Picking the best James Bond is a Herculean task, but between Connery, Moore, and Craig, there is a clear winner for the best 007 actor. Leaping from the pages of Ian Fleming’s novels, James Bond rewrote the spy genre, and his adventures on the big screen are still some of the greatest action films of all time.
With his suave attitude, supreme combat skills, and clever spycraft, Bond embodies all the aspects of an idealized hero, and it’s the biggest reason he’s lasted for over half a century. What makes him such a unique addition to cinema is that he has been successfully recast on numerous occasions.
Ignoring non-canon stars like David Niven, Bond has been played by six actors who have brought their own style to the role. Because each Bond actor has left such a permanent mark on the franchise, each era has passionate defenders. Debate has raged about which Bond is best since the part was first recast, and it will likely continue forever.
Several key factors must be considered when comparing the Bond actors, and the quality of their respective movies is perhaps the biggest. Some 007s had the luxury of starring in hit after hit, while others had the unfortunate distinction of playing the part in one of the franchise’s low points. Nevertheless, the quality of the actor shined through.
The Case For Sean Connery As The Best James Bond
Sean Connery with his James Bond car
Sean Connery is perhaps the biggest reason that the James Bond franchise was successful. When he first appeared in 1962’s Dr. No, he originated the character and gave him a new personality that was distinct from the books but still familiar. He struck a perfect balance between Fleming’s gruff literary hero, and a sophisticated movie star.
Connery initially departed the role after You Only Live Twice, but returned one movie later in Diamonds are Forever.
Connery’s Bond was versatile, and he was capable of doing humor as deftly as death-defying action. Later Bonds would be better at one or the other, but none could strike a balance like the Scottish star. What’s more, Connery had one of the most consistent tenures in the role, with nearly every one of his movies becoming bona fide classics.
The Case For Roger Moore As The Best James Bond
Roger Moore with a rifle in The Man with the Golden Gun
After George Lazenby’s one-movie tenure was interrupted by the return of Sean Connery, Roger Moore did the unthinkable and actually replaced the original Bond. Fresh off his starring role in TV’s The Saint, Moore was an accomplished star of all things cloak-and-dagger, but he was still quite different from his 007 predecessors.
Roger Moore’s James Bond was even more suave than Connery’s, and he had an overwhelming charm that was anchored by humor. Moore never tried to be anything but himself, and that was his greatest strength in the 007 role. Instead of trying to copy the Connery framework, Moore was flirty and fun, and so too were his movies.
The first decade of the James Bond franchise was explosive and wild, but it mostly downplayed the stranger elements of Fleming’s books. Moore’s tenure embraced the bombastic moments and had a completely different tone. The humor didn’t always land, but there’s no denying it’s what the franchise needed in the ’70s and early ’80s.
The Case For Daniel Craig As The Best James Bond
Daniel Craig in Casino Royale
No James Bond actor fundamentally changed the role like Daniel Craig, and his movies were totally unlike any 007 films that came before. After the franchise hit rock bottom in the early 2000s, Craig assumed the role in Casino Royale, which eschewed goofy action in favor of a serious narrative with a complex character at the center.
Though the franchise had previously toyed with making Bond a richer character, Craig was the first to get to show all sides of the complicated hero. He was tough-as-nails but also charming in a realistic way, and he was nothing like the invincible superspy of the classic movies. Daniel Craig’s movies were arguably the best overall, and they embraced cinema.
An Honorable Mention For The Other Great Bond Actors
Pierce Brosnan as Bond pointing a gun and looking angry in The World is Not Enough.
007 fans have been quite lucky over the decades, because every actor to play the role did a good job in their own way. While Connery, Moore, and Craig might be the most definitive, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan also had their own strengths.
Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the best hidden gem of the franchise, while Timothy Dalton’s stint was the first time that the Bond franchise flirted with a darker tone. Finally, Brosnan offered one of the most balanced performances as 007, and he incorporated the best of all of his predecessors in his four-movie tenure.
Why Sean Connery Is The Best James Bond
Sean Connery in a white tuxedo in Goldfinger
It might be a bit cliché, but Sean Connery takes the crown as the best James Bond by a long shot. Not only is he the actor best remembered for playing the role, but the mark he left on 007 inspired every one of his successors. Whether intentional or not, the other five Bonds borrowed something from Connery.
No actor will ever be able to dethrone Connery, even if the franchise runs forever. Films like Goldfinger and From Russia with Love aren’t just great spy movies, but shining examples of cinema in general. Connery’s James Bond didn’t just set the pace for the franchise, but he helped to craft the modern view of the big screen action hero.
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