Sir Michael Gambon, who is about to play Winston Churchill, says he is still happy that he turned down the role of another world famous Englishman: James Bond.

The 75-year-old actor, who will play the former British Prime Minister in the desperate period after a severe stroke in 1953 in the ITV drama Churchill's Secret, is famous for his character roles, including Philip E Marlowe in Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective and Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies.

But he was also asked to audition for the role of 007 agent Bond.