With his iconic turn in Dr. No, Sean Connery kickstarted the James Bond franchise. In his initial run of Bond movies – Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds Are Forever – Connery was backed up by such unforgettable co-stars as Gert Fröbe and Robert Shaw.
There were plenty of strong performances in the first run of Bond films, from Eunice Gayson as the gentleman spy’s on-and-off girlfriend Sylvia Trench to Donald Pleasence as his arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld – not to mention Connery’s character-defining turn as 007 himself.
Lotte Lenya As Rosa Klebb
After taking out the titular SPECTRE agent in Dr. No, Bond is pursued by the secret organization’s “Number Three” in From Russia with Love. Rosa Klebb is a ruthless Soviet goon determined to assassinate 007.
She even goes as far as disguising herself as a hotel maid to catch Bond off-guard. Lotte Lenya plays into the character’s mustache-twirling villainy beautifully.
Desmond Llewelyn As Q
Desmond Llewelyn appeared as the head of Q Branch in 17 Bond movies from 1963 to 1999. He acted opposite a grand total of five James Bonds, starting with Connery and ending with Pierce Brosnan.
Q’s role in the Bond mythos is to provide 007 with his spy gadgets. From the very beginning, Llewelyn gave a delightfully wacky turn in this role.
Robert Shaw As Red Grant
Red Grant is the SPECTRE assassin sent to kill Bond in From Russia with Love as retaliation for the events of Dr. No. Played by Jaws’ Robert Shaw, Grant is one of the most intimidating henchmen in the whole series.
His brutal dust-up with 007 aboard the Orient Express is arguably still the best fight scene in Bond movie history. The audience knows that Bond has plot armor, but Shaw plays Grant’s ruthlessness so authentically that fans fear for the gentleman spy’s life anyway.
Ursula Andress As Honey Ryder
Honey Ryder, a shell diver who Bond meets in Jamaica, was the first “Bond girl.” Ursula Andress defined the archetype in Dr. No and became one of the most renowned sex symbols of the 1960s.
But on top of that, she also gave a great performance. Andress shared strong on-screen chemistry with Connery and got in on all the action, including the final showdown at Dr. No’s lair.
Joseph Wiseman As Dr. Julius No
The first Bond movie villain, the eponymous baddie from Dr. No, is still one of the most iconic. He’s a typical megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur who traps 007 in his secret lair ahead of the big finale.
Joseph Wiseman is a consistently chilling, mesmerizing screen presence throughout the movie. His performance set a high bar for every subsequent Bond villain actor.
Bernard Lee As M
Bernard Lee played Bond’s superior M in 11 movies, from Dr. No to Moonraker. He outlasted Connery’s stint and appeared opposite Roger Moore’s 007 in four films (and George Lazenby in one). M is a purely expository role who mainly exists to explain Bond’s mission to him.
But Lee always made that exposition compelling. Some great actors have since played Lee’s most memorable role, from Judi Dench to Ralph Fiennes, but he made the character iconic with his initial performances in the Connery, Lazenby, and Moore films.
Gert Fröbe As Auric Goldfinger
Since Gert Fröbe spoke very little English when he shot his title role for Goldfinger, his voice was dubbed in by TV actor Michael Collins. But an acting performance is conveyed through more than just line deliveries.
With eccentric body language and a menacing screen presence, Fröbe turned Goldfinger into the ultimate Bond villain. His Bond villain performance still has yet to be topped (although many screen legends have come close, like Sean Bean and Mads Mikkelsen).
Eunice Gayson As Sylvia Trench
Bond’s on-and-off girlfriend, Sylvia Trench, was introduced in Dr. No and became the first recurring “Bond girl” when she returned in From Russia with Love. Eunice Gayson was so memorable in the first movie that the producers couldn’t help bringing her back for the second.
Gayson’s turn as Sylvia matches 007’s coolness. She’s just as adept at delivering snappy one-liners, which gives her dialogue scenes with Connery’s Bond a sort of Howard Hawks “screwball” quality.
Donald Pleasence As Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Bond’s arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE, has been played by a few different actors throughout the franchise’s decades-long history. But Donald Pleasence was by far the best.
Blofeld was teased throughout the first few movies before You Only Live Twice finally revealed the big bad of the Bond universe, Thanos-style. Pleasence’s sinister, theatrical turn as Blofeld managed to live up to the years of hype.
Sean Connery As James Bond
It goes without saying that the most iconic performance from Connery’s Bond films is Connery’s own turn as Bond. The actor nailed 007’s characterization right out of the gate. In Dr. No, he created a cinematic icon in seconds with his understated yet unforgettable delivery of the line, “Bond, James Bond.”
Connery defined Bond as a suave, cool-as-ice action hero who has grace under pressure but also a remorseless bloodlust. Suffice to say, he set a high bar for all his successors.
