Best Non-Bond Films by Bond Actors

With no Bond film on the immediate horizon, we’re reminded that the actors who’ve played Bond have had other roles, too. Which ones were the best? Let’s take a look at this writer’s Top 10.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 13: Wax figures of all six actors who played the character James Bond, (L-R) Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Daniel Craig, Sir Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Pierce Brosnan are displayed at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas at The Venetian Las Vegas on July 13, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images) /

10. Mamma Mia (Pierce Brosnan as Sam)

OK, so Brosnan’s go at Abba’s “SOS” might be a bit cringe-worthy, but you have to give him props for trying. He’s the only Bond to try his hand at a musical, though not the first to try his hand at singing.

Pierce Brosnan attends the ‘Mamma Mia!’ press conference at the Grand Lagonisse Resort on June 28, 2008 in Athens, Greece. (Photo by Vera Anderson/WireImage) /

9. Rocketeer (Timothy Dalton as Neville Sinclair)

In his first film after Licence to Kill, Dalton played a moustached baddie. The charming smile he displayed as Bond turns quite dastardly here.

Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly and Timothy Dalton (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage) /

8. The Man Who Would Be King (Sean Connery as Daniel Dravot)

Connery is nothing short of entertaining (and haunting) in John Huston’s adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling story of the same name.

Scottish actor Sean Connery (left) and American director John Huston (1906 – 1987) at the premiere party for ‘The Man Who Would Be King’, at Nathan’s in New York City, 16th December 1975. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) /

7. Layer Cake (Daniel Craig as XXX)

Craig’s turn as a nameless drug dealer gave audiences a glimpse of what would come when he played Bond. Of particular note is Craig’s donning of a ninja warrior mask, in an attempt to conceal his identity to a crime lord.

LONDON – SEPTEMBER 23: Actors Sienna Miller and Daniel Craig arrive at the UK Premiere of ‘Layer Cake’ at The Electric Cinema, Portobello Road on September 23, 2004 in London. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images) /

6. The Hunt for Red October (Sean Connery as Marko Ramius)

Connery as a Russian submarine captain? Yes. And his Russian, in early scenes, ain’t too shabby.

Sean Connery shakes hands with Scott Glenn, watched by Alec Baldwin in a scene from the film ‘The Hunt For Red October’, 1990. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images) /

5. Munich (Daniel Craig as Steve)

Craig plays an assassin…but in this case, a South African Jew, hired to help hunt down those responsible for the 1972 Munich Massacre. Side note: former Bond villain Michael Lonsdale and future Bond villain Mathieu Amalric, co-starred.

Daniel Craig, Steven Spielberg and Eric Bana during ‘Munich’ Special Los Angeles Screening – December 20, 2005 at Academy Of Motion Picture Arts /

4. The Russia House (Sean Connery as Barley Scott Blair)

The one Connery film that may be a nod to his Bond past. Connery plays a book publisher embroiled in espionage.

Sean Connery and Wife Micheline Roquebrune during ‘The Russia House’ Universal City Premiere – December 4, 1990 at Cineplez Odeon Theater in Universal City, California, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage) /

3. The Thomas Crown Affair (Pierce Brosnan as Thomas Crown)

Brosnan has the unenviable task of playing a role previously played by Steve McQueen. His Bondian roots serve him well, here, both in his charm as an art thief and also in his steamy scenes with Rene Russo.

Pierce Brosnan sitting on a bench in an art gallery in a scene from the film ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’, 1999. (Photo by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images) /

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist)

No, Craig did not play Blomkvist with a Swedish accent. But so what? While Rooney Mara received the accolades for playing Lisbeth Salander, Craig’s portrayal of the haunted Blomkvist was just as noteworthy.

BERLIN, GERMANY – JANUARY 05: Actor Daniel Craig (L) and actress Rooney Mara arrive for the German premiere of the film ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,’ (‘Verblendung’) the first part of a series of film versions of the ‘Millennium Trilogy,’ based on books of the same name by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, on January 5, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The film, about an investigative journalist aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by a young computer hacker, will be released in German cinemas on January 12. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images) /

Honorable Mention:

Sean Connery in a Bridge Too Far and Marnie

Daniel Craig in Defiance

Pierce Brosnan in The Mirror Has Two Faces

Roger Moore in The Wild Geese

CIRCA 1978: Roger Moore and Richard Harris looks on in a scene from the movie ‘The Wild Geese’ circa 1978. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) /

1. The Untouchables (Sean Connery as Jimmy Malone)

Connery’s performance as an Irish cop, opposite Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia, earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. ‘Nuff said.

049944 23: Actor Sean Connery holds up his Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for ‘The Untouchables’ at the Academy Awards April 11, 1988 in Los Angeles, CA. The Academy Awards are prizes given out annually in Hollywood for excellence in film performance and production. (Photo by John Barr/Liaison) /

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Out of Character: The Best Non-Bond Films by Bond Actors

By David Pegram | May 16, 2017