Based on Ian Fleming’s now-iconic secret agent, James Bond has been one of the most coveted and sought-after roles in Hollywood ever since the character’s debut in Dr. No over 60 years ago. Famously, Oscar-winning Scottish actor Sean Connery was the first to play the part on the big screen, setting the benchmark of what the character ought to be with his suave style and slick demeanor. The late Englishman Roger Moore re-worked 007 into a more comedic screen presence; Irishman Pierce Brosnan laced him with sex, sophistication, and wit; Englishman Daniel Craig completely re-invented him; while Australian George Lazenby and the British Timothy Dalton’s brief tenures in the part have retrospectively earned the deserved praise that eluded them upon release.

One thing that cannot be disputed – though it sadly often is – is that each of the six actors who have portrayed James Bond have ventured to distinctly new areas to make their iteration of the character uniquely their own. They have even done so with such impact that debate still rages as to who was truly the best Bond, with each actor being well represented in those discussions. Still, it's also undeniable that some actors fit the role of 007 better than others. The best James Bond actors find the perfect mix of allure, sophistication, and grit, embodying everything the spy with a license to kill on Her Majesty's Secret Service ought to be.

6 George Lazenby

Bond Tenure: 1969

Movie

Year of Release

'On Her Majesty's Secret Service

1969

James Bond (George Lazenby) leans back in a chair while wearing a fancy suit.
Image via United Artists

George Lazenby often places last on many people's rankings of James Bond actors. However, diehard fans of the sixth entry in the franchise, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, should think of this as Lazenby being the sixth best rather than the worst Bond. Despite appearing as 007 in just one movie, the Australian actor has garnered a cult supporter base for his portrayal of Bond, which remains as criminally underrated as the film he appeared in.

Succeeding Connery in the role was no easy task, but Lazenby found enough room in the script to flesh Bond out, making the spy his own through a soft, romantic touch and reserved dramatic weight. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - otherwise known as the film where Bond gets married - is often touted as the most somber in the franchise, thanks to the heavily emotional story and the late Dame Diana Rigg's memorable performance as Bond Girl Teressa di Vincenzo. On Her Majesty's Secret Service has found higher praise retrospectively, and Lazenby’s performance has aged like a fine wine as the most poignant and tragic Bond to have graced the screen.

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5 Roger Moore

Bond Tenure: 1973-1985

Movie

Year of Release

'Live and Let Die'

1973

'The Man with the Golden Gun'

1974

'The Spy Who Loved Me'

1977

'Moonraker'

1979

'For Your Eyes Only'

1981

'Octopussy'

1983

'A View to a Kill'

1985

When it comes to Eon-produced Bond movies, no actor has been as prolific in the James Bond role as Roger Moore. Portraying 007 times across 12 years, Roger Moore debuted in 1973’s Live and Let Die. The quality of his outings varied, but Moore remained consistently great in the role, to the point where few would dispute his standing as an immortal screen icon because of his achievements in the franchise.

While Lazenby was the first actor to play Bond after Connery made the part famous, it was Moore who proved that the franchise had a definite future beyond the Scotsman's celebrated portrayal. A distinct shift from Connery’s suave, smooth-talker, Moore’s Bond still boasted a sense of style but was also infused with a sarcastic wit, perfectly embodied by his tendency to raise a doubtful eyebrow upon villains and lovers alike. Many would argue he outstayed his welcome and that the franchise veered dangerously close to parody under his tenure; still, no one can dispute Moore's ability to bring fun and energy to the role of 007.

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4 Timothy Dalton

Bond Tenure: 1987-1989

Movie

Year of Release

'The Living Daylights'

1987

'License to Kill'

1989

Not dissimilar to George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton’s tenure as 007 has come to be viewed much more favorably in hindsight. While the actor was eager to appear in more Bond movies, he starred in just the two in the late 80s, The Living Daylights and License to Kill. Both films excelled in mixing the formulaic Bond plot with the decade’s taste for bombastic action while also giving Bond a hostile that Dalton beautifully embodied and which his predecessors sorely lacked.

As is frequently opined, Dalton presented a modernized idea of Bond long before audiences were ready to see it. The actor also excelled at hearkening back to the early eras of 007 when the opportunity arose. A daring Bond and a deftly balanced one as well, Dalton may not be the greatest 007 of all time, but he is by far the most underrated. Moreover, in many regards, Dalton's take on the spy is the most influential concerning how modern audiences perceive the character, laying the groundwork for the approach Craig and company would adopt in the new millennium.

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3 Pierce Brosnan

Bond Tenure: 1995-2002

Movie

Year of Release

'GoldenEye'

1995

'Tomorrow Never Dies'

1997

'The World Is Not Enough'

1999

'Die Another Day'

2002

Bond has always been slick, but Pierce Brosnan made 007 as cool as could be throughout his critically imbalanced, four-movie tenure as James Bond. Brosnan absolutely nailed the character’s balance of sophisticated charm, cheeky fun, and underlying danger to routinely appeal to fans as a dashing 007. This brilliant approach excelled as both a call back to old-fashioned suaveness and modernization for a new-age, post-Cold War era.

In many ways, Brosnan's Bond is the closest anyone has gotten to beating – or, at the very least matching – Connery’s portrayal, but he was far from a cheap copy of what had come before him. Alas, Brosnan's films indeed became increasingly ridiculous with each new entry, culminating in the wholly cartoonish and now widely derided Die Another Day. Still, Brosnan remained his movies' saving grace, fully embodying Bond’s mixture of fun, recklessness, and responsibility and staying a fantastic Bond actor in spite of his films rather than because of them.

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2 Daniel Craig

Bond Tenure: 2006-2021

Movie

Year of Release

'Casino Royale'

2006

'Quantum of Solace'

2008

'Skyfall'

2012

'Spectre'

2015

'No Time to Die'

2021

Daniel Craig's importance to James Bond's continued success is undeniable. Coming into the role at a time when action spy sagas like The Bourne Identity and the Mission: Impossible franchise were surpassing Bond, Craig also had the added pressure of audiences disliking the idea of a blond Bond and doubting his ability to do the role justice. The actor proved his detractors wrong, and fifteen years later, with 2021’s No Time to Die, he exited the franchise as the longest-serving and, in the eyes of many, most compelling Bond to have graced the screen.

Defined by his coarse edges, uncaring coldness, and combative nature, Craig’s Bond served as a radical modernization of the character and the franchise, which today’s audiences quickly embraced. Casino Royale and Skyfall stand tall among the greatest films the franchise has produced, largely thanks to Craig’s grounded, gritty rawness as well as his subtle nods to all the Bonds who came before him. Craig's take on James Bond effectively elevated the franchise to new heights of respect, turning it into a bonafide blockbuster worthy of competing in the big leagues and receiving recognition at the Academy Awards - something none of his predecessors managed to do.

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1 Sean Connery

Bond Tenure: 1962-1967, 1971

Movie

Year of Release

'Dr. No'

1962

'From Russia with Love'

1963

'Goldfinger'

1964

'Thunderball'

1965

'You Only Live Twice'

1967

'Diamonds Are Forever'

1971

Sometimes, the original really is the best. Sean Connery was the inaugural James Bond way back in 1962’s Dr. No, setting the gold standard of what 007 ought to be. A true icon of cinema, Connery made Bond famous with his effortlessly suave demeanor, slick composure under any set of circumstances, and more than a hint of his incomparable Scottish accent, helping create more than one famous line within the franchise; whenever someone thinks on the line, "Bond, James Bond," it's Connery's voice they hear.

Above all else, he ensured that Bond was always great fun. Even many of the elements of the early Bond films which haven’t aged quite so gracefully – from the unfiltered chauvinism to the stilted fight sequences – are imbued with a distinct of-the-time charm, thanks to Connery’s overwhelming charisma. James Connery is the best James Bond; his 007 helped pioneer the action spy-thriller, setting the foundation for what the enthralling blockbuster subgenre stands as today.

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NEXT: All 27 James Bond Movies Ranked Worst to Best, According to Rotten Tomatoes