[Update May 5th, 2020] This great list of James Bond actors has finally returned to its original home at AllYouNeedIsLists.com and updated with some new information, including No Time To Die.
It’s already been about 16 months since the List Of All James Bond Movies. So here’s an awesome follow-up with all the actors who played 007, along with some fun facts and basic information.
Update: By popular demand, the first two on this list are non-Eon-produced James Bond actors
So, without further ado, here’s the list of all James Bond actors from the 1950s until today, with details about 007 Actors Barry Nelson, David Niven, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and of course Daniel Craig!
Table of contents
Barry Nelson
- Date of birth: April 16, 1917
- Place of birth: San Fransisco, California
- Birth name: Robert Haakon Nielsen
- Fun fact: The very first actor to depict Ian Fleming’s James Bond character, 8 years before the first “official” EON production with Sean Connery
- Times he played 007: 1 time
Barry Nelson’s James Bond movies:
1. Climax! Series: Casino Royale
- Release: 1954
- His age at release: 37
- Salary: ? (anyone knows?)
- Fun fact: Producer Gregory Ratoff paid $1,000 to Ian Fleming to get the rights for a series episode about James Bond.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
David Niven
- Date of birth: March 1, 1910
- Place of birth: London, UK
- Birth name: James David Graham Niven
- Died: July 29th, 1983 (73) from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
- Fun fact: Niven was in the army in World War II, joined the Commandos and later acted in official war movies by the Army Film Unit
- Times he played 007: 1 time
David Niven’s James Bond movies:
1. Casino Royale (.. is too much for one James Bond)
- Release: 1967
- His age at release: 57
- Salary: ? (anyone knows?)
- Fun fact: Niven is co-starred in Casino Royale by Peter Selles and Woody Allen
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
Sean Connery
- Date of birth: August 25, 1930
- Place of birth: Fountainbridge, Scotland
- Birth name: Thomas Sean Connery
- Died: October 31st, 2020 (90)
- Fun fact: Started losing his hair at 21, wears a toupee in all the James Bond movies.
- Times he played 007: 7 times
Sean Connery’s James Bond movies:
1. James Bond: Dr. No
- Release: 1962
- His age at release: 32
- Salary: $100,000
- Fun fact: Fortunately this was the only movie in which James Bond sung.. (“Under The Mango Tree”)
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
2. James Bond: From Russia With Love
- Release: 1963
- His age at release: 33
- Salary: $250,000
- Fun fact: Sean Connery received eight specially tailored Saville Row suits for this movie, $2,000 each.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
3. James Bond: Goldfinger
- Release: 1964
- His age at release: 34
- Salary: $500,000
- Fun fact: Sean Connery never traveled to the United States to film this movie. Every scene in which he appears to be in the USA was filmed in Pinewood Studios outside London. This explains why Bond flips a light switch down to discover the golden corpse of Jill, as English light switches are generally turned on by flicking them down instead of up (source: IMDB)
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
4. James Bond: Thunderball
- Release: 1965
- His age at release: 35
- Salary: $600,000
- Fun fact: Thunderball is Sean Connery’s personal favorite movie in his role as agent 007.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
5. James Bond: You Only Live Twice
- Release: 1967
- His age at release: 36
- Salary: $1,000,000
- Fun fact: After the film wrapped, Connery was reportedly asked whether he found Japanese women attractive to which he allegedly replied, “No,” causing many Japanese to call him bad names. (source: IMDB)
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
6. James Bond: Diamonds Are Forever
- Release: 1971
- His age at release: 41
- Salary: $1,250,000
- Fun fact: This is the first and one of the few titles in which James Bond has sex with only one woman in the entire movie.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
7. James Bond: Never Say Never Again
(unofficial 007 title, see info in List Of James Bond Movies post)
- Release: 1983
- His age at release: 53
- Salary: $5,000,000
- Fun fact: A young Steven Seagal was the martial arts instructor for this film. He broke Sean Connery’s wrist during training. (source: IMDB)
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
George Lazenby
- Date of birth: September 5th, 1939
- Place of birth: Goulburn, Australia
- Birth name: George Robert Lazenby
- Fun fact: Having done only one James Bond movie, George became actually a metaphor for something forgettable: “It was a mistake, like casting George Lazenby as 007”. On the other hand, Lazenby was offered a contract for 7 James Bond movies, but was convinced by his agent to quit because secret agent movies wouldn’t stay popular.
- Times he played 007: 1 time
George Lazenby’s 007 movies:
1. James Bond: On Her Majesty’s Service
- Release: 1969
- George Lazenby’s age at release: 30
- Salary: £50,000
- Fun fact: In the original take of the final scene featuring Tracy’s death, George Lazenby came to tears. Director Peter R. Hunt then made them shoot the scene again because he said that, “Bond does not cry.” (source: IMDB)
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
Roger Moore
- Date of birth: October 14, 1927
- Place of birth: Stockwell, UK
- Birth name: Roger George Moore
- Died: May 23rd, 2017. He died at home from prostate cancer, in presence of his family.
- Fun fact: In all of seven James Bond appearances, Roger Moore never ordered a vodka martini “shaken, not stirred”
- Times he played 007: 7 times
Roger Moore’s 007 movies:
1. James Bond: Live and Let Die
- Release: 1973
- His age at release: 46
- Salary: $1,000,000
- Fun fact: Sean Connery turned down the then astronomical sum of $5.5 million to play James Bond. Connery gave Roger Moore his personal seal of approval for inheriting his role, calling him “an ideal Bond”. (source: IMDB)
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray
2. James Bond: The Man with the Golden Gun
- Release: 1974
- His age at release: 47
- Salary: $1,000,000
- Fun fact: One of the lowest-grossing Bond films. That fact, combined with behind-the-scenes problems, nearly made this the final Bond film, and delayed production of The Spy Who Loved Me. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray
3. James Bond: The Spy who Loved Me
- Release: 1977
- His age at release: 49
- Salary: $1,000,000
- Fun fact: The movie received Three Academy Award Nominations – the most ever received by a James Bond movie to date. These were for Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, Best Score, and Best Song – “Nobody Does It Better”. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray
4. James Bond: Moonraker
- Release: 1979
- His age at release: 51
- Salary: $4,000,000
- Fun fact: To build the gigantic three level Space Station set interiors at France’s Epinay Studios, the production utilized two tons of nails, one hundred tons of metal, two hundred and twenty technicians and ten thousand feet of set construction woodwork. –IDMB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray
5. James Bond: For Your Eyes Only
- Release: 1981
- His age at release: 53
- Salary: $4,600,000
- Fun fact: Director John Glen estimated that every foot of film shot during the attempted drowning of Melina and Bond by Kristatos cost about £ 2,700 UK pounds. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray
6. James Bond: Octopussy
- Release: 1983
- His age at release: 55
- Salary: $5,200,000
- Fun fact: A hand with a pair of eights in the card game Texas Hold ‘Em Poker is called an “Octopussy”. This same hand is shown during one of the card games in Casino Royale (2006).
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray
7. James Bond: A View to a Kill
- Release: 1985
- His age at release: 57
- Salary: $7,500,000
- Fun fact: When Grace Jones as May Day screams during the mine sequence when sparks fly around her, her screams are for real. She did not know that electric cables around her would go off as a special effect for the scene. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
Timothy Dalton
- Date of birth: March 21st, 1946
- Place of birth: Colwyn Bay, Wales, UK
- Birth name: Timothy Dalton
- Fun fact: Timothy Dalton is said to have best portrayed James Bond the way Ian Fleming intended in the novels. This is because of his more serious and “darker” acting style.
- Times he played 007: 2 times
Timothy Dalton’s Jamesa Bond movies:
1. James Bond: The Living Daylights
- Release: 1987
- His age at release: 41
- Salary: $3,000,000
- Fun fact: The literal translations of some of The Living Daylights (1987)’s foreign language titles include “Spies Die At Dawn” (Denmark); “007: High Tension” (Spain); “Death Is Not A Game” (France); “Icecold Mission” (Sweden); “His Name Is Danger” (Chile); “Breeze Of Death” (West Germany) and “007 In The Dangerous Zone” (Hebrew). –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
2. James Bond: Licence To Kill
- Release: 1989
- His age at release: 43
- Salary: $5,000,000
- Fun fact: Despite being one of the least commercially successful Bond movies in the United States, it was considered by director John Glen his best “007”. This opinion is shared by some fans and critics who praise the realism. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
Pierce Brosnan
- Date of birth: May 16h, 1953
- Place of birth: Drogheda, Ireland
- Birth name: Pierce Brendan Brosnan
- Fun fact: Brosnan was chosen as most beautiful or sexy man alive multiple times.
- Times he played 007: 4 times
Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond movies:
1. James Bond: Goldeneye
- Release: 1995
- His age at release: 42
- Salary: $1,200,000
- Fun fact: The first of the James Bond films ever to be released on DVD.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
2. James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies
- Release: 1997
- His age at release: 44
- Salary: $8,200,000
- Fun fact: 15 BMW 750’s were destroyed in the making of the film.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
3. James Bond: The World Is Not Enough
- Release: 1999
- His age at release: 46
- Salary: $12,400,000
- Fun fact: The destruction of Valentin’s factory operations took approximately 5 months to complete.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
4. James Bond: Die Another Day
- Release: 2002
- His age at release: 49
- Salary: $16,500,000
- Fun fact: Both the Aston Martin and the Jaguar were completely stripped of engine and running gear. These were replaced by the Ford V8, 4WD kit and 4spd Auto ‘box from Ford’s Explorer. This was to help them perform on ice. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
Daniel Craig
- Date of birth: March 2nd, 1968
- Place of birth: Chester, England, UK
- Birth name: Daniel Wroughton Craig
- Fun fact: He is the first Bond actor to have been born after the Bond series began.
- Times he played 007: three times, but Craig signed for a total of 5 Bond movies
Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies:
1. James Bond: Casino Royale
- Release: 2006
- His age at release: 38
- Salary: $3,200,000
- Fun fact: Most of the cars seen in the movie are made by Ford Motor Company. In the scene where Bond acts as a valet the cars in the parking lot are Land Rovers, Volvos, Jaguars and other Ford Motor Company’s cars. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
2. James Bond: Quantum of Solace
- Release: 2008
- His age at release: 40
- Salary: $7,300,000
- Fun fact: The film shoot used 200,000 rounds of blank bullets which were used for training, testing and filming. –IMDB.com
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
3. James Bond: Skyfall
- Release: November 2012
- His age at release: 44
- Salary: $ 17,100,000
- Fun fact: The remaining available Ian Fleming titles are “The Property of a Lady”, “The Hildebrand Rarity”, “Risico” and “007 in New York” (aka “Agent 007 in New York”), but the rumored titles were “Red Shadow” and “Red Sky at Morning”. The actual title “Skyfall” was announced early November 2011.
IMDB link | Buy on DVD/Blu-Ray | Watch online
4. James Bond: Spectre
- Release: 2015
- His age at release: 47
- Salary: $39,000,000
- Fun fact: The remaining available Ian Fleming book titles are “The Property of a Lady”, “The Hildebrand Rarity”, “Risico” and “007 in New York” (aka “Agent 007 in New York”)
IMDB link | Buy on Blu-ray | Watch online
5. James Bond: No Time To Die
- Release: Expected November 2020, original release was planned early 2020, but was postponed due to COVID-19
- His age at release: 52
- Salary: $25,000,000 (obviously, post-release income not counted yet)
- Fun fact: Cary Joji Fukunaga is the first American to direct a James Bond movie.
Conclusion
There have been quite a few James Bond actors to date and it’s hard to really tell which actor is the best James Bond of all time as there’s no accounting for taste. It’s also not entirely fair to simply look at actors’ salaries or James Bond movie gross worldwide earnings as times are always changing and what’s worth $1 million for Dr. No in 1962 could be worth $100 million for No Time To Die in 2020. Choosing the best James Bond actor will always be a matter of taste.
So who is your favorite James Bond actor?
And, perhaps more importantly, who do you think should be the next James Bond actor? My money is on Michael Fassbender, but maybe that’s just because I have a man-crush on him since the latest Alien movies. Although, Benedict Cumberbatch might also act the part in a James Bond suit and a Walther PPK in hand. Who knows?
Share your opinion in the comments below!
Boy, I can’t understand what people like in this new Bond films with Daniel Craig. He is pathetic, not funny, not charming and have no extraordinary toys (which to my understanding were integral part of this character).
In Skyfall he is an old, weak depressed man…what a pity.
Matter of taste I guess. Craig is my favorite. I just wish all the Bond films he has done were as good as Casino Royale which IMO is the best Bond film to date. They need to finally make them with an R rating and make them the way they should be 🙂
Thanks for the list mate…!!!
Sean Connery is the best. All others are good EXCEPT! Daniel Craig he is the worst of all James Bond character Movies.
cool
criss cuervo the best
hi sean conerey
I’m sure it’s Devil May Care, not Devil May Cry. Since when does James Bond have white hair and run around with a great big sword and a red coat? ^ ^
good find, stupid typo, must have had my mind elsewhere 🙂
Thanks!
Great lists, love the polls and results.
Well done,
D~
Thanks for stopping by! Who did you vote for as best Bond actor?
Did you already vote for your favorite flagship burger? http://allyouneedislists.com/lifestyle/list-major-fast-food-chain-flagship-burgers/
Of the many actors who portrayed James Bond you have to admit that Sean Connery is the master. With his dry quips after beating a villain, the way he presents himself onscreen and his accent, he is the tops. Second would be Daniel Craig, who after a long search by the movie industry to find a replacement found him.
Hi Paul, thanks for stopping by. I have to agree with you! Sean Connery really is the best, but Daniel Craig is the best choice today!
I love james bond movies
We were all young and comparatively naive at the outset yet Sean Connery, with his dark, menacing, sophisticated characterization of Bond will always be tops….leaving me both shaken and stirred. Wonderfully hairy fellow, to boot! Roger Moore was too comic. Timothy Dalton will always be the queer French royal from the Lion in Winter. Pierce Brosnan’s vocal patterns are too affected and he mispronounces “nuclear”. George Lazenby has no forehead and Daniel Craig is great but blonde!
In the David Niven spoof of CASINO ROYALE, Woody Allen also played a second James Bond, called Jimmy Bond… so there are really 9, not 8 Bonds.
Connery > Brosnan > Lazenby > Dalton > Moore > Niven > Nelson > Daylight > Craig
Connery was unquestionably the best, despite the first “official” EON production coming 8 years after the CBS-TV version with Barry Nelson in the role. The Scot set a standard that the others could only hope to live up to, and only Brosnan got close. Lazenby was a little too laid back for the part, Dalton not laid back enough, Moore too old (by the time he did A View to a Kill he was MUCH too old), Niven only played the role in a spoof so did it intentionally for laughs. Craig’s portrayal is wooden, while Bond is 007, licensed to kill, Craig is 006, unlicensed to act. All of his Bond movies have been about special effects rather than about the character.
RIP Roger Moore
Originally James Bond started as a comedy until Sean Connery came along. Watching the Bond movies evolve through the years is the greatest thing. Daniel Craig put the suspense into this franchise. Sean Connery made it a guys dream to be Bond. Roger Moore had the girls. Timothy Dalton is the lead up to where Daniel Craig takes over.
I laughed out loud at Slartibartfast’s comment: “… while Bond is 007, licensed to kill, Craig is 006, unlicensed to act.” (Sean Connery IS James Bond!)
As a person familiar with the Bond franchise but never really delved into it. I’m only familiar with Roger Moore and Sean Connery. But Moore was who I grew up with. My later brother and I used to watch the late Saturday night runs of James Bond. We’d take turns playing Bond or Jaws. But when I started seeing Connery, he kind of bored me. But then again I never really knew what Connery’s finesse was. Seeing all the new Bonds that would come after Moore I never knew there were 2 more that existed before Connery. I only learned of Lazenby this years. And of course I will admit Daniel Craig seems to be the best pick for the Bond franchise of today. I’ll have to revisit some of the Moore Bond movies. I’ll miss him for what little I knew of him. It seems he and Sean were probably the most influential Bonds to come about. RIP Roger Moore. We won’t ever forget the legacy you left in the Bond franchise.
Any fool who says George Lazenby was “forgettable” as James Bond, is an idiot whose never seen On Her Majesty’s Secret Service! The FACT is, he was VERY much praised for his performance when it came out, hence him being offered a contract to do 6 more and a million dollars. People got pissed at him for not doing it and debased him and tried to rewrite history, but all you have to do is see it, and learn the facts to know what a real treat he was as Bond! I had the pleasure of seeing it and was blown away by his charisma and coolness. It is a shame he did not make more, but he did not want to do it and lived his life the way HE wanted, which I respect totally. He made his own life and money and didn’t need the entertainment industry, and more power to him! But it’s still a shame in a way because he was very good!
I must say that I have only just realized just how damned good Timothy Dalton was too. After seeing Sean Connery & Roger Moore for years as Bond (both of whom I liked btw) I simply was not ready for this darker version of Bond back then. However, I totally appreciate it now that I’m older. He was fantastic actually, and I feel he is the one that is truly the most underrated!
My least favorite Bond is Pierce Bronsan. I like the man, but his portrayal of Bond is very much a caricature, and his films are frankly, boring.
Daniel Craig did a damn fine job IMO, but I am looking forward to seeing who will be cast as the next James Bond.
Who r play next role of bond next time
Shoot
In India any action scene bay
Craig is listed as having played in 3 movies, yet 4 are listed. Please update.
You’re right! Edited!
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