James Bond Actors – Actors Who Played James Bond

For the span of 40 years, David Niven played the big screens with a readiness of identifying with his roles.  He had developed a talent of holding interest since his first appearance in Hollywood. His life was however one of privilege with the attendance of the Royal Military College in Sandhurst. He held some respectable occupations before taking up the role of an extra in Hollywood. His discharge from the army in 1953 would hail a glittering career in Hollywood. Charisma played a big role in the establishment of his career in the performing arts. He had earned the position of a middle rank actor before the Second World War. He co-starred in The Light Charge of the Light Bridge and Wuthering Heights. His role in Wuthering Heights was played intelligently although he did not particularly like it.

He returned to Britain well in time for active service at which he was, made a Second Lieutenant. National propaganda interfered with his acting career and he had to perform military service for quite sometime. This part of service to his nation was not quite a thrilling experience for him.

Afterwards, he played the role of pilot in The First of The Few. Directed by Leslie Howard, the movie was produced in 1942 and depicted Niven controlling a Spitfire’s cockpit. A number of war themed films followed in the wake of this movie with The Way Ahead showing its premiere in 1944. Here he played a critical role behind the curtains, advising Carol Reed on the technical details of the movie. His role was that of a mechanic commissioned by the forces to train new recruits to the army. 1946 saw the production of A Matter of Life and Death, a story in which an airman has been shot down. The airman’s plight is depicted as a debate in the heavenly leagues.

His subsequent US movies were not as sensational as his original roles. These productions always managed to capture the interest of the public but did not have the long-lasing effect as would have been demanded of Niven’s talent. Carrington VC was however an exception in this case with Niven taking up his part in a court martial. He also featured a funny production set in an Irish surrounding. This had considerable success as well. The competence of his performances was preserved through a long period but he had to come to the stage when the polish would subside.

A considerable achievement is his role as Mr. Bond in the movie Casino Royale. The movie series credited for defining all the James Bond actors was conceived with the adaptation of this title. Niven’s role in the movie saw him blend in well portraying the image of intrigue in an otherwise fast paced story. The star is depicted as a man forced out of retirement to find out the disappearance of international spies and investigators. Having premiered in the 1953, Casino Royale was written by Ian Fleming based on his gambling experiences in Lisbon.

James Bond Actors – Actors Who Played James Bond

The first of the James Bond Actors, Thomas Sean Connery came from a background that is a far cry from that of his screen alter-ego. Born in the Fountainbridge district of Edinburgh, Connery was a proud Scot who grew up in a poor neighborhood. He was the son to a truck driver and the role of James Bond would only seem as a dream to him. He had joined the military on completion of his education but was discharged afterwards as a result of his ulcers problem. A succession of job saw him holding the positions of laborer, lifeguard and art class model. He was later to hold third place in the Mr. Universe contest when representing Scotland. The body building career was the channel by which he got a position in the chorus of the touring company of the South Pacific. 1956 saw him make a debut in the television. This was after the procession of a number of stage productions. After performing in a few films, Connery was signed up by MGM in the late 1950’s.

Mr. No produced in 1962 was his first James Bond film. A number of other male performers had been expected to take up the role. Among this were Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, Trevor Howard, Patrick McGoohan and Ian Fleming. Within 5 years, 3 more James Bond films had passed production. This heralded the success of the James Bond movie series. Connery grew tired of the007 title and resorted to the devotion of golf and family affairs. He therefore performed as Mr. Bond for the last time in the movie You Only Live Twice.

The next Bond role was taken up by George Lazenby. Dubbed Diamonds Are Forever, the movie was another hit from the producers of the spy films with the British star, Mr. Bond. Against his better judgment, Connery was called back to perform in Never Say Never Again. However, the movie was considered an unofficial release of the James Bond series. Produced in 1983 it was not made under the supervision of Eon and was therefore not considered an original Bond film. In any case, it was as sensational as the other movies and saw Connery awarded a Globe Award in 1987. This was attributed to his role in the movie, The Untouchables.

Connery has since established his golfing prowess and has made a name in the sport. In 1996, he won the Lexus Challenge golf tournament jointly with pro golfer Hale Irwin. He has since gone ahead to win even more prestigious awards. Some of his noticeable achievements include the knighthood bestowed him in July 2000. This had been denied to Connery for 2 years due to political reasons.

The French also awarded Connery a number of awards, amongst these are the Legion d’Honeur and the Commandeur des Arts and des Lettres.

He has since suffered from illnesses due to his old age including throat problems and a struggle with cancer. These have been credited with a scare of Connery’s death in 1993.