James Bond

There is no character in cinema as synonymous with Great Britain as James Bond. Brought to the screen from the novels of Ian Fleming, Bond, codename 007, is Britain’s greatest and most maverick spy, risking life and limb for king and country. Over the years, he’s been depicted by some of the finest actors, including the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig.

Connery was the first to take on the mantle, introducing audiences to Bond’s many idiosyncratic cliches, including his “shaken not stirred” martinis, strange gadgets and sparkling Aston Martin DB5. The actor kicked off the series with some of the finest films in the entire history of Bond, including ‘From Russia With Love’, ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Thunderball’, ‘You Only Live Twice’, and ‘Diamonds are Forever’.

Lazenby took over for one movie sandwiched between Connery’s tenure before Moore and Dalton took Bond to cheesy new heights through the 1970s and 1980s. Creating some of the cheesiest films of the franchise, like ‘Moonraker’ and ‘The Living Daylights’, such films remain loved by fans.

Brosnan and Craig were the two Bonds that would modernise the character, bringing such classics as ‘Goldeneye’, ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Skyfall’ to the table. Craig, regarded as the best Bond by many, worked with a supporting cast that included Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Rory Kinnear to bring his contemporary action flicks to life.

As well as the movies, the franchise is also known for its theme tunes, enlisting the help of Adele, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, Louis Armstrong, Tom Jones, Madonna, Lulu and Shirley Bassey over the years.