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From Daniel Craig To Sean Connery: 7 Actors Who Played James Bond Onscreen Amid Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Alleged Casting
From the inaugural portrayal by Sean Connery in 1962 to Daniel Craig's tenure that concluded in 2021, each actor brought their own flair and interpretation to the character of the fictional secret agent AKA James Bond.
The James Bond franchise has seen multiple actors embody the iconic character of the suave British spy over the years.
Amidst speculations of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s alleged casting as the next Bond, it's worth revisiting the distinguished actors who have previously portrayed the legendary character on screen.
From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig: The 007 Lineup
Sean Connery
The late Sean Connery is credited for James Bond’s on-screen debut. The actor played the character in 1962, marking the beginning of the James Bond film franchise.
He went on to star in four more James Bond features, namely, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. Connery played the character and convincingly so between 1963 and 1967, before taking a short break from the series, passing the baton to George Lazenby for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
In 1971, Connery, who passed away in 2020, returned to play James Bond, for two more installments in the franchise, Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and Never Say Never Again in 1983.
David Niven
Niven was James Bond author Ian Fleming’s first choice to play his famed spy. And though Connery scored the initial James Bond films, Fleming eventually did get to see Niven play the part in the 1967 adaptation of Casino Royale.
Unlike his fellow Bond actors, the late Niven was one of the older actors to embody the iconic character. He was 56 when he starred in the film alongside Peter Sellers and Woody Allen.
George Lazenby
For his only appearance as Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Lazenby ended up earning a nomination for the New Star of the Year award at the 1970s Golden Globes.
Roger Moore
Not once or twice, Moore stepped into the role of James Bond on seven different occasions — a record held only by Connery.
Moore’s first film as the iconic character was in Live and Let Die in 1973.
In 1985, he played the secret agent for the last time, in A View to Kill.
When the actor died in 2017, at age 89, Pierce Brosnan, who would later play James Bond paid tribute to him, saying he portrayed the character “with exceptional skill and comic timing laced with a stiletto vengeance.”
Timothy Dalton
Dalton played Bond in just two films: In 1987’s The Living Daylights and in 1989’s License to Kill.
The actor was reportedly supposed to star in three James Bond films but due to a legal dispute between Eon Productions and MGM, his tenure was cut short.
Pierce Bronson
The world was introduced to a new bond, Pierce Brosnan, in 1995’s Golden Eye.
The actor’s stint with the franchise ended in 2002 with Die Another Day. While Brosnan was keen on doing the next Bond film, according to the actor himself, his departure was due to producers looking to refresh the franchise.
“There’s no regret. I do not let regret come into my world…It just leads to more misery and more regrets,” he told The Guardian in 2020.
“Bond is the gift that keeps giving and has allowed me to have a wonderful career,” he added. “Once you're branded as a Bond, it's with you forever, so you better make peace with it and you better understand that when you walk through those doors and pick up the mantle of playing James Bond.”
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig became the next Bond in 2006’s Casino Royale and went on to play the character for five films.
Before he bid farewell to the franchise in 2021, Craig opened up about his feelings on being a part of the decades-long legacy to The Sunday Times, saying, “This may be hard to believe but I love the fact I'm Bond. We're in rare air, making Bond movies. It is one of the most intense, fulfilling things I've ever done, but it takes a lot of energy and I'm getting old. I'm getting creaky.”
Who will be the next Bond?
The long looming question is nearing an answer reportedly. In March 2024, it was reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was formally offered the part.
The U.K. newspaper The Sun claimed that the actor will sign a contract this week, citing a source who told the outlet that “Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it.”
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