Across the entire history of the James Bond movies, the actors playing 007 have been as compelling as the adversaries that opposed them on screen. In the spirit of those menacing performances, we’d like to highlight 32 actors who have played the villain in the Bond canon.
Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No)
The first villain in 007 history, the titular Dr. No helped introduce the world to SPECTRE’s brand of villainy through actor Joseph Wiseman. Notable credits of the Canadian actor include a ‘50s adaptation of Les Miserables, as well as an appearance in an early season of Law & Order.
Robert Shaw (From Russia With Love)
While most movie fans would remember Robert Shaw from films like Jaws or The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, the man was also one of the most memorable James Bond villains ever. Playing Red Grant in From Russia With Love, Shaw’s SPECTRE agent was the first, and one of the best, dark mirrors to 007 himself.
Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger)
Though he was vocally dubbed over in his role as Goldfinger’s titular villain, Gert Fröbe’s appearance was nonetheless imposing in the early era of Sean Connery’s James Bond. Coincidentally, Fröbe would also land a part in another Ian Fleming adaptation: the Dick van Dyke-led musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Adolfo Celi (Thunderball)
Adolfo Celi is one of those James Bond villains that you may do a double take upon seeing them. But rest assured, the polyglot performer was the villain in both Thunderball and Operation: Kid Brother, menacing both Sean Connery and his brother Neil during the 1960’s.
Donald Pleasance (You Only Live Twice)
Donald Pleasance certainly needs no introduction to fans of the best horror movies of all time, thanks to his role as Dr. Loomis in the classic run of Halloween movies. But his iconic career also holds the distinction of the actor being the very first version of Ernst Stavro Blofeld we see on screen. 1967’s You Only Live Twice ushered in the character, who eventually became James Bond’s cinematic arch-nemesis.
Telly Savalas (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
While Telly Savalas was the second incarnation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, some would argue that he was indeed the most menacing and charming. With a career that included films such as Kelly’s Heroes, and TV series like The Twilight Zone and Kojak, his spot in George Lazenby’s lone Bond movie only further proved his versatility.
Charles Gray (Diamonds Are Forever)
Though Charles Gray appeared as an ally to James Bond in You Only Live Twice, that didn’t stop the powers that be from casting him to be the third variant of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the 007 legacy. His balance of smarm and campy menace would serve him well later on, as The Criminologist in the film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Yaphet Kotto (Live And Let Die)
Even American acting legends like Yaphet Kotto found their way into the James Bond ecosystem. A veteran of projects like Alien and Homicide: Life on the Streets, Kotto was also the iconic Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big in Live and Let Die, serving as the first antagonist in the era of Roger Moore’s James Bond.
Christopher Lee (The Man With The Golden Gun)
Sir Christopher Lee’s iconic acting career had him playing roles like Dracula and Saruman in The Lord of the Rings saga. However, his role as Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun is rather impressive for some other James Bond-related reasons. Not only was Lee a cousin to author Ian Fleming, but he was also one of the original actors considered for the role of 007.
Julian Glover (For Your Eyes Only)
A performer deeply canonized in the trenches of geekdom, Julian Glover has held roles in both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, as well as a recurring spot in HBO’s Game of Thrones. That last connection is all the more exciting when you consider that For Your Eyes Only not only had Glover in its cast, but Tywin Lannister himself, Charles Dance, was also present.
Christopher Walken (A View To A Kill)
While most people probably wouldn’t bat an eye at Christopher Walken playing a James Bond villain, most folks would more than likely be hard-pressed to answer the question of if he ever did. This makes Walken’s role in A View to a Kill even more exciting to behold, as the Dune: Part Two actor actually got to challenge Roger Moore in his final turn as 007.
Sean Bean (Goldeneye)
Fans of actor Sean Bean love to play an infamous game whenever they see the veteran of The Lord of the Rings and Snowpearcer on screen: “Does Sean Bean Die In This Movie?” Well, Goldeneye may have been the movie that started that craze, thanks to a string of opportunities in the decades that ensued answering that question with a resounding yes.
Jonathan Pryce (Tomorrow Never Dies)
Worldwide audiences probably best know Jonathan Pryce from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, as he played the father to Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann. However, deep-fried fans of the Brazil actor’s work also know that Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies as one of the most effective Bond Villains.
Sophie Marceau (The World Is Not Enough)
In one of the best plot twists ever, Sophie Marceau’s Elektra King goes from Bond Girl to Bond Villain in The World is Not Enough. Prior to that head-turning reveal, Marceau had been seen at the box office in the classic epic Braveheart, as well as the David Spade comedy vehicle Lost & Found.
Toby Stephens (Die Another Day)
Toby Stephens’ Gustave Graves is another fantastic example of the “dark mirror” villain archetype at work. However, playing the eccentric Die Another Day villain seemed to allow the future star of Black Sails and Lost in Space to do something most 007 baddies don’t get to do: play James Bond through a series of BBC radio adaptations.
Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale)
When he helped kick off Daniel Craig’s James Bond era, Mads Mikkelsen kind of fell into the role of Casino Royale’s sinister Le Chiffre. Of course, in the years since, he’s been seen as everything from a loving father in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to the cannibalistic psychiatrist that gave NBC’s Hannibal its title.
Javier Bardem (Skyfall)
Striding the line between charming and chilling, Raoul Silva from Skyfall is a role that actor Javier Bardem was born to play. And that’s even after considering the fact that Bardem’s career had already seen him in projects like No Country For Old Men and Collateral. But even with that sort of clout at his disposal, one of his big scenes with Daniel Craig was almost cut.
Christoph Waltz (Spectre)
When Christoph Waltz was announced as starring in Spectre, all of the rumors pointed to the breakout star of Inglorious Basterds as the modern Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Considering he had quite a few baddies on his resume by that point, it’s kind of amusing to imagine a world where he wasn’t the Daniel Craig-era incarnation of 007’s greatest silver screen foe.
Andrew Scott (Spectre)
Andrew Scott is too good at playing a villain. Before he became Fleabag’s “hot priest” or even set eyes on the complicated figure at the heart of Netflix’s Ripley, Scott’s time as Moriarty for Steven Moffat’s Sherlock probably helped cast him as the hidden evil known as C in Spectre.
Rami Malek (No Time To Die)
You don’t have to have won an Academy Award to play a modern James Bond villain. Though it may have helped Rami Malek land his No Time To Die role as Safin, an assassin who’s looking to wreck the world in his own special way. Malek’s casting came after years of roles like HBO’s The Pacific and the Night at the Museum movies giving him quite the shining star.
Lotte Lenya (From Russia With Love)
A prolific singer and artist before and after her time in the James Bond series, Lotte Lenya only further entrenched herself in entertainment history in From Russia With Love. As the dominating Rosa Klebb, Lenya was one of the first lieutenants of SPECTRE seen going head-to-head with 007.
Luciana Paluzzi (Thunderball)
Italian actress Luciana Paluzzi’s role as Fiona Volpe in Thunderball gave James Bond one of his most formidable femme fatales. Ms. Paluzzi’s portrayal would eventually win her roles on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as well as its spinoff The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. Coincidentally, one of Luciana’s previous credits was in a film directed by Dr. No director Terrence Young. The name of that film? No Time To Die.
Curt Jurgens (The Spy Who Loved Me)
As the antagonist in The Spy Who Loved Me, actor Curt Jürgens terrorized Roger Moore and Barbara Bach in a caper that brought together British spy and Soviet operatives alike. A Eurpoean film star prior to his James Bond casting, Jürgens’ career in world domination came later on in his career.
Joe Don Baker (The Living Daylights)
Charles Gray and Joe Don Baker both hold a very important distinction in the James Bond legacy: they’ve both played heroes and villains in that very same series. In Baker’s case, his appearance as heel Brad Whittaker in The Living Daylights put him in a prime position to return in the Pierce Brosnan run as 007’s American ally, CIA agent Jack Wade.
Robert Davi (License To Kill)
You’ve seen and heard Robert Davi in everything from the Halo video games to the cult classic Showgirls. And right on the man’s impressive resume is a spot in the James Bond Hall of Fame, as License to Kill’s Franz Sanchez. His approach to playing a Bond villain was so in sync with Timothy Dalton’s 007, that it remains one of the best adversaries in the series.
Louis Jourdan (Octopussy)
As the roguish villain Kamal Khan, French acting legend Louis Jourdan’s part in Octopussy only added to an already prolific career. Jourdan’s talents were also seen in TV series such as Charlie’s Angels and Columbo, as well as films like The Return of Swamp Thing.
Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace)
How’s this for a coincidence? Before he played the main villain in Quantum of Solace, actor Mathieu Amarlric actually co-starred with Daniel Craig in Steven Spielberg’s Munich. Years later, the water-focused supervillain would become a part of the Wes Anderson repertory cast, through roles in The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch.
Michael Lonsdale (Moonraker)
The late great Michael Lonsdale made the role of Hugo Drax a very imposing figure in the Roger Moore-led adaptation of Moonraker. Years down the line, the French thespian would find himself co-starring with two other 007 actors, thanks to 1986’s The Name of the Rose and 2005’s Munich. Lonsdale starred alongside Sean Connery and Daniel Craig, respectively.
Charles Dance (For Your Eyes Only)
Believe it or not, Charles Dance once seemed to be in line to audition to replace Roger Moore as the 007 of the ‘80s. The man who would be Game of Thrones’ Tywin Lannister seemed perfectly positioned to do so after playing a henchman in For Your Eyes Only, but eventually declined to chase that opportunity.
Famke Janssen (Goldeneye)
Before she became one of the actors that ushered in the age of X-Men being a successful film franchise, Famke Janssen made a name for herself against Pierce Brosnan’s Commander Bond. Starring as the henchwoman to Sean Bean’s Goldeneye baddie, her darkly comic menace is as legendary as her costuming.
Robert Carlyle (The World Is Not Enough)
Scottish actor Robert Carlyle played the functional villain in The World is Not Enough, as his heavy Renard pushed James Bond further into a web of danger, intrigue, and nuclear weapons. And yet, his performance in this movie is relatively tame, considering he made his name as the uber-violent Begbie in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting just three years prior.
Jesper Christensen (Casino Royale)
Mr. White was always the man behind the man, through both Quantum and SPECTRE’s runs in the Daniel Craig 007 stories. And Jesper Christensen was present to play that role in three of the five entries that made up that arc, appearing in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Spectre.