Taking on the role of James Bond is a seesaw act. Although the actor will be catapulted to the height of public popularity by creating movies for a British institution known the world over, they will thereafter always be associated with the suave, womanizing, tuxedo-wearing fictional spy.
Any subsequent role they take would come with a comparison to the time spent as Bond, James Bond. Any press questions inevitably will include how does it compare to Bond, James Bond? It's a very privileged cross to bear for a select handful of actors, who must almost prove to themselves that there is more to them behind saying "Bond, James Bond," shooting scores of anonymous human beings, or sipping that incorrectly made cocktail.
But as some (though not all) of the former 007's have proven, there is a fruitful life of reinvention outside the walls of MI6. Below, we rank the best films from Bond actors outside the famous film series.
6 George Lazenby - Becoming Bond (2017)
We more than understand that this one is cheating because it's literally about his time as James Bond, but it's a fascinating watch all the same. Also, Lazenby doesn't have an extensive filmography of great movies, hopping from country to country, making giallo movies in Italy and action flicks in Hong Kong. As the actor once said, "After the Bond fiasco nobody would touch me. Harry Saltzman had always said, 'If you don't do another Bond you'll wind up doing spaghetti westerns in Italy.' But I couldn't even get one of those." to
The doc-cum-biopic Becoming Bond unpacks the life of the actor that played the second James Bond, and the facets that come with the lifestyle of someone associated with the world's greatest secret agent. With fictionalized elements to help mold the timeline into a story (with a young Lazenby played by Josh Lawson), take everything that is said with a pinch of salt, as it is narrated directly by Lazenby himself. This is a great, surprisingly moving watch, however, and highly recommended for any up-and-coming actors. Lawson (above), also shined as Kano in the recent Mortal Kombat film and is definitely one to watch.
5 Peirce Brosnan - The Matador (2005)
With Pierce Brosnan starring as a bloated and emotionally ravaged assassin, The Matador feels intentionally anti-Bond. An antidote and a reminder that this actor is not 007, no, but more than capable of humor and is still distinctly very human. In what seems like an Americanized version of In Bruges three years before that Martin McDonagh masterpiece, Brosnan steals the show as a tormented but tender ex-killer reuniting with an old friend (played by Greg Kinnear).
Want to see more of Brosnan's wicked side? Check out his wonderful performance as a handsome scumbag muscling in on Robin Williams' kids in the classic Mrs Doubtfire. Regardless, one of the most delightful highlights of his career is The Matador, and simply watching Brosnan walk through a hotel adorned in simply a Speedo and mustache, smoking to the soundtrack, is a real joy.
4 Daniel Craig - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson (and an English-language remake of the original Swedish version) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a cynical look at privacy, misogyny, and family secrets. With Daniel Craig's Knives Out a close second, from director David Fincher (Se7en) comes this incredibly dark story of a computer hacker and a journalist teaming up to solve a murder mystery.
As a down-on-his-luck but determined journalist, Craig's baby blue eyes shine through as the horror and gothic grunge surrounding him builds towards its twisted climax. The partnership between its two leads feels like roses; all parts beautiful, but cutting if squeezed too tight. The film might be overlong, but it's so bleakly dark and cinematically striking that the runtime is a small complaint. The film also has a great Stellan Skarsgård, and the most infamous use of an Enya song in history.
3 Roger Moore - The Wild Geese (1978)
A gaggle (!) of English mercenaries are hired to rescue an African president, assumed dead. Assembling a hand-picked team of the best of the best (led by Richard Burton, with Roger Moore and Richard Harris), The Wild Geese is like a war movie version of one of the Oceans 11 movies. Introduced by Burton, Moore's character is first described as simply, "Shawn Fynn. Very good-looking." Moore follows it up by killing two men for selling dodgy gear in an intense and immediate response to his goofier Bond outings.
At times very funny, the impeccable cast shoot snappy dialogue back and forth between one another, with everyone getting their fair share of screen time to shine. The film has a great ensemble cast and is a lively example to anyone who says Roger Moore couldn't act. The blood-filled scramble of the film's last act is excruciatingly tense. Craving more Moore? Check out 1970's The Man Who Haunted Himself.
2 Timothy Dalton - Hot Fuzz (2007)
In the second part of The Cornetto Trilogy series of films from director Edgar Wright, an over-efficient police officer from London is sent to a small village in the country, completely devoid of any crime. That is, until a series of grisly deaths begin...
Timothy Dalton's casting in Hot Fuzz could not be more perfect as the suspicious Simon Skinner, charming but prone to moments of darkness. Dalton plays the store manager of Sandford's Somerfield store, which makes Hot Fuzz a regular reminder of the now defunct supermarket chain in the UK. In this comic whodunit, Dalton's delivery throughout is particularly smarmy and fork-tongued. In the DVD extras, Dalton himself would remark that one of the stunts in Hot Fuzz was one of the best that he had ever seen. Pretty high praise from a former Bond.
1 Sean Connery - The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Two former British soldiers travel to Afghanistan, using their superior combat knowledge and weapons over the locals there in a bid to steal treasure and become kings. But, when surviving a battle and being mistaken for the reincarnation of Alexander the Great, power and worship go to their heads. The Man Who Would Be King is a film about war, opportunity, and greed starring Sean Connery in a role so wildly far away from his Bond persona.
It's electrifying to watch as Sir Michael Caine and Sean Connery, playing two cheeky scoundrels, raise each other's game. The leads are absolutely brilliant, and it's a crying shame that we weren't given more of them together in other films. Come for Caine and Connery, stay for the film's wonderful sense of humor. The ending is a cracker.