'He's not a superman you can't identify with a superman. 'I wanted to make him human,' Dalton said of his interpretation of Bond during an interview in 2008. His films 'The Living Daylights' (1987) and 'Licence to Kill' (1989) are two of the most beloved Bond films and Dalton's dark and often serious take on 007 is widely considered the most accurate interpretation of Ian Fleming's books. The sole reason Timothy Dalton is not at the top of this list is that he portrayed Bond only twice, but this wasn't due to bad ratings or box-office numbers. Nonetheless, across his four-film run, Brosnan pushed Bond away from its steely, cool origins to something more Hollywood and less interesting. But it has been reported that Brosnan was favored by Albert Broccoli, so maybe it was time for him to step down. Broccoli, the film series originator, who had been succeeded by his daughter, Barbara Broccoli, along with his stepson, Michael G. It is important to note that 'GoldenEye' - Brosnan's first Bond film - was also the first film in the franchise not produced by Albert R. So here, I humbly ask, do we remember the unfortunate orange spray tan Brosnan sported throughout his time as 007? Or the awkward hyperpop theme songs such as Madonna's awful 'Die Another Day.' Markus Beck/picture alliance via Getty ImagesĪfter 15 years of Daniel Craig - who is eulogized later in this list - it is easy to forget the damage Pierce Brosnan did to the James Bond franchise, but it is important to revisit our lowest moments so we can grow. The Oscar-winning actor might bring some charm to the role, but the absurd story - which ends with him going to heaven - ruins the character and sucks all the suave coolness out of 007 completely. Niven's Bond is a much older agent, who's brought out of retirement to fight a nefarious organization called S.M.E.R.S.H.

It was only made because Fleming sold the singular rights to the book before it was published in 1953. The parody movie isn't connected to any of the other films, nor was it made by Eon Productions and Albert Broccoli. (Yes, in the same year as Sean Connery's 'You Only Live Twice.')Ĭolumbia Pictures' 'Casino Royale' starred David Niven as James Bond, and it takes a much more comedic approach to Ian Fleming's book of the same name. While most audiences will automatically think of Daniel Craig when thinking of 'Casino Royale,' there was actually another version of the story that arrived on the big screen back in 1967. It often indicates a user profile.ĭavid Niven as James Bond in 1967's 'Casino Royale.' Years later, however, Moore told TIME that there was another factor in his landing the part: While working on The Saint, he developed a gambling habit and wound up playing cards regularly with the Bond producers, so he was already friendly with them when it came time to find someone to take over the part.Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. I often stop in the middle of a day’s work and say: ‘Jesus Christ, they’re really going to pay you for being a kid and living out your fantasies!'” “I’ll be replacing Mickey Mouse in about three years’ time.” He adds: “I think the Bonds are marvelous subjects - escapist entertainment expensively made. He replaced James Garner in the TV series Maverick and followed Movie Actors George Sanders and Louis Hayward as the droll, urbane Saint.

Moore has spent much of his career taking over parts other actors have made famous. Moore now lives in Denham, 20 miles outside London, where he and his third wife Luisa have 17 acres, a swimming pool and tennis courts. An unhappy round of TV series followed in the ’50s and ’60s, and he eventually went back to England, where he finally achieved stardom as the Saint. After a stint as an officer in the British army, he was brought to Hollywood to play the romantic hero in a number of dreary costume dramas. Not succeeding at that, he enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. The son of a London policeman, Moore quit school when he was 15 to become an artist.

and went to the barber three times before the makeup men were happy. To play the more athletic, squarer Bond, he lost 17 lbs. As the Saint he was a trifle pudgy, and in his last TV series, The Persuaders, his hair was much too long for Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

While he is, at 44, two years older than Connery, Moore appears much younger, with a boyish look that, for a man licensed to kill, comes perilously close to being pretty.

Sean connery roger moore