The three non-British actors who have played James Bond
Moaning about the weather, taking pride in forming queues, and quietly tutting at major inconveniences: these are quintessentially British character traits that have been wheeled out for generations. Within the world of film, however, it is difficult to think of any character as quintessentially British as James Bond.
Armed with otherworldly gadgets, sharp wit, and even sharper suits, the suave secret agent has been captivating cinema audiences since Ian Fleming’s character was first translated onto the silver screen by Sean Connery in 1961’s Dr No. Despite the character’s unwavering Britishness, the actors who have taken on the role throughout the expansive history of the character have not always hailed from this sceptred isle.
Online discourse, some of it particularly vicious, would have you believe that James Bond being played by anybody other than a straight, white, British male is sacrilegious. You can seldom mention the possibility of altering these restrictive expectations without a furious ear-full about ‘utter woke nonsense’ and citing the character traits originally penned by Ian Fleming all those years ago.
Interestingly, Fleming was often quite vague about Bond’s physical characteristics, though he did note that Bond had a scar on his cheek and a skin graft on his hand—both things that have never made an appearance in the film series. Nevertheless, Bond has always been unwavering in his Britishness, hasn’t he? Well, no is the short answer. Three different actors who have taken on the role of James Bond over the decades have not been British.
Although Sean Connery was the first actor to portray Bond in the Eon Productions James Bond franchise—the one that continues to this day—the Scottish actor was not the first to play Bond. Years before the release of Dr No, Bond appeared in an episode of the television series Climax! in the US. In that programme, the spy was portrayed by the American actor Barry Nelson.
Nelson’s 1954 portrayal of the character on CBS flew under the radar for most audiences, and Sean Connery’s Dr. No was the first time that mass audiences were introduced to the enduring character. Connery, of course, was born in Edinburgh in 1930, but his successor hailed from the other side of the world entirely. After You Only Live Twice, Connery left the series, and the producers recruited Australian actor Geroge Lazenby to take on the role for 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Lazenby became the third-ever actor to play Bond on the silver screen, behind Connery and David Niven, who played the role in the 1967 satirical adaptation of Casino Royale. While the Australian might not have been a popular Bond, lasting only for one film, he holds the title of being the first non-British actor to play the spy in a film role. However, he would not be the last.
Prior to Daniel Craig, the role of the Martini-drinking agent was held by Irish actor Pierce Brosnan, who recently claimed that it’s a “given” that a British actor should play James Bond. What’s more, Brosnan is among the most beloved Bond actors of the series, giving memorable performances in stand-out films like Goldeneye and Die Another Day.
How many James Bond actors have been English?
In addition to the fact that three non-British actors have taken on the role of Bond over the decades, it is worth remembering that only three Bond actors have been born in England. Sean Connery, as previously discussed, was born in Scotland with an Irish heritage, while Timothy Dalton is a proud Welshman hailing from Colwyn Bay. The only English actors to take on the role have been David Niven, Roger Moore, and, of course, Daniel Craig.
So, while the nationality, race, and gender of any future James Bond actors might be a hot-button topic as of late, as the replacement for Daniel Craig is still up in the air, it is important to look back upon the history of the character in film and media. Like it or not, some of the most memorable Bond moments have resulted from the performances of international actors who might not fit within the expectations of modern audiences.
