14,000 fans voted for the best James Bond of all time and the results are in
The character of James Bond was first created by novelist Ian Fleming in 1952, and the now-iconic character has been featured in both television and film adaptations for decades. Although Barry Nelson first played the character of Bond in the TV adaptation of “Casino Royale,” most Bond fans are more familiar with the blockbuster movie iterations of James Bond.
In total seven actors have played Bond on the big screen: Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
But who is the best James Bond of all time?
According to a recent survey conducted by Radio Times, most people say Sean Connery is the best actor to have portrayed James Bond in the films. The tournament-style survey, which queried 14,000 Bond fans, saw Connery win top slot for best inhabiting the role of the panache spy.
It’s fitting Connery would be an audience favorite, as he is the actor who first portrayed James Bond in a movie adaption (1962’s “Dr. No”), and he also has more James Bond movies under his belt than any other Bond man. Connery has portrayed Bond a record six times, starring in such classics as “From Russia With Love,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball” and “You Only Live Twice.”
Despite the fact that Connery is considered the ideal Bond by many fans, the actor actually found himself eventually loathing the role.
“I have always hated that damned James Bond,” he reportedly said, according to The Guardian. “I’d like to kill him.”
Connery is not the only Bond actor to have been frustrated by the role. Daniel Craig has also complained about wanting out of the franchise.
Despite this, the 52-year-old has been in five Bond films, with his most recent film, “No Time To Die,” still awaiting release due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The film, which stars Craig alongside Ana de Armas, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes and Léa Seydoux, was set to be released on April 10, but has now been delayed to November 25 as a result of the pandemic.
Who is your favorite James Bond?