Every James Bond Movie Actor Ranked Worst To Best

This might be quite controversial for some people, but the truth is Timothy Dalton is the greatest Bond actor of them all, despite only appearing in two films during his eight-year contract with Eon Productions.

Often cited as the most faithful adaptation of Ian Fleming's Bond, Dalton carried within his awfully short-lived performance a savage grace and endearing warmth no one except Craig has come even remotely close to matching. He was at once brutally uncompromising and subtly tragic, and balanced Bond's flaws with poise.

It's become a bit of a cliché to say Dalton was ahead of his time and that no one was ready for him, but the best clichés are often carry the most truth. Audiences had only just bid farewell Moore, and weren't quite prepared for the grit and ambiguity Dalton had to offer.

It's a shame he never got a chance to continue his Bond tenure (a third film was planned, but was delayed so much that he left the role entirely), but even so what he did offer still makes Dalton's the best Bond portrayal of them all.