Pierce Brosnan Says New James Bond Should Prepare For ‘A Huge Undertaking’

During a Zoom conversation in August 2025 for his Netflix film Thursday Murder Club, former 007 star Pierce Brosnan said that whoever eventually is cast as the new Bond — whether it be an established actor or relative newcomer — is “going to be nervous as hell” when they take up the mantle of one of the most recognizable characters in popular culture.

“It’s a huge undertaking. It's a landscape of performance and acting, and the character is like no other character you will ever play,” Brosnan said.

Brosnan, who played Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002, said he never tires of talking about his experience of playing the legendary character simply because of the opportunities it has afforded him.

“It’s my life, my legacy and again the gift that keeps giving,” Brosnan said. “It's allowed me to be commercial. It's allowed me to be in front of an audience to reach the world — and for that, I'm forever grateful.”

The responsibility of the finding the next star to play 007 is currently on the shoulders of veteran casting director Nina Gold, Variety reported Thursday. Gold, who was one of the inaugural Oscar nominees for Best Casting for Hamnet, has cast well over 200 films and television series.

Among Gold’s film casting credits are Conclave, 1917, Les Misérables, The Martian and the Star Wars sequel trilogy, while he TV casting credits include Game of Thrones, Baby Reindeer, The Crown, Chernobyl, Slow Horses and most recently, the new series version of Lord of the Flies.

While Amazon MGM Studios and Gold dig in their heels to find the next Bond actor, here’s a look at the stars who have played the famed secret agent before.

Sean Connery

Sean Connery, of course, was the first actor to play James Bond for the officially sanctioned film series by Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman’s Eon Productions.

Connery starred in the first five Bond films – Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) – and stepped away for the sixth film, 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The actor returned to play Bond for a sixth time in the seventh film in the series, Diamonds are Forever (1971), which marked his last official 007 film for Eon Productions.

While Connery reprise the role one more time for the 1983 film Never Say Never Again, it’s not considered Bond canon since it was not produced by Eon Productions.

George Lazenby

George Lazenby had the shortest tenure of all James Bond actors, as he was cast in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when Sean Connery left the franchise after 1967’s You Only Live Twice and returned for Diamonds are Forever in 1971.

Roger Moore

Roger Moore had the longest tenure of all James Bond actors by starring in seven 007 films.

Beginning with Live and Let Die in 1973, Moore starred in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985).

Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton took up the mantle of James Bond for the 1987 film The Living Daylights. Dalton only played the role for one more 007 film, 1989’s License to Kill.

Pierce Brosnan

After a contractual obligation to his TV series Remingston Steele previented him from playing James Bond initially (via The Hollywood Reporter), Pierce Brosnan assumed the role of 007 in 1995 for GoldenEye.

Brosnan played Bond three more times after GoldenEye, for Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002).

Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig had the second-longest tenure as James Bond, playing the character for five films total, in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021).

No Time to Die left no room for Craig to return to the role even if he wanted to, since his iteration of Bond was killed off at the end of the film.