United Kingdom, July 12 -- James Brolin came extremely close to playing James Bond.

The 84-year-old actor has reflected on how he was set to portray 007 in the 1983 film Octopussy after Sir Roger Moore vowed that he "would never do another" Bond movie before the late actor had a change of heart.

James told People: "He was out, so I flew over and I met all the people. And I got my apartment and I started working with the stuntmen and Cubby Broccoli hired me.

"We hadn't signed any papers yet. I got back to LA, to get my stuff because I was going to be gone for a year. And I got a call saying Roger decided to do one more, and I was out."

James recalled how the Bond opportunity came about at a point where he was trying to define himself a...