Over the course of the movies you can see how the world of Hollywood changes, from the way Bond girls are treated to the special effects and camerawork going from strength to strength.
After 27 films, we’ve seen a plethora of actors come and go in the lead role, with varying degrees of success. Now, as the search goes on for the next James Bond, we thought we would take a trip back down memory lane.
Here are all seven James Bond actors ranked from best to worst.
5. Pierce Brosnan
The Pierce Brosnan era of James Bond (1994-2002) started in spectacular fashion with GoldenEye, but as the quality of the movies fell away, so seemingly did Brosnan's interest in playing the role. He was considered to be "closer" to Fleming's Bond than others on this list, however. | Getty Images
6. George Lazenby
George Lazenby is the only James Bond actor born outside the UK and Ireland, and it made him a controversial hire at the time; many consider his interpretation of 007 to be the worst in the franchise. | Eon
7. David Niven
A bit unfair to rank him dead last, considering he only did one Bond movie and even that was a parody (1967's Casino Royale) - but Niven's take on the character was devoid of any quality from the Ian Fleming novels, and certainly didn't capture anyone's imaginations as 007. | Roy Jones / Getty Images