OHMSS gala featuring George Lazenby to be held in Oslo in September

PRESS RELEASE
George Lazenby - who played Ian Fleming's James Bond, 007, in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969) - is to visit Oslo on September 1st, 2016, exclusively for the event James Bond in Oslo.

Lazenby will fly direct from Los Angeles to attend the Red Carpet Gala of the newly restored Bond classic 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', showing in digital 4K.

Lazenby will talk about his exciting and remarkable life, and present the new documentary 'This Never Happened to the Other Fella' ( 2016 ), detailing his experience filming 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'.

This historic visit marks Lazenby’s first trip to Norway, and also the first time a former 007 has visited Oslo.

"I’m looking forward to visiting Norway for this very special event. I worked with Norwegian actress Julie Ege on the film, and it will be interesting to present this restored version of 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' to a Norwegian audience," said George Lazenby in a statement.

"More people have walked on the moon than played Bond. It says something about how unique this iconic role is. We are very happy that George Lazenby has chosen to come to Norway,' says Morten Steingrimsen who, along with partners Odd Kalsnes and Øyvind Asbjørnsen, has organised the event.

THE BEST BOND

'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' was Lazenby’s debut film and premiered December 18, 1969. Lazenby beat off strong competition from hundreds of other actors, to land the role of agent 007 after Sean Connery had left the role. Lazenby impressed the producers with his combination of style, good looks, and a powerful punch to a stuntman's nose!

The film was met with mixed reviews, but has since then gained cult status and is regarded by many Bond fans as the best in the series. Indeed, over the last few years, acclaimed directors such as Steven Soderbergh, Sam Mendes, Christopher Nolan, and Nicolas Winding Refn have cited it as the greatest and most influential of all the Bond films. Recently, Winding Refn admitted that this was his favorite Bond film and described it as "one of the best directed action movies I've ever seen".

LIFE AFTER BOND

Contrary to rumors, Lazenby was never fired after 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'; in fact, the Bond producers offered him a seven-film contract. But Lazenby was advised that a change was on the wind and that the hippie era - with its message of peace and love - would soon replace the more conservative, violent world Bond inhabited, and that films like 'Easy Rider' were the future. After much consideration, and to everyone's surprise, he told the producers that he would be stepping down from the role of Bond. In light of the phenomenal success of the Bond films, Lazenby has since expressed his regret at his decision to turn down the role.

After Bond, Lazenby went on to utilize his impressive martial arts skills (Lazenby was a student of the legendary Bruce Lee) in 'The Man from Hong Kong' (1975). Later in his career, Lazenby took several roles that played on his Bond persona, including his turn in 'The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.' (1983), where he played a character named JB, driving a gadget-laden Aston Martin. To this day, Lazenby remains active as actor.

"With the Red Carpet Gala on September 1st, we wish to honor George Lazenby and 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', one of the best action films in cinematic history. Lazenby's performance as agent 007 was perhaps more nuanced than people appreciate, and he portrayed a Bond who is not only elegant and energetic, but also emotional and vulnerable. Lazenby was actually nominated for a Golden Globe for New Star Of The Year for his performance," says Steingrimsen.

ORIGINAL BOND TAILOR ANTHONY SINCLAIR DINNER JACKET

The organizers promise an exclusive and extraordinary celebration.

"Several special guests and iconic Bond girls will attend the Gala - we will announce the names shortly. We have also managed to arrange for classic British tailor Anthony Sinclair (a suit of whose helped win Lazenby the role) to tailor a bespoke dinner jacket for George Lazenby. Additionally, we are extremely fortunate that the acclaimed Norwegian DJ, Marianne Jemtegård, will provide the music at the event, in true Bond style. The event is truly international; Bond fans from Brasil, Sweden, the UK, the US, and many other countries, are traveling to Norway to attend the celebration," concludes Steingrimsen.

The spectacular Red Carpet Gala will take place at Vika Kino September 1.

The event organizers Morten Stiengrimsen, Odd Kalsnes, and Øyvind Asbjørnsen, would like to stress that this is a non-profit event and is made possible thanks to its partners, including PrivatMegleren, Autoxo, Dreamline og Schilthorn Cableway.

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