10 The actors who have played James Bond 10 The actors who have played James Bond Description This article is from the James Bond FAQ , by Michael Reed reed55@core.com with numerous contributions by others. 10 The actors who have played James Bond A few talented men have gotten to portray James Bond. We start with the EON five, and then the others as well. Note that Roger Moore is older than Sean Connery. A - Sean Connery, born August 25, 1930. Played Bond from 1962-1967, 1971, 1983. A Scot with minimal credits to his name in 1962, he was handpicked by Broccoli and Saltzman to star in the first Bond motion picture. There is less dialogue for Connery than in future turns, and his name was not marketed particularly heavily in the release of either of the first two films. But Connery proved to be the perfect person to assimilate Fleming's cold warrior on screen. He was tough yet suave, strong yet smooth, and able to appeal to both ticket buying genders.

By the time of his fifth outing, "You Only Live Twice", the marketing machine said he "IS James Bond". While true in the public's mind, Connery tired of the constant pressure of the role and the potential to suffocate any other projects he wanted to be involved in. He left after 1967 and declined to appear in the sixth release. After a lackluster box office performance, EON prodded and finally got their star back for the seventh outing, "Diamonds Are Forever". Then Connery left once more, stating he would "never again" portray the superspy that he had made a phenomenon. But he did come back for a reprise, in 1983's "Never Say Never Again". For the story on that film, see Brief #1, Section #10, E "Thunderball / Never Say Never Again". Connery has said in interviews that he is proudest of "From Russia With Love". However, he made a severe and nasty break from the Broccoli clan and any thought of him returning to the EON series in any capacity is a pipe dream. Connery won an Academy Award for his supporting role in 1987's "The Untouchables".

He is still an A-list box office draw to date and is also staunch in his support of his native Scotland. While he did not look like Ian Fleming's written character on the surface, he was impressive enough to earn the ultimate praise. Fleming himself had his character assume some of Connery's roots in "You Only Live Twice". He told IMBD.com in 2002 that there is no chance of him returning to EON's series, particularly not as a villain. "Absolutely no way - I could never be an enemy of James Bond." B - George Lazenby, born September 5, 1939. Played Bond in 1969. The only Bond star to make a solitary film appearance, George Lazenby won the role after a worldwide search. He was actually an Australian wrestler, car salesman and model who excelled in physical presence and impressed the producers. But he was not prepared for the glimmer of fame and fortune that came with the part. He was cast in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", one of Fleming's most detailed and harrowing novels. It required more characterization than the typical Bond fare and Lazenby faced an uphill battle to achieve it.

Director Peter Hunt ignored him at one point, though it was an unwitting mistake. During filming of some emotional scenes, Hunt wanted his star to relate to the isolation Bond would be feeling so he left him alone. Lazenby did not take this as direction or method of acting, but rather a lack of respect by the director. He complained publicly and friction grew between the men, which was duly noted by the press. He also had trouble with female lead Diana Rigg. The most famous example of tension between them, however, is actually a myth. Before a kissing scene, Rigg was heard telling Lazenby at lunch that she was having "garlic with [her] pate." She meant it to be humorous but it was easily taken out-of-context given Lazenby's tenuous relationship with Hunt and EON. While in later years he did complain about Rigg's ego, the Bond actor never validated this story. What did him in, in the end, was as much box-office failure as his own immaturity. The fans were being exposed to a new leading actor who had burned bridges with Broccoli and Saltzman before the film was in release. It would have been a hard sell following Connery in the best of circumstances.

With EON trying its best to hide his face in the nominal promotion they did for the film, not to mention the script's deviation from the usual Bond formula, Lazenby was ill fated. Critics and fans at the time were quick to place the blame squarely on the actor and EON was quick to publicly agree with that assessment. They seemed to disregard the film for years afterward. His own career was spotty at best after his big break. Lazenby appeared in "The Kentucky Fried Movie" and spoofed the Bond image in, among other things, the TV movie "Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. " and the CD-ROM game, "Spy Hunt". In time, many Bond fans would come to regard "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" as a high point in the series. C - Roger Moore, born October 14, 1927. Played Bond from 1973-1985. Already an established personality via television's "The Saint" and "The Persuaders", Roger Moore stepped into the role at a time when the series was facing a crisis. Connery had left for a second time, after a successful commercial entry.

EON knew that they had to avoid the difficult sequence of events when Lazenby was hired. So for the first time they did not look at unknown actors and hired Moore, who had been approached for the role earlier in his career. Evidence suggests that he was an initial consideration for the first Bond film. It is endlessly speculative to suggest what would have happened had he landed the role. Be that as it may, he instead saw Sean Connery become a household figure and wanted no part of replacing him in 1969. But after 1971 he was willing to give it a go. It is odd that so many things in his debut, 1973's "Live And Let Die", stood in stark contrast to the previous entries in the series. It featured a new composer for the first time in ten years and the first rock 'n' roll theme song. Combined with focusing on Moore as an attractive leading man, EON seemed to market Bond as a youthful icon. While kids from ten years before had loved Connery, it cannot be said that the films were aimed at that teenaged audience. Yet it was clear that demographic was of utmost importance by the 1970's.

Moore came into his own with his third entry, "The Spy Who Loved Me". He would start squawking about retirement as early as 1979. He meant it firmly in 1983 but still cam back for a final swan song in 1985. By then no one could hide from three obvious conclusions. First, that Moore had aged so much as to be unbelievable in the role. Two, that his lighthearted approach had made Bond accessible to a large audience but had made him closer to a comic book hero than a serious role. And three, that despite both of the previous points, Moore cast a large shadow that EON would have a tough time trying to fill. D - Timothy Dalton, born March 21, 1946. Played Bond on screen in 1987-1989, and stayed with the role publicly until 1994. Timothy Dalton earned the role of Bond only after Pierce Brosnan was prevented from taking the reins from Moore due to a contract conflict with the NBC television show "Remington Steele". It was Dalton's second time approaching the role.

He wanted no part of it in 1971, saying in a 1987 interview on "Good Morning America" (and elsewhere) that he turned it down because he was "too young" for it and because of the imposing legacy of Connery. His first outing was "The Living Daylights". The script, originally written with Moore's character in mind and tweaked slightly for what would have been Brosnan's approach, was adjusted noticeably for Dalton. The film was a bit more serious in tone and viewers could not help but compare Dalton's physicality and attempt to restructure the character in comparison to Moore, 19 years his senior. The next film, "Licence To Kill", was written for Dalton's strengths as an actor. He had indeed read the Fleming novels, and wanted to use them as a backdrop for his interpretation of Bond. The film enjoyed huge popularity across the world - except in the USA. The MGM/UA advertising campaign, easily the weakest for a Bond film, was a result of the studio wrestling with huge legal and financial troubles and helped doom the film in the midst of a very competitive box office season.

Nonetheless, plans proceeded for Bond 17 with Timothy Dalton still signed on for that film and at least one more. But a series of events cropped up that estranged EON from its studio, the most notable being the selling of television rights of the EON series. When at last these issues were resolved and work resumed on Bond 17 (eventually known as "GoldenEye"), Dalton surprised many by announcing he would NOT return as Bond. The public, he said, had associated him with the role for eight years, and that was long enough for him. He was eager to move on to new challenges. He left the 007 family in the spring of 1994. Cubby Broccoli and his daughter Barbara stated many times that they were disappointed to lose Dalton. The official account endorsed by Dalton, EON, and MGM/UA, is that Dalton left the series of his own accord. Dalton remains a friend of the Broccoli family and spoke kindly of Cubby when he died.

There is credible evidence to suggest that by 1994 the powers that be inside MGM/UA made it clear that they would not support a new Bond film starring Dalton but as of yet the smoking gun has yet to uncovered for ballistic testing. E - Pierce Brosnan, born May 16, 1953. Began in 1995, and is the current star of the franchise. In the end, it was a great thing that Pierce Brosnan had to wait to secure the role of the world's most famous secret agent. By the time he was introduced, Brosnan looked the part and was truly hungry to succeed. By replacing Dalton instead of Moore, he was able to avoid either following Moore's lighthearted lead or be compared in reaction to it. Dalton pleased hardcore Fleming fans with his darker, more realistic portrayal of Bond. But the fans of Moore's approach were never as smitten with him. Brosnan has proven to surprise both camps. He has played Bond straight but with verve. And Brosnan has that X factor. He has embodied the same charisma that Connery had once brought into the role. He has made Bond "cool" to the masses once again.

He has been able to handle the publicity and the expectations with panache. Best of all, he has won over the majority of critics and fans alike. Brosnan has indicated he is interested in doing a fifth, and final, turn as James Bond, following the 2002 release of "Die Another Day". As of now, EON is NOT SEEKING A NEW BOND. Any speculation at this time is not only premature, but also wholly false. F - Barry Nelson, born April 16, 1920. Played Bond in 1954. American born Nelson was the first actor to portray James Bond. In was not, however, a theatrical release. Instead in was on episodic television. See Brief #2, Section #10, A "Casino Royale - the television episode" G - David Niven, born March 1, 1910. Played Bond in 1967. A film star from features like "The Guns Of Navarone", "Bonjour Tristesse" and "The Pink Panther", David Niven was cast in the Bond spoof "Casino Royale".

For details about it, go to Brief #2, Section #10, B "Casino Royale - the movie". The Scot actor, who usually answered to English when abroad, died in 1983 of ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease). James Bond: 12(!) actors, and 26 movies in 54 years James Bond: 12(!) actors, and 26 movies in 54 years James Bond: 12(!) actors, and 26 movies in 54 years 554,008 views the 6 best-known actors to play 007. I’ve been looking for a list of all James Bond movies in chronological order myself more than once in the past, so when I eventually found the information I figured I’ll make it a little easier for others to find as well by posting it here. The release date for the upcoming Bond movie, ‘Bond 25′[ sic ], is as of yet unknown.

26 movies In the past 54 years, a total of 26 James Bond films has been made: title Spectre 2015 (Should you wish to purchase a movie from Amazon UK, click on the Union Jack behind the title.) 12 actors And no less than 12 actors have portrayed James Bond in the media. In chronological order: Barry Nelson , Bob Holness , Sean Connery, Roger Moore, David Niven, George Lazenby, Christopher Cazenove , Timothy Dalton, Michael Jayston , Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig & Toby Stephens . [ main source ] (Did you get to 12 when you counted the actors in your head? I didn’t… 😎 ) Like this: Reply connery hands down was the best then brunson and then craig and of course daltun now iys 2017 when is the next movie coming out i need my fix and ive seen every movie and to me all the other bond men werent sexy enough Domnic Rezoreya I love Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig Bond movies specially Goldeneye and Casino royale Dennis Reply By far, the most believable James Bond is Daniel Craig.

Come on people, no secret agent can go completely unscathed like Moore or Bronson. Second best is Connery. In last place is Lazenby, what a homely, unattractive fellow. Whomever follows Craig in the Bond series has huge shoes to fill, I hope the producers feel the same way. Ty Terry Conerey by far. End of discussion Cathy The best movies from I like this 007 movies Paulito Coronacion During my younger years, I remember still when I am an elementary student I love watching James Bond films I’m a avid fan of those movies now a senior citizen still watching them repeatedly….. Mark C Reply The only ‘sole’ Bond – of the official series – I can think of is George Lazenby. If you watch the documentary Everything or Nothing, the Untold Story of James Bond, he made “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and then hooked up with an agent who convinced him that Bond wouldn’t last! Mark C You could arguably make it 13, if you count (I think) Bob Simmons who is the ‘Bond’ in the opening ‘gun barrel’ sequences of the first couple of films? Mark arnett Reply I think Roger Moore was a great bond.

He had the best Whitty jokes and a kill or after shagging a women or when interacting with Q. I was born in 1989 but I own all the films and my top 3 go Daniel Craig, Roger Moore, and of course Sean Connery. I love them all tho I don’t think dalton was that great of a bond just like Andy dalton isn’t that great of a Quarterback. Still I love Bond movies and when Craig stops I really hopeople they can find someone that can really fill the shoes of 007 James Bond. Todd All I have to say is Sean Connery by far is the best James Bond. Mary Elaine Wityshyn Great job on the site one thing I wanted to ask did odd job appear in the films after goldfinger Marsha Johnson Hated All of Roger Moore’s James Bond Movies!!!! I felt he truly did a disservice to the Bond Legacy. He played bond like a cartoon character…. I haven’t missed any Bond movie premiere at the movies until Roger Moore!!!! Truly dissatisfied. DAVID Young I’ve started watching the films, based on your chronological order. Up to number ten now. Had to buy a couple off amazon. But the rest on British TV.

Thank you for listing it. James J Pepper Reply EXCUE ME!! American ACTOR Barry Nelson played Jimmy Bond, a CIA agent on PLAYHOUSE 90 on CBS Network, Sunday night. Reply I see no mention of ‘Playhouse 90’ in the filmography of Barry Nelson. You are right though in the part that Barry Nelson portrayed an American secret again (although not CIA). He was referred to both as ‘Jimmy’ and ‘James’ in the episode of ‘Climax!’ . -n. I would also put forward that Sean Connery’s character in “The Rock” was a retired SAS captain… An obvious throwback, if you ask me. Diane Granger Reply Would love to see a real Bond weekend with all of the movies. Must be a license issue as to why we don’t get to see them all. Daniel Craig is great but he was looking a little old in Sky Fall. The James Bond roll is so demanding. A few actors only did one movie so there wasn’t much of a connection made with 007.

Mags It was a comedy, also had woody Allen Scotty Gagel Reply I was 10 years old when I first saw James in “Dr No” in 1962. I was an instant lifelong fan. Sean Connery was so cool and dangerous. Then came Roger Moore who I never, never liked as Bond. He always seemed to be trying too hard to be cool, and he never seemed dangerous at all. I was sucked he was cast in so many Bond movies. But compared to some of the disasters in casting Bond, (Lazenby, Dalton, Niven, I guess Moore wasn’t that bad, yet none of them came close to Connery IMHO. They cast Brosnan in 1995 and while he wasn’t as physical or very dangerous, he played the part with a lot of substance and brought an air of distant coolness that the character and the series badly needed. Then came Daniel Craig. WOW!! His 4 Bond movies are by far the best since Connery. He is the toughest Bond yet, even tougher than Connery. He is very cool without trying to be cool. And the women swoon over him and the men want to be like him.

The perfect James Bond for today’s audiences. I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but he has replaced Sean Connery as my favorite Bond. He now sets the standard for which future actors must try and achieve with their Bond characters. I know many people will disagree with me and that’s okay. That’s why we have discussions like this, so that many opinions can be heard. Cheers!! Don O'Neal You missed it, it was on last night -n. Reply I grew up, loving the series (thanks, dad!) and I’ll always judge every Bond against Sean Connery (Pierce Brosnan made me sick– far too soft for Bond). But I must say, that I really like Daniel Craig. I really hope Daniel makes it to 7 eps. Leelee Reply thanks for this list had been searching for the years and order now I finally have it all. Pierce Brosnan was not a good bond for me didn’t feel he could ever match the finesse of Moore and Connery Lazenby Dalton and Craig but that’s just me loved him as Remington Steele when I was young and thought he would be a good Bond but was dissapointed BOND ROCKS! So Happy Daniel Craig has carried on.

the Bond tradition however would Love to see Timothy Dalton come back and do another one and hated that George Lazenby only did one he was Great! But of course Moore and Connery are still and always will be the Top Bonds Ever!!!!! Go Team Bond! Leelee Eddie Reply Matthew, thans for your reply. I have watchers again thuis movie and I believe I know which scene you mean. Unfotunately, this is not the scene that I remember. ( I hope it is not only my fantasy ) Als far als I remember it was Roger Moore who deliberately hided in a coffin, pretending to be dead. When it is time for action his watch starts pulsating on his polse to wake him. He even cotrols his breathing. I hope I was more clear now and I hope somebody van help me out here because I’m getting real frustrated here. Thanks. Reply A possibly underrated movie in this day and age, The World Is Not Enough, came in 1999 if you read the chart. It features Pierce Brosnan and a submarine fight, not to mention a boat chase and a huge twist that I didn’t see coming. No spoilers for you though!

I got my copy from a thrift store and it runs perfectly Nadine Francis Reply They started out so silly with corny jokes and poor acting and now they are excellent. My favorite is Daniel Craig. Excellent actor and serious 007. I had just come home from the USN when the first one came out. Had to have my VHS copies made into DVD’s. Joe Reply I think the first Bond was the original Bond, 1900-1989 ( ) He was James Bond before anyone else was James Bond and in Die Another Day (2002), Pierce Brosnan as Bond holds up a book that the original James Bond wrote 🙂 Rob Reply Hmm, it was a bit of an in-between. It was indeed not a feature-length movie, but it doesn’t really meet the criteria (‘a coherent narrative unit within a larger dramatic work such as a film or television series’) of an episode either since the episode before and after the James Bond-one were in no way coherent to it. 😎 D Laghezza Reply In the Niven spoof CASINO ROYALE, Woody Allen played his nephew, Jimmy Bond.

I think it might be fair to include him if we are going to list a South African radio show actor that no one outside that country is likely to have heard. He (Connery) needed to revive his career in 1971’s Diamonds are Forever and mostly needed the money in 1983’s Never say never again. (:>) Jai Brar Reply False bring. George Lazenby took to too much partying and womanising so they had to let him go. His movie On her majesty’s secret service also dint do too well and bond was still not fully established so they had to bring Sean connery back. Never say never again was not an official bond movie. Sean cannery only did it to spike Albert r broccoli as they had a fall out after you only live twice as they were not paying him well and the two had other differences. You can watch “everything or nothing” the untold story of 007 Ron King Bond. James Bond. A Statistical Look at Cinema’s Most Famous Spy | CHANCE Bond. James Bond. A Statistical Look at Cinema’s Most Famous Spy • Articles Derek S.

Young In 1953, the literary world was introduced to the fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond, a.k.a. 007. The character was conceived by author Ian Fleming, who drew upon some of his experiences as a British Naval Intelligence officer during World War II. Fleming wrote 12 James Bond novels and nine short stories before he died from heart disease in 1964. Fleming’s 007 novels achieved moderate success and critical acclaim; however, what catapulted James Bond into the pantheon of cultural icons was the introduction of the character portrayed by Sean Connery in 1962’s “Dr. No.” As of 2013, there have been 23 official James Bond films produced and released by Eon Productions, six actors have donned the tuxedo as 007, and numerous cultural influences can be attributed to the secret agent. The films have enjoyed enormous success and popularity spanning their 50-year tenure. When not adjusting for inflation, the Bond franchise is ranked number two on the list of most successful film franchises worldwide, behind the “Harry Potter” films and above the “Star Wars” films.

In fact, it has been estimated that around 20% of the world’s population has seen at least one James Bond film. James Bond also has been the subject for academic discourse. For example, Christoph Lindner edited the 2010 book The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader , which is an essay collection providing theoretical perspectives on James Bond as a cultural figure. Daniel Savoye’s 2013 book, The Signs of James Bond: Semiotic Explorations in the World of 007 , provides a critical analysis of the formulaic elements that comprise James Bond films. There also have been university topics courses that explore themes and issues conveyed through the James Bond films and novels. Such courses have been offered at Missouri State University, Thiel College, and the University of Michigan. In this article, we analyze the James Bond films from a statistical perspective and provide data visualizations of various aspects of the films. We build a multivariate regression model to dissect the box office totals (adjusting for inflation) and average ratings when considering other variables about the films. Using our model, we provide a prediction region for the box office gross and average rating score of the next James Bond film.

We also provide a ranking of the actors who have played James Bond in an attempt to answer an often-debated question that even Q has surely struggled with: Who is the best Bond? The Data As noted earlier, we only include the ‘official’ movies produced by Eon Productions. In addition to these 23 movies, there have been a few ‘unofficial’ James Bond movies made. The unofficial films are the 1954 made-for-TV movie “Casino Royale,” the 1967 comedic spoof “Casino Royale” starring David Niven, and the 1983 competing film “Never Say Never Again,” which is a remake of “Thunderball” and stars Connery. Table 1 shows some of the data for the movies we use in our analysis. The table includes the year each film was released, the name of the film, which actor portrayed James Bond, worldwide gross for the film (in $1000) adjusted for inflation, the budget for the film (in $1000) adjusted for inflation, and the average online ratings for the films. The original box office totals and budgets were retrieved from , a website that maintains box office history and other statistics about movies.

These values were adjusted to 2013 dollars using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator, which uses the Consumer Price Index and was accessed on April 3, 2013. The average user ratings were pulled from each movie’s webpage on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes , both of which were also accessed on April 3, 2013. These websites allow users to rate movies on a scale from 1 to 10. For the James Bond films, the user ratings between these two websites are highly correlated, with a Pearson correlation of +0.8868. Thus, for our analysis, we average the pairs of user ratings. Table 1—Official James Bond Films by Release Year Note: The worldwide gross and budget are both adjusted to 2013 dollars. In addition to the variables presented in Table 1, we consider the following about each film for our analysis: Length of the theatrical release Number of ‘conquests’ James Bond had Number of martinis Bond had Number of times “Bond.

James Bond.” was stated Number of kills by Bond Number of kills by characters other than Bond Whether the theme song peaked within the top 100 on the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The values for the number of kills by Bond and the other characters were obtained from data published on a data blog at The Guardian’s website. Exploratory Data Analysis A timeline of the adjusted worldwide gross is given as a bubble plot in Figure 1, where the scale of the bubbles reflects the average user rating of the film. From this plot, we note a few interesting aspects about the James Bond films. First is that with the exception of the lone George Lazenby film, the first film by each actor had higher adjusted worldwide gross sales than the last film by the previous actor. We can see that Roger Moore, whose tenure as James Bond was the longest with seven films, tended to decrease across time in both adjusted worldwide gross sales and average user ratings. Regarding the Pierce Brosnan films, they tended to be consistent in terms of the adjusted worldwide gross sales.

Finally, we see that the most recent Daniel Craig film, “Skyfall,” is currently the highest-grossing James Bond film and has the second-highest average user rating, just behind Connery’s “Goldfinger.” Figure 1. Bubble plot showing the adjusted worldwide gross of James Bond films by the year they were released We also provide a stacked area chart of the cumulative sales of the James Bond films in Figure 2. This chart is in terms of millions of U.S. dollars, where the sales are adjusted to 2013 dollars. We see that the cumulative U.S. sales have increased consistently over time. However, the total world sales have increased at a greater rate relative to just the U.S. sales, especially given the success of “Skyfall.” For example, as of 2013, “Skyfall” is the highest-grossing film of all time in the United Kingdom. Figure 2. Stacked area chart of cumulative sales of the James Bond films Next, we look at two vices associated with James Bond: martinis and conquests of female companions. Figure 3 is a bar chart showing the distribution of these two vices by each James Bond actor.

Overall, the average number of conquests per Bond is similar across the actors. Moore has the highest number, but he also starred in the most films. The distribution of martinis by each actor is noticeably more variable. For example, Moore has the lowest average number of martinis while Craig has both the highest total and average number of martinis. In fact, Craig’s James Bond is the only one whose martini count exceeds his conquest count. Figure 3. Bar chart showing total number of martinis and conquests by Bond actor. Dashed lines represent the mean for that actor. While James Bond is infamous for his vices, he is also known for his license to kill. Figure 4 is a bubble plot showing each James Bond actor’s kill ratio (i.e., the average number of kills per film) versus his total kills in all films. The bubbles are proportional to the kill ratio by all other characters in the corresponding films. For example, we see the kill ratio by other characters always exceeds that of the James Bond actor, except Brosnan. The biggest differential between kill ratios is with Connery, while clearly Brosnan had the highest kill ratio and total kills. Thus, Brosnan has the dubious distinction of being the deadliest Bond.

Figure 4. Bubble plot of each Bond actor’s kill ratio (i.e., average kills per film) versus his total kills. The area of the bubbles is proportional to the kill ratio by others in the corresponding films. Building a Statistical Model of the Bond Movies The adjusted worldwide gross and average user ratings are variables that provide a good indication of each movie’s success (see Figure 5). The Pearson correlation between these variables is +0.5659, which is a moderately high value and significantly different from 0 (p-value = 0.0049). Treating these variables as a bivariate response, we build a multivariate multiple linear regression model and explore the variables listed in the previous section as possible predictors in the model. Figure 5. Scatterplot of the adjusted sales versus average rating for the James Bond films. The 95% prediction ellipse for the next James Bond film starring Daniel Craig is overlaid. We construct the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) table to assess the significance of each independent variable. We compute the following four multivariate test statistics: Wilks’ lambda, Pillai’s trace, the Hotelling-Lawley trace, and Roy’s greatest root.

Using a significance level of 0.05, we perform backwards elimination by removing the least significant variable based on the MANOVA results. Using this approach, we end up with only the Bond actor and the adjusted budget as significant predictors of the bivariate response. In fact, our decisions based on the p-values for each predictor is consistent across the four test statistics. Since our decisions do not vary across the four tests, we are confident in the results. Our final multivariate regression model treats the adjusted worldwide gross and average rating as the response vector with Bond actor and adjusted budget as predictors. We next analyze the residual vectors for each regression to assess the normality and constant variance assumptions. The Shapiro-Wilk test for normality applied to the residuals yields p-values of 0.2780 and 0.2352 for the adjusted worldwide gross and average user relationships, respectively. The corresponding results from the Levene test for constant variance yields p-values of 0.4533 and 0.4039. Therefore, we claim that the normal regression assumptions are appropriate for this model. We also construct a 95% prediction ellipse for the next James Bond film.

It has been confirmed that Craig is signed to star in two more James Bond films, with the next film slated for release in late 2015. Using our estimated multivariate regression model and assuming that the next film will have a budget around $250 million, we obtain an estimated average rating for the film of about 6.80, while the estimated worldwide gross of the film is around $865 million. The corresponding 95% prediction ellipse is overlaid on the data plotted in Figure 5. Ranking the Bonds Anyone who considers himself or herself even a casual Bond fan typically opines on who they think is the best James Bond. In this section, we present a simple ranking methodology as a way to answer this question. We consider the worldwide gross, net profit of the films (i.e., the adjusted worldwide gross minus the adjusted budget), the average user ratings of the films, and the number of films featuring each actor. For each variable, we rank the James Bond actors and then calculate the means of their rankings. The lowest mean is given a final ranking of 1, and the highest mean is given a ranking of 6. All these rankings are reported in Table 2.

Table 2—Rankings of the James Bond Actors by Different Variables Note: The last column is the ranking of the average of the four ranking variables. The results show that Connery comes out as the best James Bond, according to our methodology. This is not unexpected considering he defined the role and has some of the most popular movies during his tenure as 007, like “From Russia with Love” and “Goldfinger.” Craig is second, which again is not unexpected considering he is the current James Bond and his three films have been very successful. Third is Moore, who starred in the most James Bond films of any actor—seven. While we noted the decline in the adjusted worldwide gross of his films, their success is still quite good considering they were released during years that saw competition from box office hits like “E.T.” and the original “Star Wars” films. Ranked fourth by our methodology is Brosnan, whose debut film “Goldeneye” was very well received after the franchise took a six-year hiatus. Each of his subsequent movies saw success at the box office, but they are sometimes viewed as declining in quality as demonstrated with the decreasing ratings in Table 1.

Fifth is Lazenby, who only starred in one James Bond film, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Fortunately, this movie is often regarded by critics and fans as being one of the best in the Bond canon as we see the character humanized by getting married, but only to have his wife killed on their wedding day. In sixth place is Timothy Dalton, who was actually asked by the original producer of the James Bond films, Cubby Broccoli, to succeed Connery back in the early 1970s. However, Timothy Dalton passed at the time because he felt he was “too young” for the role, only being in his late 20s at the time. While Dalton is a classically trained actor who spent time performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was unfortunate in that his films were made during a time when the Bond formula was seen as stale.

In fact, he was slated to star in a third James Bond film, but the concept was shelved due to studio issues until Brosnan made his debut in “Goldeneye.” Discussion This study explored the James Bond film franchise through various data visualizations and by building a multivariate regression model that characterizes the worldwide box office receipts and average user ratings as a function of the actors and the film’s budgets. From this model, we constructed a prediction region to characterize where the worldwide gross and user ratings will likely fall for the next James Bond film starring Craig. Finally, we averaged the rankings of certain variables for each James Bond actor to provide an overall ranking. Based on this ranking methodology, we determined that Connery is the ‘best’ actor to have played 007. While the model we presented is a way to characterize the films based on a few variables, the true success and endurance of the films is, perhaps, a topic for a more philosophical discussion. It could be that we enjoy how the James Bond films depict travels to exotic locales and provide adventurous tales that romanticize espionage.

It could be that while Bond is a flawed human being, at the core of his objective is to protect “Queen and Country” and we enjoy seeing him being the proverbial good that triumphs over evil. Or more personally, it could simply be that we relate to the era and style reflected in a particular Bond film, which reminds us of a particular time in our own lives. Regardless, the appeal of James Bond has spanned many generations and the films have endured through numerous global events. Even with so many uncertainties in an ever-changing world, we can rest assured that “James Bond will return…” Further Reading The Official James Bond 007 Website | The Bonds Contact SPECTRE © 2015 Danjaq, LLC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. SPECTRE, 007 Gun Logo and related James Bond Trademarks © 1962-2015 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. SPECTRE, 007 Gun Logo and related James Bond Trademarks are trademarks of Danjaq, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Home Entertainment distributor of SKYFALL and all the other 22 movies in the James Bond series.

© 2014 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC. TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, FOX and associated logos are trademarks of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and its related entities. Dr. No., © 1962 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. From Russia With Love, © 1963 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. Goldfinger, © 1964 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. Thunderball, © 1965 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. You Only Live Twice, © 1967 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. On Her Majesty's Secret Service, © 1969 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. Diamonds Are Forever, © 1971 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC.

Live and Let Die, © 1973 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. The Man With The Golden Gun, © 1974 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. The Spy Who Loved Me, © 1977 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. Moonraker, © 1979 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. For Your Eyes Only, © 1981 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. Octopussy, © 1983 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. A View To A Kill, © 1985 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. The Living Daylights, © 1987 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. Licence To Kill, © 1989 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC.

GoldenEye, © 1995 Seventeen Leasing Corp. and Danjaq, LLC. Tomorrow Never Dies, © 1997 Eighteen Leasing Corp. and Danjaq, LLC. The World Is Not Enough, © 1999 United Artists Corporation and Danjaq, LLC. Die Another Day, © 2002 United Artists Corporation and Danjaq, LLC. Casino Royale (2006), © 2006 United Artists Corporation and Danjaq, LLC. Quantum Of Solace, © 2008 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Danjaq, LLC. SKYFALL © 2012 Danjaq, LLC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All rights reserved.

Question: OK, a James Bond question: how many actors have played James Bond in the official' movies?
Answer: Seven