend") regrets turning his back on 007, he says it has forever changed him. "It made me look at life from another perspective," he says. "I'm no longer curious about fame. I've had that, done that, been there."
Jason Lynch
Kelly Carter in Valyermo
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