James Bond Actors Ranked By Complete Film Appearances

James Bond has turn into some of the enduring live-action characters of all time. Few characters can declare the suave undercover agent’s mixture of sheer longevity and the massive quantity of actors who’ve performed them. Due to this, each viewer has loads of potential favourite James Bond actors to select from. Nevertheless, this time we’re not enjoying favorites. As an alternative, we’re taking a look at chilly, arduous details as a way to discover out which Bond actor has made most film appearances because the character.   

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Usually, lists like this are fairly easy, however since nothing ever comes straightforward to James Bond, there’s one floor rule we have to set. With a purpose to get a complete listing and keep away from potential points, the Bond actor who has made extra movies for the official James Bond movie collection’ manufacturing firm, Eon Productions, can be awarded the win in case of a tie. With that settled and with none additional ado, let’s dive into our listing of James Bond actors, ranked by their variety of appearances. 

Not even Sean Connery was assured he would make a very good James Bond at first, and it in all probability did not assist that the author of the Bond novels, Ian Fleming, was championing for a unique actor. Fleming’s favourite for the function was David Niven, who had a considerably extra refined air than the comparative newcomer Connery — to not point out an Academy Award for Greatest Actor in a Main Function for “Separate Tables” (1958) in his pocket. Destiny and the movie trade work in unusual methods, nevertheless. The function went to Connery, and historical past has confirmed that the selection was rock strong. As for Niven, he additionally obtained to play the function as soon as … after a trend, anyway.

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Niven’s contribution to the on-screen historical past of James Bond is the notorious, star-studded non-Eon parody “On line casino Royale” (1967) which tends to be remembered lower than fondly. The comedic film posits Niven’s model of the character as the unique James Bond, who comes out of retirement for one final explosive mission (thus pioneering the “each Bond actor portrays a unique man” principle that retains floating about). Suffice to say, the top result’s so far faraway from each Ian Fleming’s authentic novel and the Bond movie franchise that /Movie did not trouble to incorporate this model of “On line casino Royale” on our rating of James Bond motion pictures.  

After Sean Connery first left the function of James Bond within the wake of “You Solely Dwell Twice” (1967), recasting the key agent turned a necessity — however one which posed its share of difficulties. The proverbial finger in the end pointed at Australian mannequin George Lazenby, who had even much less expertise within the film enterprise than Connery when he had been chosen within the function. 

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In a technique, this labored nicely. Lazenby’s sole contribution within the function was “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969), which is definitely one of many higher Bond motion pictures, and he is in no way dangerous within the function. In one other, extra vital manner, casting somebody who wasn’t a seasoned professional might have been a mistake in the case of continuity. Lazenby brazenly disliked the expertise of creating the film and did not proceed as Bond, successfully disappearing from Hollywood after this one main function. Connery ended up returning within the Eon Productions fold to play Bond in 1971’s “Diamonds Are Ceaselessly.” 

Till Daniel Craig’s incarnation got here alongside a lot later, Timothy Dalton’s James Bond was the one 007 who was a very plausible killer. As an alternative of the joke-flinging, suave motion hero antics, Dalton opted for a relatively sensible and brutal model of the character who required a really particular kind of movie to actually work. Sadly, he by no means obtained one. The sunshine-hearted “The Residing Daylights” (1987) and the considerably forgettable installment “License to Kill” (1989) stay Dalton’s solely Bond movies, placing him one forward of Lazenby however leaving him a film or two in need of the form of legacy he would have deserved.

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Apparently, in another actuality, Dalton would possibly’ve acquired one other shot within the function. Among the many assorted scripts for potential continuation of Dalton’s 007 story was a canceled James Bond movie known as “Reunion with Loss of life,” which might have despatched Bond on his first mission to Japan since Sean Connery’s “You Solely Dwell Twice,” and even bore connections to that movie. In fact, nothing ever got here of it, and James Bond was left sipping Martinis on the sidelines till Pierce Brosnan took over the function.

Pierce Brosnan’s mid-Nineties arrival as James Bond marked a shift again to the collection’ bombastic motion journey sensibilities after Timothy Dalton’s extra muted late-Nineteen Eighties tenure. Brosnan delivered a efficiency that was concurrently each a “biggest hits” assortment of 007 traits and nonetheless wholly his personal tackle the character. Brosnan’s Bond has allure, wit, and real toughness, and the incarnation proved sturdy sufficient to star in 4 movies. 

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As James Bond motion pictures go, Brosnan’s tenure spawned at the least one certifiable gem. “GoldenEye” (1995) was and stays nothing in need of a masterpiece that is memorable for — amongst different issues — its assortment of wonderful motion scenes and Sean Bean’s brilliantly villainous rogue agent, Alec “006” Trevelyan. “Tomorrow By no means Dies” (1997), “The World Is Not Sufficient” (1999), and particularly the abysmal “Die One other Day” (2002) all failed to duplicate the thrills, however they however have loads of fulfilling moments, and there is little denying that Brosnan greater than held his personal as a Bond actor. 

Daniel Craig has maintained a wholesome non-Bond profession for a lot of his 007 tenure and threatened to give up so many instances that it is arduous to maintain rely, however he however made a minimum of 5 (largely) spectacular Bond motion pictures earlier than closing the file on this specific incarnation of the key agent relatively conclusively. The primary of Craig’s motion pictures was after all “On line casino Royale” (2006), which can very nicely be the most effective Bond movie ever made. All of it however wiped its 1967 namesake out of the historical past books by delivering an exhilarating new 007, a feminine lead in contrast to another in Vesper Lynd (Eva Inexperienced), and one in all the best James Bond villains ever in Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre. 

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As with Pierce Brosnan, the stellar opening act proved powerful to comply with. “Quantum of Solace” (2008), “Spectre” (2015), and “No Time to Die” (2021) are all noticeably weaker choices than Craig’s wonderful Bond debut, with solely “Skyfall” (2012) coming shut by way of high quality. Nonetheless, on the entire, a really respectable argument could possibly be made that Craig’s James Bond motion pictures have been probably the most constant of the lot, which is saying one thing since he is one of many three most prolific Bond actors. 

Ah, sure, Sean Connery. The primary and, to many, greatest James Bond actor began his work in “Dr. No” (1962), and the movie’s success spawned 5 Connery-led sequels: “From Russia with Love” (1963), “Goldfinger” (1964), “Thunderball” (1965), “You Solely Dwell Twice,” and his post-Lazenby movie “Diamonds Are Ceaselessly.” That is six Eon Productions Bond motion pictures in underneath a decade, a lot of that are within the dialogue each time greatest James Bond motion pictures are named. 

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Connery additionally has a seventh Bond movie to his title. In 1983 — the 12 months “Octopussy” premiered — Roger Moore was already deep into his tenure as 007 when the unique Bond returned to do what David Niven had executed to him in 1967: Make a competing, non-Eon James Bond film, portraying an older Bond in his ultimate mission. Connery’s ultimate James Bond movie known as “By no means Say By no means Once more,” and it is successfully an inferior remix of “Thunderball,” which itself is much from the best 007 movie on the market. Nonetheless, this non-Eon look leaves Connery with a commendable grand complete of seven appearances in James Bond motion pictures, which might be greater than sufficient to win … if it wasn’t for the truth that one Bond actor has seven full-on Eon Bond roles underneath his tuxedo belt. 

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Sean Connery is perhaps many James Bond followers’ alternative for the most effective 007, however Roger Moore has him beat as probably the most prolific one … although it is by mere inches. Moore’s distinguished, but comparatively light-hearted tackle the character debuted in “Dwell and Let Die” (1973), and went to play the function till “A View to A Kill” (1985). Between these two motion pictures had been “The Man with the Golden Gun” (1974), “The Spy Who Liked Me” (1977), “Moonraker” (1979), “For Your Eyes Solely” (1981), and “Octopussy” (1983), which supplies Moore’s model of Bond a grand complete of seven motion pictures — the identical quantity as Connery, however since Moore’s movies are all Eon motion pictures, he wins on a technicality. 

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In contrast to a lot of his Bond colleagues, Moore by no means turned his 007 fame into an enormous movie profession after exiting the franchise. Whereas he did not cease appearing after “Octopussy” by any means, the actor has been extra more likely to seem in cameo roles and supporting turns in movies just like the 1996 Jean-Claude Van Damme martial arts film “The Quest” than the form of blockbusters and beloved ensemble movies of us like Connery and Daniel Craig have turn into identified for. In fact, it is value noting that his lack of display presence might have had fairly a bit to do with the truth that Moore retired from James Bond movies on the late age of 58 — to not point out his utter dedication to his function as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a job wherein he served from 1991 to 2018. 

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