Before Daniel Craig got the part of James Bond in Casino Royale, many other actors were first considered. Recently, Doctor Who star David Tennant made the claim that he was up for that role as well. Henry Cavill also auditioned for the role but didn’t land the part as he was considered to be too young at the time.

Now, Outlander star Sam Heughan has weighed in on his near-casting as James Bond for that movie as well. Speaking about auditioning for Casino Royale in his new autobiography, Waypoints: My Scottish Journey, Heughan opens up on how it felt to miss out on the role. He also tells EW in a new interview that he now understands why he didn’t get cast, feeling he wasn’t quite ready yet to take on such a role, but still can’t help but wonder how different his life and career would be if he’d gotten the part.

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“It was quite an experience,” Heughan explains. “It was a stage in my life where I probably wasn’t ready for it, but I wonder what would have happened if I had got it.”

In a published excerpt from his memoir, Heughan adds, “Look, every British actor certainly has been talked about for the role. I would love to see a Scottish Bond. Maybe I’m too old now. I know that they’ve been talking about making him younger. I feel like that’s where they’re gonna go, but who knows what’s in their mind.”

Sam Heughan Says James Bond Inspired His Performance in SAS: Red Notice

     Sky Cinema

James Bond will need to find a new actor after Daniel Craig left the franchise, but Sam Heughan believes that the ship for his potential casting has sailed. But the actor has still let 007 inspire him in other ways, such as with his performance in last year’s SAS: Red Notice. Heughan also explained how he was specifically looking to pay tribute to Bond with that film. It’s not quite the same as playing Bond, but Heughan feels that it’s probably going to be the closest he’ll ever get.

Meanwhile, there may be more action to come from Heughan. The actor was recently reported to be up for the lead in Days Gone, a movie adaptation of the video game. He can also be seen in the upcoming movie It’s All Coming Back to Me as well as in his starring role in the Starz series Outlander.