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Through over six decades of James Bond movies, there has been a wide assortment of notable actors that have played heroes, villains, and roles in-between in the long running saga. As there’s 25 movies to keep track of, you might still be surprised by who shows up in a 007 adventure upon rewatching the series. With that in mind, here’s a huge list of people you may have forgotten teamed up with Commander Bond on the big screen.
Jack Lord – Dr. No
Before playing the original Steve McGarrett in Hawaii Five-O, actor Jack Lord got to originate another pop culture landmark. As the first actor to play Felix Leiter in Sean Connery’s James Bond movies, Dr. No saw Lord helping foil SPECTRE before instructing Danno to book anyone in another tropical crime fighting epic.
Robert Shaw – From Russia With Love
A good number of moviegoers would remember Robert Shaw best as the iconic sailor Quint, one of Jaws’ intrepid shark hunters. Before he got to put his hunting skills to the test against a Great White, Shaw played Red Grant: a SPECTRE hitman sent to kill James Bond. Unfortunately for Grant, a good thrashing on the Orient Express prevented him from completing his mission; all thanks to a wine based faux pas.
Donald Pleasence – You Only Live Twice
Halloween’s Michael Myers employed a mask to instill his own brand of chilling villainy. But years prior to tangling with that evil himself, Donald Pleasence became the first actor to show off Blofeld’s heinous visage in You Only Live Twice. Admit it, you probably remember Mike Myers’ parody of this character from Austin Powers more than the OG; which is ok.
Charles Gray – You Only Live Twice
Speaking of actors that have played Ernst Stavro Blofeld, The Rocky Horror Picture Show vet Charles Gray is also in that boat himself. However, the James Bond role people may have forgotten he played was that of 007’s ally Henderson in You Only Live Twice. Kind of fitting, as his Blofeld would be Sean Connery’s second tangle with the iconic nemesis.
Telly Savalas – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
What’s one more Blofeld for old times? As he’d go on to tear up World War II in Kelly’s Heroes, as well as fight crime with a lollipop addiction in Kojack, Telly Savalas got to be the big bad of James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service which is George Lazenby’s solo outing as 007. Savalas is arguably the best Blofeld of the bunch, exuding both charm and menace.
Joanna Lumley – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Joanna Lumley shot to stardom through roles in series like Sapphire and Steel and Absolutely Fabulous, as well as another British spy staple The Avengers. Much like her fellow alums Honor Blackman and Diana Rigg, Lumley found herself cast early on in the 007 legacy, as one of Blofeld’s “Angels of Death” in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Yaphet Kotto – Live And Let Die
Yaphet Kotto made a name for himself throughout all sorts of genres, thanks to roles in Alien, The Running Man, and NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Streets. And among all of those valued credits was the dual role of Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big in the debut of Roger Moore’s James Bond, Live and Let Die. Both sides of this coin fit the veteran performer to a tee, making for one of the most intriguing Bond villains of all time.
Charles Dance – For Your Eyes Only
Believe it or not, Tywin Lannister once tried to kill James Bond on a ski slope! Game of Thrones’ icon Charles Dance played a heavy trying to ice Roger Moore’s 007. Dance was even courted as a potential James Bond, but he graciously turned down the opportunity to audition as he didn’t feel he was a good fit for the role.
Patrick Macnee – A View To A Kill
The British spy series The Avengers was another cultural icon that made many an actor into memorable agents of chaos and/or order. Patrick Macnee is one such icon, as he played series lead John Steed with a couple Bond girls joining in on the fun. So when Macnee was cast to assist Roger Moore in his final James Bond adventure, A View to a Kill, it felt like an ambitious crossover that was years in the making.
Dolph Lundgren – A View To A Kill
1985 was the year to have Dolph Lundgren playing your anti-capitalist villain. Not only did he square off against Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV, but he also found time to play a KGB agent tasked with keeping Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) in line in A View to a Kill. And if Grace Jones wasn’t Walken’s hired muscle, he may have stood a chance.
Joe Don Baker – The Living Daylights
Even die hard James Bond fans have had moments where they forget that Joe Don Baker actually played a 007 villain before he rejoined the series. Later playing Pierce Brosnan’s American counterpart Jack Wade of the CIA, Baker first appeared in the series as The Living Daylights’ big bad Brad Whitaker. A madman fixated on military history, Whitaker would meet his Waterloo after Timothy Dalton’s James Bond sends him crashing into a model of that very same battle.
Carey Lowell – License To Kill
James Bond has always had a strong sense of law and order; so it’s only fitting that Law and Order cast member Carey Lowell got to play one of his partners in License to Kill. As Pam Bouvier, Lowell was involved in one of James Bond’s most personal vendettas ever recorded. She even showed off her jealous streak in the end, romancing 007 by confessing her feelings in a swimming pool scene out of a rom-com.
Benicio del Toro – License To Kill
A young and hungry Benicio del Toro went toe to toe with both Carey Lowell and Timothy Dalton in License to Kill. Playing henchman Dario, his skills were employed by drug dealer/business magnate Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi). It’s just a shame that 007 got the drop on this young buck, which resulted in a demise so brutal that it’s cut in some versions of the film.
Wayne Newton – License To Kill
Legendary crooner and enemy of Clark Griswold, Wayne Newton is also quite an actor. Nowhere did he show that than in License to Kill, where he played the sleazy preacher Professor Joe Butcher. The perfect nexus of ‘80s influences, Newton’s character was part of how Franz Sanchez’s cartel would send secret messages to its network of buyers and sellers; through the power of televangelism.
Alan Cumming – Goldeneye
Boris Grishenko is one of the most memorable presences in 007 history, making quite an impression in Goldeneye. But many probably forget that the chameleon behind this performance is none other than the insanely talented Alan Cumming. Though he may not have been as invincible as he thought, Cumming’s nasty nerd is hard to stay mad at, even when he gets frozen in liquid nitrogen.
Minnie Driver – Goldeneye
There’s a fine line between cameo appearances and secondary roles that appear as a brief blip in the James Bond world. Otherwise, we’d be able to claim people like Gerard Butler and Hugh Bonneville as entries on this list. While their appearances were too brief to mention, Minnie Driver’s brief but beautiful role in Goldeneye sees her almost get Pierce Brosnan killed, while also sassing back her on-screen sugar daddy Robbie Coltrane.
Robbie Coltrane – Goldeneye/The World Is Not Enough
Here’s another pop culture intersection that’s hard to believe: Hagrid was a sworn frenemy of James Bond! Appearing in both Goldeneye and The World is Not Enough, the late great Robbie Coltrane played Valentin Zukovsky, an ex-KGB player who loved and loathed 007. Coltrane’s patter with Pierce Brosnan is invaluable, which probably led to Zukovsky returning for a meatier role in The World is Not Enough.
Michelle Yeoh – Tomorrow Never Dies
Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh has been Everything Everywhere All At Once, but early on in her career she was paired up with Pierce Brosnan’s Commander Bond to stop a madman. Tomorrow Never Dies saw the action star playing Wai Lin, a Chinese military officer who wants to prevent World War III as much as 007 does. If only she’d returned as supposedly planned in Die Another Day.
Teri Hatcher – Tomorrow Never Dies
While not quite a desperate housewife at this phase in her career, Teri Hatcher was still a popular actor that managed to land a Bond film with her clout. Playing 007’s ex-flame Paris Carver, her marriage to media mogul/villain Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) put her in the crosshairs of fate.
Vincent Schiavelli – Tomorrow Never Dies
Character acting legend Vincent Schiavelli has been in everything from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest to Death to Smoochy. And thanks to being cast in Tomorrow Never Dies as the diabolical Dr. Kaufman, Schiavelli was able to cross off being a Bond baddie from his to-do list.
Denise Richards – The World Is Not Enough
Denise Richards has gotten a lot of unfair criticism for her role as The World is Not Enough’s Dr. Christmas Jones. But that hasn’t stopped her from defending her part in 007 history, and rightfully so. You may have forgotten her snappy patter with Pierce Brosnan, but it’s not hard to fall back into the rhythm between these two well matched co-stars.
Robert Carlyle – The World Is Not Enough
One of the best red herrings in James Bond history, Robert Carlyle expertly played the role of terrorist Renard in The World is Not Enough. With his own motivations overshadowing the true villain of the piece, the Full Monty and Once Upon A Time star may have slipped your mind in the world of 007, but he was indeed a pretty fantastic part of it all.
Rosamund Pike – Die Another Day
Secret villain Miranda Frost was the perfect warm up for future Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike. Playing who seemed to be an MI6 ally in Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond eventually outed her as a colder player than she initially let on. The results were quite heated, especially as she would have to face off against true Bond ally Jinx (Halle Berry) in the big third act showdown.
Michael Madsen – Die Another Day
We’re never going to get that Pierce Brosnan/Quentin Tarantino James Bond movie that could have adapted Casino Royale. That being said, we may have gotten a taste of what a QT Bond character might have been like in Damian Falco, the CIA officer played by Tarantino vet Michael Madsen in Die Another Day. Which is enough to spark the FOMO all over again.
Tobias Menzies – Casino Royale
Before he terrorized Sam Heughan in Outlander, Tobias Menzies was a heroic party that assisted Daniel Craig’s James Bond in Casino Royale. Playing Villers, the right hand man to M (Judi Dench) before Tanner was revived in the post-reboot climate, Menzies saw some pretty harrowing action in the Bond franchise. Like that time James almost died due to a malfunctioning defibrillator.
David Harbour – Quantum of Solace
An early career win for Violent Night’s David Harbour, the actor’s appearance as an antagonist in Quantum of Solace is another reason people shouldn’t sleep on this movie. As the morally corrupt Gregg Beam, Harbour is a delight in all of his scummy brilliance, just before the world would see him in a much more heroic light in Stranger Things.
Stana Katic – Quantum of Solace
Solving crimes alongside Nathan Fillion on Castle is Stana Katic’s major claim to fame. And just before she started babysitting a mystery author turned sleuth, she was a crucial part to Daniel Craig’s James Bond gaining closure over Vesper Lynd’s death; thanks to her appearance at the end of Quantum of Solace.
Helen McCrory – Skyfall
If you ever wanted to see Narscissa Malfoy and Voldemort battle it out, minus the wands and makeup, Skyfall should be added to your watch list at once. The late Helen McCrory and Ralph Fiennes face off during a hearing that questions the effectiveness of M’s leadership, which sees sparks fly in some heated verbal battle.
Albert Finney – Skyfall
There was once a time where Sean Connery was considered for a role in Skyfall. Instead, cooler heads prevailed, and Kincade, the groundskeeper of the old Bond estate, was cast as the legendary Albert Finney. I dare anyone else to say “Welcome to Skyfall” and make it sound as awesome.
Andrew Scott – Spectre
Though the world knows him as Sherlock’s Moriarty, actor Andrew Scott was also a thorn in the side of James Bond and his MI6 family. Popping up at exactly the wrong time in Spectre, Scott’s character Max Denbigh posed a great threat to the 00 program and all it stood for.
Monica Bellucci – Spectre
Out of the extensive legacy of James Bond women, Monica Bellucci’s arrival in Spectre is one that was possibly the most hard fought. After Bellucci missed out on two Pierce Brosnan outings, seeing her romanced by Daniel Craig’s 007 was a triumph to behold.
Jimmy Dean – Diamonds Are Forever
The world at large will always remember actor/country singer/breakfast meat magnate Jimmy Dean for those various facets of his talent. But what most may not recall is the fact that he was also Willard White, the reclusive millionaire that Blofeld used as a cover for his grand schemes in Diamonds Are Forever.
With over 60 years under its belt, the James Bond legacy has certainly seen a lot of people come and go. As the next age of 007 dawns, who knows what the future will bring, and what major stars will appear only to be periodical surprises when revisiting the Bond adventures?
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