James Bond, AKA, 007, is an iconic character. Britain’s best-loved spy has been delighting audiences since the 1960s, and James Bond shows no signs of retiring from Her Majesty’s Secret Service anytime soon.
The Bond franchise was originally based on novels written by Ian Fleming, but the character of James Bond has taken on a life of its own, with the movies leaving the books behind many years ago. There are currently 27 movies in the franchise, but only seven actors have played Bond. Over the years, the character has morphed in line with public sensibilities and political correctness. Bond still drinks his martinis shaken, not stirred, but he no longer smokes, and he has more emotional depth than in the early movies. But which actor played Bond best? Read on to find out.
Roger Moore
Roger Moore starred in seven Bond movies between 1973 and 1985. His interpretation of Bond lent a lot of humour to the role and audiences loved his tongue-in-cheek delivery of lines. Moore’s Bond wore safari suits popular at the time and smoked cigars. In his later movies, critics said he was too long in the tooth to play an international spy, but the box office returns were still impressive, and audiences loved him.
Sean Connery
Sean Connery played Bond between 1962 and 1971, with a brief reappearance in 1983’s Never Say Never Again. Connery was famous for his toughness and almost psychopathic take on Bond. He was ruthless, witty, and arrogant, but the audiences lapped it up. There was no softness about Connery’s Bond, and he had tremendous screen presence. He was equally at home in a casino or the bedroom.
Even when he was persuaded to return as Bond in Never Say Never Again, he was still a convincing action hero at 52, unlike Roger Moore in his later incarnations.
Roger Dalton
Roger Dalton only starred in two Bond movies, but he added something new to the role. Unlike Moore and Connery, Dalton was cold and lacked humour. In his shoes, James Bond was a ruthless killer with few redeeming qualities. His movies were more violent and realistic. Unfortunately, audiences didn’t respond as well and neither performed as well at the box office.
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan took on the role of Bond between 1995 and 2002, starring in four 007 films. His Bond treated women better, as per the change in public sensibilities. He was suave and witty, like Connery and Moore, but still masculine and capable of violence. Brosnan’s outings as Bond did well at the box office and the franchise continued.
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig was a contentious choice as Bond, as he didn’t fit the mould. Craig was blonde, not dark, and not as tall as the previous actors who had played Bond. But he brought his own charisma and take on the character of Bond, lending him new depths.
Critics loved Craig’s portrayal of James Bond, and in our opinion, he is the best 007 since Sean Connery.
Tom Hardy is rumoured to be the next actor to play 007, but it could be a while before the next movie is released, thanks to Covid delays. If you are bored waiting, channel Bond and check out the top Canadian casino welcome bonuses and mix a vodka martini while you play your favourite casino game.
Who was your favourite Bond actor? Let us know!
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