This is a list of actors who were considered for the role of James Bond, both officially and unofficially, but ultimately did not portray Bond. For a comprehensive list of the actors who have actually played the role of James Bond in the official films, please refer to the separate list of James Bond films.

Considered but not chosen

Actors who were under consideration for the role of James Bond but not chosen.

Considered but declined the role

Actors who have come under consideration for the role of James Bond but have declined the offer for various reasons. Both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan were linked to the role of James Bond at least a decade before eventually taking it, but declined for various reasons. Dalton was first offered the role in 1967 at the age of 21, but felt he was too young for the part. He ultimately accepted the role 20 years later. Dalton was offered the role again in 1979, but declined once more, citing dissatisfaction with the direction of the Bond films, which he felt had become overly reliant on gadgetry and formulaic plots. Both Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton were also approached to take over for On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but neither accepted the role at the time, as they did not want to be seen as the actor replacing Sean Connery. Pierce Brosnan was initially chosen to play Bond in The Living Daylights, but had to withdraw due to his commitment to the television show Remington Steele, which was unexpectedly renewed, keeping him in the lead role. As a result, the part went to Dalton. Brosnan eventually made his debut as James Bond in GoldenEye.

Considered but chosen for a different role in a Bond film

The following actors were considered for the role of James Bond, but were cast as supporting or opposing characters; in the case of Colin Salmon, consideration as Bond came after his appearances in the films.