A British spy and cultural icon created by writer Ian Fleming in 1952, James Bond is one of the most celebrated heroes of the 20th century. This week, we pay tribute to three men who have made this cool and sexy role their own.
Sean Connery: The Scottish actor made James Bond famous with his trademark catchphrase: 'The name is Bond. James Bond.' He first played the super spy role in Dr No (1962), a film in which Ursula Andress - who emerges from the sea in a white bikini (Halle Berry recreated this marvellous routine 40 years later in the 20th Bond movie, Die Another Day) - sets the standard for all future Bond girls: seductive, dangerous and sophisticated.
Connery starred in another six 007 movies, remained a bankable performer after his departure from the franchise. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Brian De Palma's gangster classic The Untouchables (1987), as well as featuring in popular action-adventure movies such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and The Rock (1996).
Roger Moore: The model-turned-actor was the longest-serving and oldest James Bond actor (he was 45 when he made his debut as the spy hero). He starred in seven Bond movies from 1973 (Live and Let Die) to 1985 (A View to a Kill). Less romantic, but wittier than Connery, Moore brought a steely quality and an icy appearance to the spy.
His second Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) is a cult classic. This is thanks to Christopher Lee's ultra-cool role as a freelance assassin armed with perhaps one of the coolest weapons in film history - a powerful, single-shot, golden pistol that fires a golden bullet.
Moore's Bond movies are characterised by memorable villains. They include Jaws (Richard Kiel), an assassin armed with stainless and sharp teeth in The Spy Who Loved Me (1997), and May Day (Grace Jones), who has superhuman strength and nearly throws 007 off the Eiffel Tower in Moore's final Bond movie A View To A Kill (1985).