All 6 James Bond Actors’ Debut Movies, Ranked

Over the course of its 25-film run, Eon’s 007 series has seen six actors come and go, only to be replaced by another actor for a few films before the cycle repeats itself. Each and every one of these six actors added something to the role, pulling off the impeccable suave of the world’s greatest spy while delivering some great performances and action sequences. But this doesn’t always work out, especially not right at first.

The quality of the actor’s debut films vary based on multiple circumstances, but it can generally be agreed that all are good, some are just more flawed than others. Thus, it is necessary to see how an actor’s first James Bond movie can compete against some of the others, because it is usually a pretty good indication of how their tenure and time in the part is going to go.

6 ‘Live and Let Die’ (1973)

Starring Sir Roger Moore

Sir Roger Moore is definitely the actor who played Bond for the longest amount of time, starring in seven films, starting with his introductory role in 1973’s Live and Let Die. However, Sir Moore got off to kind of a rocky start with the first few movies. Live and Let Die isn’t bad at all, in fact it’s perfectly fine, but it suffered pretty heavily in a lot of major areas, though none of this is the fault of its primary actor.

Number one, there’s the introduction of Sheriff J. W. Pepper (Clifton James), who is by and large, the worst character ever brought into the film series’ canon due to his cartoonish demeanour and annoying speaking lines. But this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the movie’s flaws. Sir Moore was pretty good in his role and fit into it nicely, but as for the movie itself, it could have done a lot better. But it also could have been a lot worse.

5 ‘The Living Daylights’ (1987)

Starring Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton began his two-film tenure as James Bond with The Living Daylights, an entry in the franchise that was solid, albeit hardly remarkable. Dalton brought his own individual charm to the role, enhancing the character in ways unlike his predecessors, and sparking many discussions. Dalton has always been kind of a polarizing choice in the series–fans either love him in the role or hate him.

Regardless of opinion, though, The Living Daylights is pretty standard 007 fare, and even if it is a bit “safe,” it’s still lots of fun. The problem with Dalton’s films is that they aren’t the most memorable, in that they’re neither bad, nor amazing, so they tend to fall right in the middle when compared to others. Still, The Living Daylights is a good movie, just one that isn’t particularly daring or experimental, sticking to the status quo that the franchise had been establishing for years.

4 ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)

Starring George Lazenby

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the first and only film that stars George Lazenby as the British superspy. It’s also perhaps the most underrated film in the series. Lazenby may not be the finest Bond actor, but this movie is certainly exciting and different from the others. That’s not to say that Lazenby does a bad job, though. His short run as Bond saw the character experience more personal things like marriage and grief rather than going about his mission, romancing a pretty woman, and moving on.

Set in the picturesque Swiss Alps, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service marked a bit of a tone shift for the series, even if it didn’t last. Yet, it’s a movie that is quintessential to understand the canon of the movies, because it sort of ties all of them together, even the sequels that followed. It’s not the best Bond movie, but it’s a small, yet necessary part of the larger machine, one that has never, ever gotten the attention that it deserves.

3 ‘GoldeneEye’ (1995)

Starring Pierce Brosnan

Fans weren’t sure what to expect when Pierce Brosnan took up the mantle of James Bond for 1995’s GoldenEye, but were also hooked right from the moment he was first introduced. Before Brosnan even says a word, he makes quite an entrance by bungee jumping off the top of an arch dam. The rest of GoldenEye was just as exciting and spectacular, with larger-than-life stunts and brilliant performances by Brosnan and Sean Bean, who bounce off of each other in the traditional hero-villain way.

Unfortunately, this was Brosnan’s only good Bond film, as they kind of tapered off towards the end of his run. Still, the outstanding quality of his first time in the role more than makes up for the lackluster sequels, and is still one of the standout films in the franchise due to its pulse-pounding action and death-defying antics. It’s not just Brosnan’s best film as Bond, but it’s by far the best Bond film of the 90s, too.

2 ‘Casino Royale’ (2006)

Starring Daniel Craig

007 had been seriously lacking in the late 90s and early 00s, with the remainder of Brosnan’s films being a bunch of flops. It was clear that the series was due for a much-needed reboot in the form of Casino Royale, which did away with some of the old, more goofier conventions of the franchise and brought in some new grit, new tropes, and new talent. Daniel Craig starred as Bond in this soft reboot, and had quite the explosive entry into it.

This movie is one of the best Bond movies, with so many interesting action sequences, brilliant performances, and a much more serious tone, courtesy of Craig. Casino Royale proved to be a success, breathing new life into the franchise and properly ushering into the new millenium in a way that the previous installments could not. For many, Casino Royale is the best Bond film ever, so it definitely earns a top spot on the scoreboard.

1 ‘Dr. No’ (1962)

Starring Sir Sean Connery

You can’t beat the original. Dr. No isn’t just the first movie to star Sir Sean Connery, but it also the Eon 007 film in general. This movie introduced many of the classic tropes, recurring characters, and the overall structure of a Bond movie to the world, basing itself upon the written works of Sir Ian Fleming. Sean Connery’s name became synonymouis with James Bond after this film came out, and even to this day, he stands as being the very best, even all these years later.

As Bond executes his mission in and around the island of Jamaica, he crosses paths with the underground network known as SPECTRE, establishing an overarching villain for the rest of the franchise. To this day, Dr. No is among the most unique of the Bond flicks in the way it is handled, and set the stage for what would later become one of the longest-running franchises ever put to film. and is made infinitely better by Sir Connery’s timeless performance, which makes this the very best debut film in the 007 series.

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