Pros and Cons: Each Bond Actor
Absolutely_Cart
NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
There is no best or worst Bond actor. They're all great.
SEAN CONNERY
+ Was undeniably handsome and sexy
+ Put the James Bond films on the map
+ Was superb at flirting and romantic chemistry on-screen
+ Did the upper class luxurious British gentleman act well
+ Conveyed emotions during critical scenes
+ Balanced his Bond with both dark elements and humor
+ Invented and nailed those one-liners
x Sometimes felt more like a goofy poon-hound than a spy
x Performance became lazy and inconsistent after Goldfinger
x Was a nasty misogynist
GEORGE LAZENBY
+ Made Bond more down to earth and human
+ Was less macho and more emotionally responsive
+ Played a convincing monogamous Bond
+ Had the looks, physicality and fight for the role.
+ Sir Hilary Bray
x Hard to deal with on set. No chemistry with Rigg.
x Inconsistent performance. Stiff at times.
x Only had 1 movie
ROGER MOORE
+ Portrayed a family-friendly Bond which expanded the audience
+ Was a polite, charming and compassionate gentleman
+ Did a very good dark Bond in For Your Eyes Only
+ His Bond's adrenaline rushes when lives are in danger
+ Went very well with the camp, one-liners and humor
+ Was nicer to women than Connery was
+ Opened the interpretation of what Bond could be
+ Had an aversion to violence (was more of a diplomat)
x Was old in his last two films
x His romances lacked chemistry and believability.
TIMOTHY DALTON
+ Portrayed Bond faithful to Fleming's books, dark and coercive
+ Was a total clean break in personality than the actors before him
+ Influence the later decades of more intense violent films
+ The scenes of him raising hell and kicking ass were entertaining
+ The humor did work when tailored toward him (aka "problem eliminator")
+ A monogamous Bond who took the series away from the tired cliche
x Socially awkward, bad at flirting and lacked charisma at times
x Only two performances as Bond
PIERCE BROSNAN
+ Handsome, suave, looks great in a suit
+ A balance of Moore's wit and Dalton's darkness
+ Has a certain understated urbane charm about him
+ Modernized Bond with the success of Goldeneye
+ Experimented with a darker Bond in The World Is Not Enough
+ Does a really good job acting through with some bad writing
x His cavalier attitude can be seen as lazy and aloof by some
x Is as terrifying as a poodle when he gets angry.
DANIEL CRAIG
+ Portrays a tough-as-nails but emotional, vulnerable Bond
+ James Bond at his most three-dimensional
+ His chemistry on set with Eva Green.
+ Peer to no other Bond actor in his character immersion.
+ Takes the films out of the cliche rut.
+ Masculine decisiveness and power to him. (That body too)
+ Got the world to take James Bond seriously again.
x Lacks some grace and sophistication
x Is limited in his expressiveness
x Can't do humor very well
x The AK-47 male power fantasy thing
SEAN CONNERY
+ Was undeniably handsome and sexy
+ Put the James Bond films on the map
+ Was superb at flirting and romantic chemistry on-screen
+ Did the upper class luxurious British gentleman act well
+ Conveyed emotions during critical scenes
+ Balanced his Bond with both dark elements and humor
+ Invented and nailed those one-liners
x Sometimes felt more like a goofy poon-hound than a spy
x Performance became lazy and inconsistent after Goldfinger
x Was a nasty misogynist
GEORGE LAZENBY
+ Made Bond more down to earth and human
+ Was less macho and more emotionally responsive
+ Played a convincing monogamous Bond
+ Had the looks, physicality and fight for the role.
+ Sir Hilary Bray
x Hard to deal with on set. No chemistry with Rigg.
x Inconsistent performance. Stiff at times.
x Only had 1 movie
ROGER MOORE
+ Portrayed a family-friendly Bond which expanded the audience
+ Was a polite, charming and compassionate gentleman
+ Did a very good dark Bond in For Your Eyes Only
+ His Bond's adrenaline rushes when lives are in danger
+ Went very well with the camp, one-liners and humor
+ Was nicer to women than Connery was
+ Opened the interpretation of what Bond could be
+ Had an aversion to violence (was more of a diplomat)
x Was old in his last two films
x His romances lacked chemistry and believability.
TIMOTHY DALTON
+ Portrayed Bond faithful to Fleming's books, dark and coercive
+ Was a total clean break in personality than the actors before him
+ Influence the later decades of more intense violent films
+ The scenes of him raising hell and kicking ass were entertaining
+ The humor did work when tailored toward him (aka "problem eliminator")
+ A monogamous Bond who took the series away from the tired cliche
x Socially awkward, bad at flirting and lacked charisma at times
x Only two performances as Bond
PIERCE BROSNAN
+ Handsome, suave, looks great in a suit
+ A balance of Moore's wit and Dalton's darkness
+ Has a certain understated urbane charm about him
+ Modernized Bond with the success of Goldeneye
+ Experimented with a darker Bond in The World Is Not Enough
+ Does a really good job acting through with some bad writing
x His cavalier attitude can be seen as lazy and aloof by some
x Is as terrifying as a poodle when he gets angry.
DANIEL CRAIG
+ Portrays a tough-as-nails but emotional, vulnerable Bond
+ James Bond at his most three-dimensional
+ His chemistry on set with Eva Green.
+ Peer to no other Bond actor in his character immersion.
+ Takes the films out of the cliche rut.
+ Masculine decisiveness and power to him. (That body too)
+ Got the world to take James Bond seriously again.
x Lacks some grace and sophistication
x Is limited in his expressiveness
x Can't do humor very well
x The AK-47 male power fantasy thing
Comments
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
Pro:
The first and best Bond.
The whole package -- smart, handsome, confident, funny, serious.
Displayed the full range of emotions, as dictated by the scripts.
Con:
Dismissed too easily for his performances because of his iconic status.
Could be difficult and, at times, offensive in interviews.
George Lazenby
Pros:
A close contender with Connery in the whole package category.
For an amateur actor, carried himself reasonably well in a difficult role.
Probably the closest looking to Bond in the books, though like Connery, ridiculously tall for the part.
Cons:
Self-destructive and unable to see the big picture about Bond.
Worked with Peter Hunt, whose arty direction too often did not highlight Lazenby as an actor (fewer "beauty" shots, close ups, etc.)
Roger Moore
Pros:
Like Connery, very natural in the role -- he owned it during his tenure as much as his predecessor.
Able to effect comedy as well as drama.
Kept Bond viable even after the 1960s Spy Craze fizzled.
Cons:
Appeared in films of lesser quality and effort.
Focused too much on comedy and lightness in the role.
Timothy Dalton
Pros:
While not quite classically handsome, brought an edge and lean excitement to the part, especially in The Living Daylights.
Paved the way for a darker and more serious presentation that Daniel Craig would be credited for 20 years later.
A close second to Lazenby in looking like Bond in the books but closer to the character in temperament.
Cons:
Played Bond too much like it was a Shakespeare role (a Dalton trait), often coldly, alienating many audiences.
Arrived in the 1980s when people weren't sure exactly what kind of Bond film to make or how.
Pierce Brosnan
Pros:
Physically similar to Dalton but more model like, he nonetheless brought a greater range of emotions to the role.
For many audiences, the stereotype for who James Bond is.
Made Bond popular again.
Cons:
Never quite tough enough to pull off the darker Bond and did not play to his natural charm, making his Bond middling.
His approach to the role engendered films that likewise seemed to compromise, making them all workmanlike in their way.
Daniel Craig
Pros:
Correctly approached the role from the inside out while also building up a macho persona not seen since Connery.
A bonafide actor, spends more time on Bond's reactions than actions, making it easier for audiences to identify with the character.
Entirely believable in the role and even to the point of over-the-top action sequences.
Cons:
While brilliant for evoking Bond's strengths and vulnerabilities, much more limited in displaying other emotions that previous actors.
Light features should have been darkened, not just to appear more "classic" as Bond but so he doesn't wash out in bright light.
All of the actors playing James Bond have their strengths and weaknesses, of course. I've focused here on the primary ones. They all play a fantasy. All of them except Craig are too tall to be taken seriously as a spy -- they would be spotted easily in any non-western country and even in quite a few of them. As a blond, Craig's Bond would stick out even more in many places, though his height is more reasonable and probably the closest to Bond's in the Fleming books.
Pro:
+ charming sophisticated gentleman
+ great mix of raw- and lightness
+ "gettin' things done"
Con:
- some wooden fight scenes (only if you compare them to today's standards)
- his look really changed in only 9 years
GEORGE LAZENBY
Pro:
+ even more physical than Connery/good action scenes
+ he really would have turned out to be a great Bond if he'd continued
+ as opposed to many people I think his acting was fine enough
Con:
- basically just that he blew his Bond-career by being "arrogant" ( as he himself described him)
ROGER MOORE
Pro:
+ he made the franchise big again in '73
+ classic light Bond-movies that just entertain
+ very humerous/good one-liners (though some say they're cheesy)
+ he is the one who still loves his time as Bond
Con:
- some of his Bond girls are the stereotype
- lack of darkness
- made Bond a family thing (guess you could see that as a pro too)
TIMOTHY DALTON
Pro:
+ he really cared about Fleming's character
+ great action scenes
+ all over great films
Con:
- really not a "get-all-the-girls-without-any-effort"- Bond
- hiatus after LTK
PIERCE BROSNAN
Pro:
+ got Bond back on track with GE
+ he's a mix of Moore and Connery: witty and brutal
+ he had great looks/gentlemanlike
+ introduced me to Bond
Con:
- interviews where he says that he basically doesn't really care what happens to Bond aslong as
paycheck is right
- being a sod about Bond now (undertandably though)
DANIEL CRAIG
Pro:
+ great action scenes
+ he has potential to become one of my favourites
Con:
- lack of humor
- emotional backstory (but it's not really his fault), no disrespect of artistry though
Interesting because he desperately wanted the part at first?
Do you think that because the films were getting outlandish, he stopped taking it seriously?
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
I think that said interview took place around the
time of early shooting of TND so maybe he just saw the great benefits of being Bond
but didn't really mean it in that way
nontheless he always was and always will be my Bond -{
+ The very first Bond
+Intelligent
+Witty
+He was serious about the Role
+He had one of the greatest Fight Scenes in Bond History
- It felt like he was Sleepwalking in DAF
Lazenby -
+He played the Role with Conviction
+He was emotional
+His Fight Scenes (Although sped up) were entertaining
+He had some very memorable Lines
-His Performance was a bit wooden (It was his first Film don't forget)
Moore -
+He brought some new Elements to the Role
+He also seemed comfortable
+Like Lazenby, he had some very memorable Lines
+Witty
+He had some of the coldest Kills
+He kept Bond relevant
+He was probably the best dressed
-Too old by the Time he left
Dalton -
+Darker
+He played the Role closer to the Source Material
+He did a lot of his own Stunts
+Like with Connery, his Bond could break your Nose if you crossed him
-Not a lot of People gave him a Chance
-Sadly only made two Films
Brosnan -
+He made Bond relevant again
+He had the Charm and Wit of Moore
+He displayed the correct Emotions when the Script called for it
+He's the Bond I grew up with
-Due to the Scripts, he was not always able to show his full Potential (Not his Fault of course)
-He left the Series with DAD (Again, not his Fault)
Craig -
+Has played the Role more in Line with Connery and Dalton
+He kicked off with a cracker of a Film
+Can display a full Range of Emotions
+Has bedded some of the most beautiful Women in the Bond Franchise
-At Times, he came come off as a little Wooden
+ A panther-like charisma and natural dry wit unequaled to this day.
- His somewhat uncaring attitude towards the character post YOLT.
Lazenby-
+ His rugged physicality & natural ease.
- Obvious lack of acting chops.
Moore-
+ Saintly charm & smooth performances.
- Lack of sheer physicality.
Dalton-
+ Ultimate respect for the source material & general artistic integrity/intensity.
- Some wide-eyed theatrics.
Brosnan-
+ Genuine love for the role, smooth physical disposition, good one-liner delivery.
- Lacked push for his version of the character.
Craig-
+ Balls-out intensity, physicality & serious intent.
- Lacks natural charm & humour.
Yes, they ALL had & have something great to add to Bond.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
Thats true. He lacked the vision of where it was going - Dalton, Connery and Craig got Bond immediately - they are trained actors..
Brosnan, not so much...
people think Brosnan is not a trained actor ?
He spent three years training at The Drama Centre in London
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_Centre
Drama school = Acting, unless I'm mistaken.
Assume the actor has far more power to control a film, Brosnan didn't
Produce, direct or write any of his Bond films, like most actors he said the
Lines he was given as best he could and didn't bump into the furniture.
Sorry, he's not as strong an actor as Dalton, Connery or Craig. Should have said.
When he decided to try to be darker, the result was less natural and less believable because he was working against his greatest strengths in carrying a big entertainment like Bond. To say that he was at the mercy of the writers and producers is silly. Scripts are adapted to actors all the time. It's a collaboration. And actors with more clout often get what they want more. Brosnan may have had to make some concessions, but he would have had a lot of input on how he wanted to play Bond.
This is not to say that Brosnan can't play dark. He has when creating other characters and to varying degrees of success. But, those were not established characters, and thus they were not burdened with the inevitable comparisons that result. In essence, Brosnan tried to blend elements we'd seen before -- Moore's humor, Dalton's deadliness, Lazenby's athleticism, Connery's confidence -- when he was best suited for just being something closer to his own strengths. In terms of Bonds, this is Moore.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
This was magnified thousands of times in GoldenEye when pitted against Alec. Obviously the villain is going to come across as darker than Bond but Alec looked like he could have Bond for breakfast.
To be honest, we don't see Bond's fellow agents that much so can't see what makes him so special.
Brosnan's Bond was really the only "special" Bond. Connery's, Dalton's and Craig's Bonds certainly aren't the top agent like Brosnan's Bond is.
You mean "special" as in "special needs"
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Fixed!
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Too late. You already said that TLD and LTK were probably the best.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
CONNERY:
+Set the standard for the role.
+Had an impressive physique.
+Had a commanding presence.
+Had some great one-liners.
+Was convincing in fight scenes.
+Looked like a man that could easily seduce women.
+Was arguably the manliest Bond.
-His post-GF performances were weaker than his first 3 (at least, as far as EON films go).
-Had his share of weak one-liners.
-His Bond was arguably the most disrespectful one towards women.
LAZENBY:
+Was impressively built.
+Was convincing as an emotional Bond.
+Looked at home in the fight scenes.
+After the campyness of YOLT, brought Bond back to earth.
+Is the only Bond to have never used a single gadget.
-Didn't get to grow in the role, as he only had one film in the series.
-Wasn't much of an actor.
MOORE:
+Left a wide array of one-liners.
+Could be tough as well as funny.
+Was arguably the most elegant of the Bonds. He often came across like an English gentleman.
+Unlike Connery, he was a fairly consistent performer.
-Not the darkest of Bonds.
-Lacked physicality.
-Not believable in the fight scenes.
DALTON:
+By far the darkest Bond, especially in LtK.
+Looked like a killer.
+Had a fantastic delivery.
+Even though he has the reputation of having been a dark Bond, he could handle the humor well.
+Did his own stunts.
-Can be seen as too intense for his own good.
-Even the way he ordered a martini was intense.
-Only had 2 films in the series.
BROSNAN:
+Oozed charm and cool.
+Was a sophisticated Bond.
+Looked great when firing a machine gun.
+Looked believable as a ladies man.
+Had bits of humor and darkness, without being too much of either.
+Was slighly more believable than Moore in a fight scene.
+Was a consistent performer.
-Lacked physicality.
-Some might not like that his jack of all trades/master of none version of 007.
-Didn't really innovate in the role the way others did.
CRAIG:
+Has an impressive physique.
+Brought Bond back to earth, in a similar fashion to Lazenby.
+Like Lazenby, his was an emotional and vulnerable Bond.
+Can handle humor well.
+Is quite believable in a fight.
+His era has dramatically revolutionized the Bond franchise.
+Like Dalton, he does his own stunts.
-He arguably has the weakest delivery out of all the Bonds, although it has been strong sometimes.
-Arguably not the most fluid in terms of the use of his facial muscles.
-Falls short when it comes to having memorable one-liners.
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later