While Alain Delon had the privilege of starring in dozens of cinematic masterpieces like The Guépard, Purple Noon, and Le Samouraï, he also declined several iconic films and memorable roles. However, he never regretted t

While Alain Delon had the privilege of starring in dozens of cinematic masterpieces like "Le Guépart" , "Plein Soleil", and "Le Samourai", he also declined several iconic films and memorable roles. However, he never regretted these decisions.

In the late 1970s, while Alain Delon was filming "Le Toubib" with Véronique Jannot at the Boulogne Studios, Albert Broccoli, the producer of the James Bond franchise, offered him the chance to play the famous British spy.

"They were shooting an entire James Bond film in the other half of the studios we weren’t using," recounted "Le toubib" producer Alain Terzian on RTL in 2018. "And Broccoli had offered, when Sean Connery threw in the towel, to have Delon take over!"

However, Alain Delon, who liked to have control over his projects, refused the offer. "Honestly, I deeply regretted that he didn’t play the role of James Bond after Sean Connery," said Alain Terzian.

According to the producer, Alain Delon also turned down a role in Steven Spielberg’s "Close encounter of the third kind". When contacted by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci for "Last tango in Paris", Delon suggested that Bertolucci cast Marlon Brando instead, according to Alain Terzian.

Another legend suggests that Alain Delon declined the role of Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish in "Lawrence of Arabia", which was eventually played by Omar Sharif. As the story goes, the actor turned down the role simply because he didn’t want to hide his blue eyes behind contact lenses.

Ignored by Maurice Pialat, François Truffaut, and Alain Resnais, Alain Delon also had a missed opportunity with Claude Sautet. In 1970, he refused to appear in the crime thriller "Max et les ferrailleurs", leaving the role to Michel Piccoli.

Alain Delon also turned down numerous roles in Hollywood. Unconvinced by Francis Ford Coppola’s choice of Al Pacino for "The Godfather", producer Robert Evans considered Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, and Alain Delon, who was a close friend. But the idea was quickly dropped.

And there's more. According to BFMTV, Alain Delon also turned down the role of Louis XV in Sofia Coppola’s "Marie Antoinette". "He didn’t think it was a good idea for an American to tell a French story," Sofia Coppola revealed to Metro in 2006.

Around the same time, Alain Delon also refused to appear in Jean-François Richet’s two-part film "Mesrine". He was supposed to play Guido, a criminal who takes Mesrine under his wing. The role eventually went to Gérard Depardieu.

In the late 2000s, Alain Delon was contacted by Hong Kong director Johnnie To to star in "Vengeance", a crime thriller that paid homage to "Le Samourai". Delon accepted the role but withdrew before filming began. He was replaced by Johnny Hallyday. The film, screened at Cannes in 2009, is now considered one of the singer’s best roles in cinema.

Although Alain Delon reduced his on-screen appearances later in life, he still dreamed of working with Juliette Binoche under the direction of Patrice Leconte and collaborating with female directors like Maïwenn and Lisa Azuelos.