Where are they now - John Gavin? The James Bond that never was

John Gavin, who was once signed to play James Bond before Sean Connery ultimately returned for "Diamonds Are Forever" was the subject of a Q&A on Ohio.com this week:

Q: George, on several occasions I have had the pleasure of watching Tammy movies, and in "Tammy and the Professor,'' Sandra Dee and John Gavin play the main roles. I have often wondered about John Gavin because I have not seen him in many movies during that time. Is he still living? -- Cindy McCoy, Hardy, Va.

A: Yes, Cindy, John Gavin is still living and from what I can see he enjoyed a very prestigious and likely lucrative career after he quit acting. For the record, he and Dee starred in two films together -- Tammy Tell Me True and Romanoff and Juliet, a reworking of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Gavin also had roles in Imitation of Life and Psycho. He worked in the business through the '70s and was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1971-73, according to a June 2003 article in Biography Magazine.

The height of his acting career may have been for a role that he never got to portray -- he was selected to be James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. Unfortunately for him, the film's producers coaxed Sean Connery into returning to the part for another go-around. He eventually had a very successful business career and sits on the board of directors of several corporations.

Gavin's mother was Mexican, and he speaks fluent Spanish. Professionally, one of his most prestigious accomplishments was being appointed by Ronald Reagan to be ambassador to Mexico from from 1981 to '86. He is married and resides in Los Angeles.

Thanks to `Kyvan` for the alert.

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