Who Is Considered The Best James Bond Ever?

The James Bond franchise is the longest-running of all movie franchises in history, with an awe-inspiring 25 films released. With such longevity, seven actors have played the iconic character to date. There is much speculation about who the next Bond will be played by, but that is a question the studio is not keen to answer just yet.

Everybody has an opinion about which actor played the Ian Fleming British spy the best. Many think of Bond as just a male chauvinist who travels worldwide fighting bad guys and women for Queen and country. But Bond is more complicated than that, and each iteration from the actors has shown a different side to the 007 secret service agent.

There is a consensus that the most accurate portrayal of Bond belongs to one of two actors. The top five actors to play Bond are constantly changing positions in the many polls but keep reading to find out which two actors continuously split the public and critic’s opinion on the best James Bond.

Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton played James Bond in only two movies, The Living Daylights and License To Kill. Both films had mediocre reviews and failed to win over audiences. The blame for underperforming films was the choice of Timothy Dalton as Bond for many. This is a bit unfair, and Dalton played the spy closer to Fleming’s vision in the books than anyone had previously. Unfortunately, audiences preferred the slightly camp version and stayed away from cinemas; maybe the world just wasn’t ready for a change of the Bond character.

Roger Moore

For a particular age group, Roger Moore is the ultimate James Bond. Starring in seven mixed-reviewed films, he certainly gave viewers a new take on the beloved hero. Moore made Bond more approachable and fun than Connery’s interpretation of the character. The productions of Live And Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun helped seal his reputation with fans of the movies. By making Bond more fun and camp, which many say is missing these days, Morse wowed a larger audience than previous Bonds.

Pierce Brosnan

When Pierce Brosnan was given the role of Bond in GoldenEye, he became the first actor to have read all the books and watched all the films. He was a natural choice for Bond, and after ten years without any real box office success for the franchise, everybody was excited about Brosnan donning the suave suit. Brosnan incorporated elements of Connery’s and Moore’s Bond to portray the spy. Bond was still going to casinos, chasing beautiful women, and drinking heavily. Still, Brosnan was the first to understand that Bond considered himself a bit of a Cold War relic, and his methods were outdated. When Brosnan’s James Bond retired, it was not hard to see him sitting at home brooding over a Martini while playing casino 777 blackjack and happy to let someone else save the world.

Daniel Craig

Many people feared the worst when the role was awarded to Craig, but it didn’t take long for them to change their opinion of him. The actor helped revolutionize the entire franchise by bringing the character truly into the modern age. Portraying Bond for 15 years and starring in 5 movies, he made Bond more grounded and yet still considered very dangerous, described by M as “a blunt instrument.”

A Bond who is smiling yet always seething underneath and filled with childhood rage who will stop at nothing to get the job done, even making the ultimate sacrifice.

Sean Connery

Connery played the first Bond on the silver screen in Dr.No, released in 1962. He was the studio’s first choice but allegedly not Ian Flemmings, believing he was not cultured enough to play the role. But the audiences loved his calm and assured yet still violent Bond. It seemed as though nothing could phase the character, and he seemed at home, whether killing an enemy or lighting a cigarette while drinking a Martini. Connery’s Bond displayed humor, playfulness, and cruelty, all in equal measure. All actors following Connery certainly took inspiration from his portrayal of James Bond.