As the search for our next 007 continues, fans are on the edge of their seats to learn who Daniel Craig will pass the mantle to after his 17 years in the role. Possible contenders for the role have included Idris Elba, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Golding, and even Lashana Lynch as Hollywood sways toward the prospect of a female Bond.
The first James Bond title, Dr. No, released in 1962, while the latest, No Time To Die, came out in 2021. That marks over 60 years of Bond on our screens, so as we near the latest installment in the franchise adapted from novels by Ian Fleming, let’s return to the character’s roots and honor all the actors who’ve obtained a licence to kill.
Sean Connery (1962-1967, 1971, and 1983)
Sean Connery was the first actor to ever portray James Bond and a lot of fans still consider him the best of them all. He played Bond for the first five films, then returned after skipping the sixth. These films were Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), and Diamonds are Forever (1971).
Connery made his final appearance as Bond in Never Say Never Again, a 1983 remake of Thunderball, produced by Jack Schwartzman’s Taliafilm. Originally, James Bond creator Ian Fleming wasn’t sold on the idea of Connery as Bond. He said, “He’s not what I envisioned of James Bond looks,” and “I’m looking for Commander Bond and not an overgrown stunt-man.”
David Niven (1967)
Not many people really recognize Niven as Bond. He’s certainly one of the lesser-known names compared to the likes of Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan, but that doesn’t mean his turn as Bond was necessarily bad. It was just forgettable in the long run as Niven only portrayed the character for one singular film, which was the original Casino Royale (1967).
Although, even Casino Royale isn’t considered a Bond property as it wasn’t produced by EON Productions, which is posibly why they remade it with Daniel Craig decades later. Fleming favored Niven’s Bond over that of Connery, picturing 007 as a homely man who’d settled down with a child.
George Lazenby (1969)
Unfortunately, like Niven, George Lazenby was another forgettable Bond in the sea of talented actors, but that’s not to discredit his performance by any means. After Connery decided to retire from playing Bond, Lazenby took over for one outing in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
Lazenby only portrayed Bond once because his agent talked him out of it after suggesting that spy films were going out of style. For that reason, he didn’t commit to the franchise unlike many of the other Bonds; Lazenby’s tenure as Bond is the shortest among all the respective actors. In a 2017 docudrama on Hulu called Becoming Bond, Lazenby recalled his time as 007.
Roger Moore (1973-1985)
In contrast to Lazenby portraying Bond in the least amount of movies, Roger Moore embodied the character in the most, appearing in six overall. Moore was initially cast in Live and Let Die (1973), then went on to return for five more movies in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985).
Moore’s Bond is considered more light-hearted than the others, making him the most elegant Bond of them all. Although Ian Fleming died before he could see Moore’s portrayal, we’ll assume — based on his requirements for the role — that Moore would be his favorite. Besides portraying Bond, Moore is known as Simon Templar in the British mystery thriller series The Saint.
Timothy Dalton (1987-1989)
Likewise with Lazenby, Timothy Dalton’s run as Bond was also cut short. He appeared in two movies, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, which are generally lesser-known titles than some of the earlier works. Dalton took over following Moore’s retirement, bringing a more serious tone back to 007 in line with the novels.
Originally, Dalton was set to appear in a third movie, but a legal dispute regarding the Bond catalogue pushed it back several years and by that time Dalton’s contract had expired. Interestingly, Dalton has also portrayed two major characters in his stage career, those being Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth in Macbeth.
Pierce Brosnan (1995-2002)
In 1995, Brosnan made his debut as Bond in GoldenEye and proceeded the portray 007 for Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). There’s a common misconception that Brosnan appeared in the most Bond movies, possibly because he’s one of the most prominent names in the franchise.
He also portrayed Bond during the generational gap between the ’90s and the 2000s, which is arguably when the franchise was at its peak. Said to be a perfect blend of Connery and Moore’s portrayals, Brosnan was set to appear in a fifth film, but contract talks stalled and he eventually resigned from Bond in 2004.
Daniel Craig (2006-2021)
Our most recent Bond, Daniel Craig, debuted in the remake of Casino Royale in 2006, starring alongside Eva Green. Craig developed a grittier portrayal of Bond that was a complete deviation from his predecessors, but all of his Bond movies have received commercial and critical acclaim.
Craig’s Bond sang his swan song in 2021’s No Time To Die, where the character dies in that timeline to be reinvented in future installments by one of the actors mentioned in the intro (or someone completely different). Regardless of one’s preference for Bond actors, Craig’s portrayal is considered one of the best.