Clive Owen admits he was never tapped for Bond role, praises Craig

Clive Owen has cleared up a little mystery about why he wasn't chosen to play James Bond, saying he was never offered the role in the first place - reports This Is Derby.

The 42-year-old was the bookies favourite to step into Pierce Brosnan's shoes as 007 right up until Daniel Craig was cast, and was said to have been approached by director Martin Campbell, reports the Daily Express.

But in an interview with GQ magazine, Clive revealed: "I didn't turn it down. I was never offered it. It was all hype. My wanting the role was never an issue. It was all spun. By whom I have no idea."

And Clive scoffed at suggestions that he would have made the perfect Bond because he has the right 'look'.

"That's ridiculous. That's where you get bad James Bonds if you cast a guy who looks right. You cast the best actor," he said.

The Children Of Men star insisted that he has no regrets over not doing the role, saying: "I've never been so happy with the work that I've been doing and I continue to be so."

Owen had only praise for Daniel Craig and the way he handled the media firestorm, saying "all the shit" Craig was given was unnecessary - and insists the actor was always more than capable of filling the iconic super spy role. He says, "They should have been celebrating the fact they gave the role to a proper actor and not a model. He swung it around big time."

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