James Bond Actors Ranked By Complete Film Appearances

James Bond has grow to be one of the vital enduring live-action characters of all time. Few characters can declare the suave undercover agent’s mixture of sheer longevity and the large 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 taking part in favorites. As a substitute, we’re taking a look at chilly, onerous information so as 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. So as 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, shall 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 great James Bond at first, and it most likely did not assist that the author of the Bond novels, Ian Fleming, was championing for a special actor. Fleming’s favourite for the position 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 business work in unusual methods, nonetheless. The position went to Connery, and historical past has confirmed that the selection was rock strong. As for Niven, he additionally obtained to play the position as soon as … after a style, 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 special man” concept 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 position of James Bond within the wake of “You Solely Dwell Twice” (1967), recasting the key agent grew to become a necessity — however one which posed its share of difficulties. The proverbial finger finally 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 position.

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In a method, this labored effectively. Lazenby’s sole contribution within the position was “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969), which is definitely one of many higher Bond motion pictures, and he is in no way unhealthy within the position. In one other, extra important means, casting somebody who wasn’t a seasoned professional might have been a mistake in terms of continuity. Lazenby overtly disliked the expertise of constructing the film and did not proceed as Bond, successfully disappearing from Hollywood after this one main position. 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 a substitute of the joke-flinging, suave motion hero antics, Dalton opted for a relatively reasonable 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 wanting the type of legacy he would have deserved.

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Curiously, in another actuality, Dalton would possibly’ve acquired one other shot within the position. Among the many assorted scripts for potential continuation of Dalton’s 007 story was a canceled James Bond movie referred to as “Reunion with Dying,” 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 position.

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-Eighties tenure. Brosnan delivered a efficiency that was concurrently each a “best hits” assortment of 007 traits and nonetheless wholly his personal tackle the character. Brosnan’s Bond has appeal, 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 not less than one certifiable gem. “GoldenEye” (1995) was and stays nothing wanting 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 nonetheless 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 occasions that it is onerous to maintain depend, however he nonetheless made at least 5 (largely) spectacular Bond motion pictures earlier than closing the file on this specific incarnation of the key agent fairly conclusively. The primary of Craig’s motion pictures was in fact “On line casino Royale” (2006), which can very effectively 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 exciting new 007, a feminine lead in contrast to some other in Vesper Lynd (Eva Inexperienced), and one of many best James Bond villains ever in Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre.

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As with Pierce Brosnan, the stellar opening act proved robust to comply with. “Quantum of Solace” (2008), “Spectre” (2015), and “No Time to Die” (2021) are all noticeably weaker choices than Craig’s superb Bond debut, with solely “Skyfall” (2012) coming shut by way of high quality. Nonetheless, on the entire, a really respectable argument may very well 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, finest 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 beneath a decade, a lot of that are within the dialogue at any time when finest James Bond motion pictures are named.

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Connery additionally has a seventh Bond movie to his identify. 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 completed to him in 1967: Make a competing, non-Eon James Bond film, portraying an older Bond in his remaining mission. Connery’s remaining James Bond movie is named “By no means Say By no means Once more,” and it is successfully an inferior remix of “Thunderball,” which itself is way 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 beneath his tuxedo belt.

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Sean Connery could be many James Bond followers’ selection 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 position till “A View to A Kill” (1985). Between these two motion pictures had been “The Man with the Golden Gun” (1974), “The Spy Who Beloved 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 a large movie profession after exiting the franchise. Whereas he did not cease performing after “Octopussy” by any means, the actor has been extra prone 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 type of blockbusters and beloved ensemble movies people like Connery and Daniel Craig have grow to be identified for. In fact, it is price 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 position as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, a task through which he served from 1991 to 2018.

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