Who Played James Bond the Most?

With No Time to Die, Daniel Craig officially bowed out as James Bond, leaving the franchise to face the inevitable task of selecting a new actor for the role. It's become a ritualistic part of 007, almost as much as the Q-branch gadgets and the villains' secret lairs. Unlike other long-standing franchises, such as Star Trek and Star Wars, Bond is centered around an individual. Recasting for a new James Bond actor is necessary, allowing the character to be reinvented for changing times.

The six actors to play the role have a mixed track record for longevity, and even the series stalwarts grew weary after a time. The Bond franchise has a reputation for arduous shoots- owing to the stunts and set pieces that made its name- which can particularly try on the leading man (who needs to be onscreen for the vast bulk of the film). But which actor has played 007 in the most movies? The winner is not apt to be unseated anytime soon.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci and Robert Vaux on May 5, 2024:The search is still on for the next actor to take on the iconic role of James Bond. Fans are looking back on the actors who have gone before as they anxiously await news on who will be the next 007. The article has been expanded to include additional information, and the formatting has been adjusted to meet current CBR guidelines.

George Lazenby Was A One-Off Bond

Related

'I'm Available': GoldenEye Star Wants a Female 007 in Next James Bond Movie

One GoldenEye star is advocating for a female 007 in Bond 26.

Lazenby made only one turn as Bond in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, released after Sean Connery departed the role. According to Kiss! Kiss! Bang! Bang! The Unofficial James Bond Film Companion, the producers wanted Roger Moore to replace Connery and intended to make The Man With The Golden Gun the next project. The war in Cambodia forced a change in plans—the film is set there—and Moore took the lead in the TV series The Saint.The 007 role went to Lazenby.

However, the actor couldn't match his predecessor's onscreen presence. He came across as passive and detached rather than cool and professional and failed to connect with Diana Rigg's Bond girl in what turned out to be one of the most important relationships in the series. While the film scored high overall marks, the producers convinced Connery to return for the next outing. Therefore, Lazenby's tenure as James Bond becomes the shortest of any Bond actor: a mere footnote in the longer history of the franchise.

Timothy Dalton Had Two Great James Bond Films

Dalton fared better than Lazenby in the eyes of Bond fans over time, though it took a while to get there. Although it almost went to Jurassic Park's Sam Neill, Dalton was originally brought on in lieu of Pierce Brosnan, whom fans considered the natural heir to Roger Moore following the success of his TV show Remington Steele. According to the director's commentary on TheLiving Daylights DVD, NBC spiked the deal that would have made Brosnan the new 007. Dalton was brought in to replace him and initially earned the scorn of fans in response.

The box office failure of his second film, 1989's License to Kill, ended his brief run and put the whole series in limbo for a few years. Fans have subsequently warmed to his comparatively gritty and straightforward take on the character, however. The Living Daylightsremains a first-tier entry, with strong action scenes and a badly needed sense of freshness. While License to Kill can't match that, it's also one of the grittiest of the pre-Craig Bonds. After Roger Moore's tenure of the playboy superspy, it effectively reminded the audience that there was nothing fun about 007's world. It leaves Dalton's turn extremely well-regarded, however brief.

Pierce Brosnan Was The Bond Of The '90s And 2000s

Despite a comparatively lengthy stint in the role, Brosnan suffered from a lack of strong scripts and poor timing, which found the franchise searching for a new direction following the end of the Cold War. While the actor proved more than game, the films fell into a bit of a rut, seeking new ways to reinvigorate the formula without taking any appreciable risks. With competitors like Men in Blackand the first Mission: Impossiblemovie, Bond suddenly felt dated and old.

1995's GoldenEye brought new energy after a six-year hiatus, and Brosnan was able to carry that for three more films -- aided most notably by Judi Dench, who made her debut as M in the Brosnan era. They failed to make any strong impression, however, and while they all turned a profit, they began to feel more pro forma each time. The era's emphasis on sci-fi spectacle -- marked by the Star Warsprequel trilogy -- also pulled 007 into more outlandish directions, with gadgets and settings that shattered the franchise's already delicate sense of plausibility. By the time 2002's Die Another Day delivered an ice fortress and an invisible car, it was clear that the actor's fourth movie would be his last.

Daniel Craig Had The Longest Tenure As James Bond So Far

Craig has been credited with bringing about a renaissance for 007, returning him to the lean espionage storytelling of his roots and abandoning the more outlandish side of the character in favor of 21st-century grit. The high-tech gadgets were replaced by a figure who acted more like a government-licensed hitman than a secret agent. The approach shook the franchise out of the rut it had been in for over a decade while giving Craig the longest tenure in the role, at least in terms of years.

While his overall track record is hit or miss, two of Craig's films -- 2006's Casino Royale and 2013's Skyfall -- rank among the very best in the franchise. Casino Royale was the last of Fleming's original novels to reach the screen, while Skyfall constituted nothing less than a celebration of the franchise. Both left an impression unseen since the Roger Moore days and with Craig taking his leave of the role after No Time to Die, he casts an extremely long shadow for whoever replaces him.

Sean Connery Defined The Role of James Bond

Related

Henry Cavill Still Interested in Playing James Bond, Calls New Film 'Good First Step'

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare star Henry Cavill still hopes to play James Bond in a future film chronicling the titular agent.

Connery is first among equals with James Bond actors, not only because he originated the character on the big screen but because he cemented the image of 007 in the public's eye. He played the role for the first five 007 movies before departing, citing increasing frustration with the franchise's production and the emphasis on gadgets and hardware instead of espionage. After Lazenby's outing, he was lured back a sixth time in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever,but it was clear that his heart wasn't in it. His immediate post-Bond career is considered his strongest -- with the likes of Robin and Marion, The Man Who Would Be King and The Great Train Robbery appearing within a decade -- and it's hard to regret his departure knowing what he still had in store for moviegoers.

Connery was 41 when he made Diamonds Are Forever, and beginning to show his age. In other circumstances, it might have been his last outing, leaving Moore with the top spot alone. He returned a final time, however, in the "rogue" Bond picture Never Say Never Againin 1983, produced outside the purveyance of Albert L. Broccoli and competing with Moore's Octopussy, released earlier that year. It nudged his final count up enough to share the top spot with his most prolific successor. No one, however, can ever top his legacy in the part: the Bond against whom all other Bonds are measured.

Roger Moore Had The Most Official Movies as James Bond

Moore took over the role in 1973's Live and Let Die and brought a breezy, devil-may-care attitude that matched the era's zeitgeist well. Over the next 12 years, he appeared in six more films, turning Bond into a playboy adventurer as much as a hardened secret agent. The gadgets became wilder, and the plots became more arch-and-knowing, though the actor found his share of grittier outings, such as 1981's For Your Eyes Only.

The approach made his Bond particularly distinctive, and while he lacks the pedigree of Connery or Craig, his stint in the role is embraced by James Bond fans. He's also the de facto winner of the list -- with Connery's seventh film coming outside the "official" 007 franchise -- making Moore the most successful James Bond actor. Moore's final turn came at a cost, however. 1985's A View to a Killwas a box office dud, and the aging actor was no longer convincing in the role he has still played more than anyone else thus far.

James Bond

The James Bond franchise focuses on the titular British Secret Service agent, who has the codename 007.

Created byIan Fleming

First FilmDr. No

Latest FilmNo Time to Die

CastTimothy Dalton, George Lazenby, David Niven, Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore

Character(s)James Bond