Any English actor (or anyone who can do a convincing British accent, really) has dreamt of playing Agent 007, and who could blame them? Suave, classy, well-dressed, and undeniably cool, James Bond is the very definition of a dream role. Through the years, a collection of talented actors has embodied Bond, and on this list, we’ll go over who played the MI6 agent with the most undeniably “007” appeal. Here are the actors who played James Bond the best.
10. Barry Nelson
As surprising as it might sound, the first Bond wasn’t British at all. The American Barry Nelson portrayed Ian Fleming’s iconic 007 in a made-for-TV anthology called Climax! And yes, James Bond was American in Nelson’s take.
9. David Niven
Niven was one of the first actors to play 007, with a twist. His take on Casino Royale was actually a spoof of the secret agent genre, in a plot that sees Bond sharing the 007 moniker with six other agents to fool a counter-intelligence agency.
8. Michael Jayston
Not every legendary Bond came from a movie. Michael Jayston played the secret agent in a 1990 BBC Radio drama, returning Bond to a more introspective character that was more in line with Fleming’s original character from the books.
7. George Lazenby
Lazenby only played Bond in one film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but his complex emotional depth has turned him into a niche favorite among Bond fans, especially those looking for a more grounded take on a veteran special agent.
6. Timothy Dalton
A performance that was truly ahead of its time, Dalton’s Bond is gritty and more serious than his contemporaries. That’s likely why Dalton made such an excellent villain in Hot Fuzz.
5. Roger Moore
The actor with most Bond films under his belt proved that Fleming’s character could also be a bit campy and still retain his unshaken persona. Moore achieved the perfect balance between comedy and action that still makes him a fan favorite to this day.
4. James Arnold Taylor
Taylor played two very different takes on Bond. He played Sean Connery and Daniel Craig’s 007 for the From Russia with Love and Quantum of Solace video game adaptations, nailing the tone of two completely different characters effortlessly.
3. Pierce Brosnan
Brosnan’s British charm was a perfect fit for James Bond. His tenure was a bit muddled by uneven scripts, but his performance in GoldenEye defined an entire generation of action flicks and secret agent archetypes.
2. Daniel Craig
From Casino Royale to No Time to Die, Daniel Craig took James Bond to new narrative heights by turning the character into a complex and layered person who goes well beyond the suave special agent we all know and love.
1. Sean Connery
The undeniable blueprint for any James Bond ever conceived, Connery’s rugged charm defines what the codename 007 truly means. He was the first Bond to ever order his martini “Shaken, not stirred,” and that alone turns him into a true icon of pop culture. Of all the actors who played James Bond, Sean Connery was the best!
