Eastwood has no regrets over bond snub

Clint Eastwood has no regrets about turning down the role of James Bond, because he was convinced 007 should be played by a British actor.

The California-born star was approached by Bond bosses to play the superspy when Sean Connery quit the franchise, but he turned the role down.

And Eastwood insists he made the right decision - because he didn't want to see the iconic character portrayed by an American.

He says, "I thought James Bond should be British. I am of British descent but by that same token, I thought that it should be more of the culture there and also, it was not my thing."

Bond has been played by British stars including Connery and Roger Moore, as well as Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig - with the only exceptions being Australian George Lazenby and Irish actor Pierce Brosnan.