James Bond Actors Through The Years: Every Star To Play 007 From Sean Connery To Daniel Craig

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October 4, 2021 5:14PM EDT

See photos of Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, and the rest of the actors who have played James Bond in films over the years.

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James Bond Actors Through The Years

James Bond Actors Through The Years — Bond, James Bond. The iconic British Secret Service agent, otherwise known as 007, has been portrayed by six different actors ever since the first James Bond movie, 1962’s ‘Dr. No,’ came out. Sean Connery played Bond in that movie, as well as the next four films. Then came along George Lazenby, who only played 007 for one movie. Roger Moore stepped into the iconic role for seven movies, followed by Timothy Dalton for two. Pierce Brosnan was next, playing Bond for four films from 1995 to 2002. Most recently, the spy agent has been played by Daniel Craig. But with the release of ‘No Time To Die’ in 2021, Daniel has officially retired as Bond, meaning the hunt is on for a new 007!

After six 007’s across 25 movies, the James Bond franchise has remained widely popular and financially successful. To see photos of the actors who have taken on the iconic role over the years, click through the gallery.

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Sean Connery as James Bond in ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)

Sean Connery as James Bond in ‘Goldfinger’ (1964) — Sean Connery will always be the OG Bond. He originated the iconic role for ‘Dr. No’ in 1962, followed by ‘From Russia with Love,’ ‘Goldfinger,’ ‘Thunderball,’ ‘You Only Live Twice,’ ‘Diamonds Are Forever,’ and ‘Never Say Never Again.’ Sean officially retired as Bond after 1983, and went on to star in movies like ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,’ and ‘Dragonheart.’ Sean sadly passed away on October 31, 2020 at age 90.

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George Lazenby as James Bond in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)

George Lazenby as James Bond in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969) — George Lazenby had a one-and-done experience as James Bond. The Australian actor played 007 in 1969’s ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,’ which came out in between Sean Connery’s ‘You Only Live Twice’ and ”Diamonds Are Forever.’ He has the shortest tenure among any actor to play James Bond, and was also the youngest actor cast in the role, at age 29. George continued to act until the late 1970s, after which he moved into a career in real estate.

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Roger Moore as James Bond in ‘For Your Eyes Only’ (1981)

Roger Moore as James Bond in ‘For Your Eyes Only’ (1981) — British actor Roger Moore was the third person to play James Bond. He starred as the featured character in seven movies between 1973 and 1985: ‘Live and Let Die,’ ‘The Man with the Golden Gun,’ The Spy Who Loved Me,’ ‘Moonraker,’ ‘For Your Eyes Only,’ ‘Octopussy,’ and ‘A View To Kill.’ Roger and Sean are tied for having appeared in the most Bond movies. Roger died on May 23, 2017 at age 89 after years of battling different diseases, including prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes.

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Timothy Dalton as James Bond in ‘License To Kill’ (1989)

Timothy Dalton as James Bond in ‘License To Kill’ (1989) — The fourth James Bond was Timothy Dalton. Timothy first played Bond in 1987’s ‘The Living Daylights,’ and he reprised the role in ‘License to Kill’ two years later. Timothy stopped playing Bond after two films, and afterwards he worked on a variety of projects in film, television and theater. He notably voiced the character of Mr Pricklepants in ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘Toy Story 4.’ Most recently, Timothy has starred in the Showtime series ‘Penny Dreadful’ and in the HBO Max superhero series ‘Doom Patrol.’

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Pierce Brosnan as James Bond

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond — Pierce Brosnan was the fifth actor to land the role of James Bond on the big screen. The Irish star kicked off his Bond career in 1995’s ‘Golden Eye,’ followed by ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ in 1997, ‘The World Is Not Enough’ in 1999, and ‘Die Another Day’ in 2002. After retiring as Bond, Pierce starred in movies like ‘Mamma Mia!’, ‘The Ghost Writer,’ and ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians.’ He was recently cast as Doctor Fate in the DC Extended Universe film ‘Black Adam,’ which comes out in 2022.

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Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘Casino Royale’ (2006)

Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘Casino Royale’ (2006) — Last but not least, Daniel Craig joined the James Bond franchise as the leading man for 2006’s ‘Casino Royale.’ Daniel then played 007 in ‘Quantum in Solace’ in 2008, ‘Skyfall’ in 2012, ‘Spectre’ in 2015, and finally ‘No Time to Die in 2021. He did five movies total, and his final stint as Bond, ‘No Time to Die,’ also stars Rami Malek, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, and more. Daniel has made it clear he’s retired from Bond, and so a new leading man will have to be discovered for the franchise to carry on!

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