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

4. Roger Moore (1972-1985)

Roger Moore had the daunting task of replacing Sean Connery after the latter became synonymous with playing the character since the start of 007’s cinematic legacy. The famed British actor’s take is the most light-hearted of all the iterations of the man audiences see through the barrel of a gun every time an adventure begins. His memorable campy take on the spy with a license to kill began with 1973’s Live and Let Die all the way to 1985’s A View To Kill, making him and Connery the actors who have played the part the most times so far, both tied at seven films a piece. While the debate rages on about his place in the spy Hall of Fame, one thing no one can deny is that Moore did help tun the franchise into the juggernaut it is today.

A lot of fans consider Moore to be the real James Bond that eclipses the competition. The cartoonish direction the franchise took with Moore in the lead helps sell the hokey gadgets and silly charm but overall feels like a parody of past and future installments. One thing no one can argue is that the British actor was consistent in his tenure as James Bond. While he does get points for persistency and some of his titles are classics of the franchise, it’s hard to take this interpretation seriously enough to give it a higher ranking.