Meet James Bond '007'

Officially, there have been six actors to play the role of British secret agent James Bond '007', those actors being Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and, next up, Daniel Craig. In addition, Sean Connery reprised the role of James Bond in the unofficial remake of Thunderball, which was called Never Say Never Again (a tongue in cheek title referring to Connery's statement years earlier that he would never again act in the role of 007). To complicate matters a bit, James Bond made appearances in two unusual versions of Casino Royale.

In 1954, the CBS television network aired a 1-hour, black and white drama based on Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale. This version of the story featured American actor Nelson Barry in the role of CIA agent "James Bond" and his counterpart was a British spy named "Clarence Leiter." Of course, this was a reversal of the roles as written by Ian Fleming and as traditionally portrayed in the Bond films. The situation was complicated even more in 1967, when Columbia Pictures released its own theatrical version of Casino Royale, which was actually a spoof of the official James Bond films. In the long and convoluted plot of this film, no less than a half-dozen James Bonds make appearances, among them David Niven as "Sir James Bond" (the "real" Bond), Peter Sellers as "Evelyn Themble aka James Bond" (a baccarat expert hired to pose as Bond), and Woody Allen as "Jimmy Bond" (Sir James' nephew).

So, without further delay, I'd like to introduce Mr. Bond ... James Bond.

Actor: Nelson Barry Place of Birth: United States Appearances: Casino Royale, 1954 (TV)

Actor: Sean Connery Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland Appearances: Dr. No, 1962 (#1) From Russia With Love, 1963 (#2) Goldfinger, 1964 (#3) Thunderball, 1965 (#4) You Only Live Twice, 1967 (#5) Diamonds Are Forever, 1971 (#7) Never Say Never Again, 1983 (#13a)

Actor: David Niven Place of Birth: Angus, Scotland Appearances: Casino Royale, 1967 (#5a)

Actor: George Lazenby Place of Birth: Australia Appearances: On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969 (#6)

Actor: Roger Moore Place of Birth: Stockwell, London, England Appearances: Live and Let Die, 1973 (#8) The Man With The Golden Gun, 1974 (#9) The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977 (#10) Moonraker 1979, (#11) For Your Eyes Only 1981, (#12) Octopussy 1983, (#13) A View To A Kill, 1985 (#14)

Actor: Timothy Dalton Place of Birth: Colwyn Bay, Wales Appearances: The Living Daylights, 1987 (#15) Licence To Kill, 1989 (#16)

Actor: Pierce Brosnan Place of Birth: Drogheda County, Louth, Ireland Appearances: Goldeneye, 1995 (#17) Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997 (#18) The World Is Not Enough, 1999 (#19) Die Another Day, 2002 (#20)

Actor: Daniel Craig Place of Birth: Chester, England Appearances: Casino Royale, 2006 (#21) Bond 22, 2008 (#22)

As you might expect, there's disagreement among fans of the James Bond films as to which actor is the "real" James Bond -- the one who made the most out of the character created by Ian Fleming. In my mind, each actor brought something of himself into the role and each IS James Bond. But I'd have to say that as the first, Sean Connery has a special place. He set the standard against which all future versions of James Bond have been and always will be measured. Roger Moore brought a keen sense of humor and a sophistication, Timothy Dalton brought a rougher and more brutal edge (especially in License to Kill), and Pierce Brosnan perhaps better than the others, brings the character back to the balance of Sean Connery's original portrayal. Unfortunately, Brosnan was replaced for 2006's official version of "Casino Royale" by Daniel Craig, a relatively unknown (at least in the U.S.) blond actor. It remains to be seen how this actor's portrayal of James Bond stacks up against his predecessors.

Finally, a few comments about the one actor who is often dismissed as an "imposter" among the "big four" James Bond actors -- that being Australian George Lazenby. In my opinion, criticism of his portrayal of James Bond is unwarranted because he did an admirable job in a very difficult situation, that being of an unknown actor following immediately in the shadow of Sean Connery. In fact, when I look back at the various Bond films, On Her Majesty's Secret Service stands out as one my personal favorites in the series. In part it's because of the fabulous portrayal of Tracy Di Vincenzo brought to the film by the lovely Diana Rigg, but also Lazenby brought a sense of vulnerability to James Bond that climaxed tragically with the death of the only "Bond girl" that '007' ever fell in love with. In my opinion, George Lazenby can stand proudly next to the other four as James Bond '007'.