The best James Bond: Every actor who’s played 007, ranked

7. David Niven (1967)

Not many people realize there was, in fact, seven actors to take on the highly coveted super spy role. Still, David Niven did play the part in the first big-screen live-action adaptation of the famous Ian Fleming novel Casino Royale. Niven was actually the author’s first choice to play the character he created in his books and his take was more in line with the literary version, which isn’t always the best strategy when it comes to adaptations. This is precisely why this spy is at the back of the line, and despite the author’s admiration, his turn isn’t license to kill material.

Connery had already put the role on the map with his previous iterations before Niven took over. His smooth, more aggressive direction had already become established, which inevitably made it difficult for Niven’s concept of an elderly agent to work on screen. The idea of an older Bond didn’t resonate well with audiences, and his characterization doesn’t feel right for the part. Overall the film is regarded as a goofy, dated parody of a spy film filled with cliches from the genre that is arguably one of the least favorites of all the titles within the franchise, which is understandably why he is not in the upper echelon of those with 007 status.