James Bond: Ranking The 007 Actors From Worst To Best

4. Timothy Dalton

After the self-referential and increasingly over-the-top Roger Moore era, Timothy Dalton's run as James Bond saw the iconic spy become a more complex and three-dimensional character, toning down the one-liners and gadgets in favour of a more realistic approach to Ian Fleming's source material. Dalton made for a convincingly intense 007, taking the franchise in a more mature direction that was unfortunately cut short after just two movies thanks to protracted legal disputes.

Instead of the suave playboy that the character had become in the previous few movies, Dalton instead played Bond with a harder edge, making the character equal parts reluctant and ruthless. While the actor's Bond movies would definitely benefited from a little more levity, Dalton's dedication (he performed the majority of the stunts himself, unlike the incredibly obvious stunt doubles of the Connery and Moore eras) and commitment to his take on the character make his portrayal of 007 perhaps the most underrated in the 50-plus year history of the iconic franchise.