Denis Villeneuve’s hunt for a new 007 is heating up.

Every actor who has played James Bond on the big screen, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig

Denis Villeneuve's hunt for a new 007 is heating up.

By Matt Cabral

Matt Cabral

Matt Cabral is a writer at **.

EW's editorial guidelines

May 16, 2026 2:00 p.m. ET

Three very different Bonds: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Daniel Craig. Credit:

Everett(3)

It's been over 60 years since Sean Connery's tuxedoed James Bond sat at the baccarat table, lit a cigarette, and introduced himself to Sylvia Trench: "Bond. James Bond."

Since the debonair 007's debut in 1962's *Dr. No*, that iconic introduction has been delivered dozens of times across 25 official Bond films (and one non-canon entry) by six different performers.

Soon, a brand new actor will assume the role of the MI6 agent originated in Ian Fleming's 1953 spy novel, *Casino Royale*. The hunt is on for the right performer, who, per Bond casting director Nina Gold, should "ooze sex appeal" and be young enough to play him in multiple pictures.

Casting rumors are being flung around like a henchman's lethal bowler hat, but no one yet knows what shape the character's next iteration will take. Ultimately, it will be up to director Denis Villeneuve and Amazon MGM — which reportedly paid $1 billion to take over creative control of the character — to find the right man for the job.

With that in mind, it's the perfect time to read **'s guide to every actor who has played cinema's most enduring super-spy.

Sean Connery (1962–1983)

Sean Connery debuts as Bond in 'Dr. No' in 1962, and concludes in 'Never Say Never Again'.

Everett(2)

- *Dr. No *(1962) - *From Russia with Love *(1963) - *Goldfinger *(1964) - *Thunderball *(1965) - *You Only Live Twice *(1967) - *Diamonds Are Forever *(1971) - *Never Say Never Again (*1983)

The first actor to wield the Walther PPK, Sean Connery didn't just originate the role on the big screen — his elegant and commanding interpretation set the bar by which all future iterations would be measured.

Acclaimed by critics and adored by fans, Connery's debut as the unflappable 007 in *Dr. No* transformed him from ensemble player to genuine star. He starred in four more Bond films over the next five years — including what's often considered the best in the franchise's history, *Goldfinger*.

During production of *You Only Live Twice, *the Scottish actor announced he would be passing the torch — and the keys to Bond's Aston Martin. And yet he came back four years later in *Diamonds Are Forever*.

More than a decade after that, he returned to his signature role one final time — with a twist. As far as EON Productions and the Broccoli family were concerned, Roger Moore was James Bond, quite firmly and officially. But thanks to a legal settlement two decades earlier, screen rights to Fleming's *Thunderball *plot were owned by Kevin McClory.

Hence the curious year of 1983, when Connery starred in *Never Say Never Again *— which is more or less a remake of *Thunderball*, albeit with an older, creakier Bond — just four months after the release of Moore's *Octopussy*.

This time, however, Connery's retirement from the role was for good.**

George Lazenby (1969)

George Lazenby in his one and only Bond outing, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'.

- *On Her Majesty's Secret Service *(1969)

The only Bond actor to appear in just a single installment, George Lazenby is a bit of an outlier. An Australian model whose previous acting experience was limited to commercials, Connery's initial successor was dismissed as a footnote for years thanks to his one-and-done tenure.

The passage of time, however, has been kind to both Lazenby and his single 00-entry. *On Her Majesty's Secret Service *and Lazenby's performance have* *earned a cult following over the years. Considered one of the series' more somber chapters, the sixth installment was the only Bond film to see the secret agent married.

Spoiler alert: The story takes a tragic turn at the end of the film, when Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), Bond's new wife, is killed on the orders of longtime series villain Blofeld (Telly Savalas).

A complete guide to watching every James Bond movie in order

20 people you forgot were in James Bond movies, from Madonna to David Harbour

Roger Moore (1973–1985)

Roger Moore debuts as Bond in 'Live and Let Die,' and closes out his run in 'A View to a Kill'.

Everett(2)

- *Live and Let Die *(1973) - *The Man With the Golden Gun *(1974) - *The Spy Who Loved Me *(1977) - *Moonraker *(1979) - *For Your Eyes Only* (1981) - *Octopussy *(1983) - *A View to a Kill *(1985)

Tied with Connery for the most prolific Bond star — and he's got his predecessor beat if we're only counting official EON canon — Roger Moore represented Her Majesty's Secret Service in seven films across a dozen years. But despite Carly Simon singing "Nobody Does It Better" over the opening credits of *The Spy Who Loved Me*, Moore's run is divisive, to say the least.

His aforementioned third go-round notwithstanding, the Englishman's installments generally range from adequate (*Live and Let Die*, *For Your Eyes Only*) to abysmal (*The Man With the Golden Gun*, *Octopussy*).

All that said, Moore is appreciated by many for his all-in, campier interpretation of the MI6 spy, which leaned into the lighter side of the material.

Timothy Dalton (1987–1989)

Timothy Dalton in his second and final Bond outing, 'License to Kill'.

- *The Living Daylights *(1987) - *License to Kill *(1989)

Timothy Dalton starred in just two 007 entries before the franchise as a whole took a bit of a breather. The classically trained actor's version of the character doesn't sit atop many Bond film rankings.

Like Lazenby, his films (*The Living Daylights* and *Licence to Kill*) and reserved performance are more appreciated today than they were upon release.

If nothing else, Dalton deserves credit for keeping the franchise afloat during an era when the genre was largely dominated by over-the-top popcorn flicks starring macho heavyweights like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.

Plus, his sophisticated approach to the secret agent earns points for exploring a more grounded, brooding Bond nearly two decades before Daniel Craig made it cool.

Pierce Brosnan (1995–2002)

Pierce Brosnan debuts as Bond in 'GoldenEye,' and closes out his run in 'Die Another Day'.

Everett(2)

- *GoldenEye *(1995) - *Tomorrow Never Dies *(1997) - *The World Is Not Enough *(1999) - *Die Another Day *(2002)

More than a decade before Pierce Brosnan's Bond enjoyed his first (shaken, not stirred) martini, the Irish actor was unknowingly prepping for the role as the title character on *Remington Steele* — a fake private investigator with a criminal past.

His portrayal of a handsome, debonair character had fans calling him a perfect Bond candidate long before the role officially came his way.

They were right. The actor's 007 debut in *GoldenEye *perfectly captured the spirit of Bond and set the franchise up for a bright future following Dalton's subdued run. Much like Moore's output, though, Brosnan's installments (*Tomorrow Never Dies*, *The World Is Not Enough*, *Die Another Day*) didn't always give him the best material.

Still, his stellar start in *GoldenEye*, coupled with his spot-on take on the suave secret agent, earned him a generation of fans.

Daniel Craig (2006–2021)

Daniel Craig debuts as Bond in 'Casino Royale,' and goes out with a bang in 'No Time to Die'.

Everett(2)

- *Casino Royale *(2006) - *Quantum of Solace *(2008) - *Skyfall *(2012) - *Spectre *(2015) - *No Time to Die *(2021)

Daniel Craig reinvigorated the character and the franchise. Across five films, the English actor portrayed a less polished, more brutish Bond — a "blunt instrument," as Judi Dench's M so aptly calls him in his first outing, *Casino Royale*.

His casting was a left-field choice at the time, but Craig wasn't an unknown like Lazenby, having established himself in films like *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider* (2001), *Road to Perdition* (2002), and *Layer Cake* (2004).

His gritty reinvention also brought emotional nuance and vulnerability to Bond. His fresh, complex take was perfectly paired with a wider initiative to bring more prestige to the series, with A-list directors and starry casts.

The result delivered some of the franchise's most acclaimed films — namely *Casino Royale *and *Skyfall* — while cementing Craig's rendition as a favorite to rival even Connery's defining portrayal.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

- Movie Genres

- Action Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Action”