All 43 Bond Boys Ranked
This one’s for the boys.
The name’s Bond. Bondathon. With 24 official James Bond films to conquer before No Time To Die hits theaters (someday!), Bond fan Anna Swanson and Bond newbie Meg Shields are diving deep on 007. With shaken martinis and beluga caviar in hand, the Double Take duo is making their way through the Bond corpus by era, so hang up your hats and pay attention. This time, they’ve set their scopes on the Bond boys.
James Bond loves his women. That’s nothing new. But watch enough Bond films and it becomes apparent that in addition to 007’s collection of beautiful gals, he has quite an impressive number of male accomplices. Some are formal allies, others are buddies, and a few are even frenemies. But they are, all, what we will henceforth refer to as Bond boys.
Much like the Bond girls, the Bond boys do not have a single definition. They are men who have a certain vibe with Bond and sort of energy that counters or compliments his. Also, while some may only appear in a single brief scene, they all bring something to the table that we find memorable. We decided against including direct superiors, though, so M does not count. Most are allies, but there are a few bad boys we just had to include.
Of course, the best way to explain what makes a Bond boy a Bond boy is with forty-three examples across twenty-four films, so let’s take it away.
Honorable Mention: Moneypenny
Played by: Lois Maxwell
Appears in: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill.
Here’s the thing: we obviously can’t include Moneypenny on the official list. And, what we’re about to say doesn’t apply to other iterations of Moneypenny, lovely as they may be. This is specifically a quality that Lois Maxwell brings to the role. As portrayed by Maxwell, Moneypenny’s dynamic with Bond has a unique chemistry. Sure, she flirts and he flirts back, but both do so with an assured knowledge that neither of the two would ever really make a move. They work together because it’s always hypothetical, and at the end of the day she’s probably the closest thing Bond has to a real friend, someone who understands all of his debaucherous tendencies and finds them charming. They pal around and tease each other, but there’s a high degree of mutual respect. Maxwell is too good for any official classification, but we’re comfortable calling her an honorary bro. The boys on this list could probably learn a thing or two from her.
43. J.W. Pepper
Played by: Clifton James
Appears in: Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun
J.W. Pepper is the loud-mouthed Louisiana parish sheriff who somehow does not trip comically into a pool full of hungry gators five seconds after he’s introduced. Hopefully, contemporary Yankee viewers clock J.W.’s grating antics for what they are: an act of international aggression on the part of the British. It’s unbelievable that we were subjected to this man’s foolishness twice. Sure, he’s an ally. But only in name. This man couldn’t find his own nose.
42. R/Q
Played by: John Cleese
Appears in: The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day
After the death of Desmond Llewelyn in 1999, John Cleese assumed the mantle of MI6’s Quartermaster. Originally appearing as Llewelyn’s assistant “R,” Cleese does a solid job inhabiting his predecessor’s gently annoyed candor while remaining a consummate professional. He steps up and does his job, delivering dry humor, exposition, and tellings off in a way that may never replace the work of Llewelyn but do just fine. He’s like your a nice substitute teacher. It’s fine!
41. Morton Slumber
Played by: David Bauer
Appears in: Diamonds Are Forever
Morton Slumber, quite possibly the most aptly named mortician to ever exist, is a diamond smuggler on Blofeld’s payroll who saves Bond from an early cremation. Sure, he only halts the process because he needs to know where the real diamonds are, but he did save Bond’s life. While he is a criminal, one life-saving assist is enough for us if it means we can squeeze this goth icon on this list.
40. Luigi Ferrara
Played by: John Moreno
Appears in: For Your Eyes Only
Luigi Ferrara doesn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with Bond, and, admittedly, his time is mostly spent showcasing the fact that he can’t exactly keep up with 007’s pace when it comes to spying. But he clearly had enough of an impact on Bond to be mourned and rightfully avenged. He was a man with more potential than actual skills, but still, he’s a boy that will be missed.
39. Saunders
Played by: Thomas Wheatley
Appears in: The Living Daylights
You know that guy whom you constantly butt heads with because you’re both passionate about the same thing? That’s Bond and Agent Saunders, two competent operatives with different takes on “following orders.” Saunders loves a good plan. Bond knows plans exist but chooses to ignore them. What begins as a bickering workplace rivalry develops into teamwork and mutual respect. Too bad Saunders had to go and get horribly murdered by the KGB.
38. Felix Leiter as seen in Diamonds Are Forever
Played by: Norman Burton
Appears in: Diamonds Are Forever
While this Felix is the lowest ranking Felix, we need to acknowledge that this iteration, who is not especially memorable and comes across as desperate to clock out and go home, at least fits in with our exasperated feelings while watching Diamonds Are Forever. This is a crowded film, one that is louder than it needs to be, and it’s not a place where the boys really have space to thrive.
37. Felix Leiter as seen in Goldfinger
Played by: Cec Linder
Appears in: Goldfinger
Another Bond film, another actor playing Felix Leiter. And this time he’s a Canadian, baby. Linder endows the CIA agent with more of an old dog vibe than Dr. No’s Jack Lord, who comes across more as Bond’s peer (Lord was actually denied double billing on Goldfinger, which is why he was replaced). Indeed Linder’s age makes him come across more like Bond’s uncle than his best friend. While Linder’s performance is respectable enough, overall the change was, in our opinion, a step backward, but luckily one corrected in future outings.
36. Sir. Hilary Bray
Played by: George Baker
Appears in: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
It should be in the bro code — if it isn’t already — that the boys share everything, including identities. In order to help 007 take down SPECTRE, Sir Hilary, the expert genealogist, allows Bond to assume his name and infiltrate Blofeld’s mountain lair under the guise of assessing his ancestry. To complete the process, George Baker dubbed Lazenby during his scenes in disguise.
35. Vijay
Played by: Vijay Amritraj
Appears in: Octopussy
Vijay Amritraj, a professional tennis player turned actor for the 1983 Bond film, serves up a charming portrayal of Bond’s ally in India. Vijay and Bond have some fun, with all the antics of the Moore era on full display as the duo investigates the sinister Kamal Khan. And then he’s taken out by a yo-yo-ing saw. This is a James Bond film, after all.
34. Bill Tanner
Played by: Rory Kinnear
Appears in: Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre
There have been other iterations of Bill Tanner, but they were all relegated to incredibly minor roles, and really, Rory Kinnear is the only one who’s gotten the chance to be memorable. He’s a professional, easily fitting in with M’s structured world, but he’s also clearly loyal and a helpful boy behind the scenes while Bond works in the field. We can only hope he sticks around for future films.
33. Willard Whyte
Played by: Jimmy Dean
Appears in: Diamonds Are Forever
An eccentric billionaire with more twang than a loose guitar string, Willard Whyte is young, dumb, and full of great ideas. Ideas like firing the treacherous Bert Saxby after shooting him in the chest. Great thinking’ there Willard. A reclusive magnate who has his identity stolen by Blofeld, Willard is one orange juice away from Howard Hughes (who at the time of filming was secluded in the penthouse suite of the Las Vegas’ Desert Inn hotel). He’s not the brightest bulb out there, but Willard’s got resources to spare when it comes to helping Bond take Blofeld down.
32. Shaun Campbell
Played by: Bernard Horsfall
Appears in: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
It’s a testament to Bernard Horsfall’s screen presence that Shaun Campbell makes as much of an impression as he does. While Campbell himself is a bit of an enigma, his actions speak volumes. An MI6 operative, Campbell helps Bond crack into Blofeld’s safe and risks his life by rock-climbing to the Swiss Piz Gloria base. Campbell is dutiful and determined but ultimately gives Bond away after being tortured and murdered by Blofeld (strung up by one leg, frozen, and hanging garishly off the side of a cliff). But Campbell’s imperfections are what make him so compelling. That and his sweater game.
31. Charles Robinson
Played by: Colin Salmon
Appears in: Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day
More of a right-hand man to M than Bond, Robinson is still a great ally. He’s refined, knows the value of a well-tailored suit, and is loyal to the woman in charge. He’s probably even more of a gentleman than Bond. While we can only hope that Robinson rubs off on Bond, we know better than to expect this. Still, it’s nice to have a boy around who can lead by example.
