As of December 4, what was previously known as Bond 24 finally has an official title: Spectre. The title of the 24th installment on the world-renowned 52-year-old film series refers to the crime network from the classic, Sean Connery era of Bond films, following Skyfall’s nostalgic lead. The 2012 film brought back classic characters including gadgets-expert Q, played by Ben Whishaw, and Secretary Moneypenny, played by Naomie Harris. 

Spanning more than half a century, the Bond series is refreshed with every new actor brought in to portray the suave MI6 agent. Six actors have played the character since 1962 in the EON Productions canon, but other “unofficial” Bond films also exist, including 1954’s Casino Royale, featuring American actor Barry Nelson.   

So, of the six official Bond actors, which one is the best? As a fan of the entire film series (I actually wrote my Common Application college essay about James Bond – no joke), I want to start off by saying that I enjoy all of the films and as an extension, all of the actors. The caveat is that I like each of them for different reasons, and when forced to rank them, some reasons rank higher in importance than others.  

Nevertheless, without further ado, here is the definitive ranking of James Bond actors, according to me (which anyone is more than welcome to disagree with):  

1. Daniel Craig 

Films: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015)   

Part of this is probably due to my generational bias, since I find that most Bond aficionados have a particular attachment to the actor that played the character during their formative years. However, from a modern-day perspective, Daniel Craig’s James Bond is fitting for today’s world of heroic anti-heroes. While not all of the credit can be given to the individual actor since the script plays a large role as well, Craig really thrives with this type of character. He wears Armani suits well, looks natural with weapons, and can be ruthless while still having a more sensitive side. (Plus, Casino Royale (2006) is probably one of my favorite movies of any genre.)     

2. Timothy Dalton 

Films: The Living Daylights (1987), License to Kill (1989)  

Dalton is widely known as the most underrated Bond actor, and deservingly so. The consensus is that he was ahead of his time, playing a more Craig-like Bond before audiences were ready for such a portrayal. His two films are hidden gems, and it is a shame that his third appearance (which would have been Goldeneye, which ended up starring Pierce Brosnan instead) fell through due to internal issues and lawsuits with the film series’ production company throughout the late 1980's and early 1990's.     

3. Sean Connery 

Films: 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) [Non-Eon]   

The classic Bond, Sean Connery set the precedent for all of his predecessors, and it is without a doubt that he left big shoes to fill. It is through no fault of his that he is only third in my rankings; while his Bond films are still enjoyable today, it is just aesthetically difficult to compare a 2006 Craig film with a 1962 Connery film. The global environment was different, as were movies in general. However, you may of course disagree with my methodology of discounting older films versus newer ones (and thus older Bonds versus newer ones).     

4. Pierce Brosnan 

Films: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002)   

Looks-wise, Pierce Brosnan is probably my favorite Bond actor. I also thoroughly enjoyed GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough, both two of my top favorite Bond films. The problem, however, is Die Another Day. The film is fine from a general viewpoint, but it simply does not feel like a “Bond film.” Bond’s imprisonment in the beginning felt out-of-character, and for 2002, the gadgets, particularly the invisible car, seemed too over-the-top.      

5. Roger Moore 

Films: 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)   

Moore stars in the most James Bond films compared to the other five actors, yet quantity does not trump quality. While Live and Let Die is one of my favorites, some of his other films (Moonraker) have plotlines that border on outrageous, factoring in parody-esque space travel. Perhaps I would have liked him better as Bond if his films had more serious plotlines. (Again, perhaps a lot of this is due to the scriptwriters rather than the actor’s ability.)     

6. George Lazenby 

Films: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)   

Lazenby’s sole Bond film had some distinct Roger Moore-like moments, and for that, it is also hard to take him seriously. Plus, he was only in one film, and not a particularly memorable one at that. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is by no means a poor film; however it simply just did not stand out enough for me to consider Lazenby as one of my top favorite Bond actors, particularly since it is his sole appearance as the character.