Lanenby was the best. He was believable disguised as Sir Hilary Bray. When any of the actors disguised introduced themself, you expected the villain to say, "Really, you seem very like a Secret Service agent"
But to be more serious, I guess Sean Connery is the only answer. Ian Fleming wanted a refine Englishman and didn't originally cotton to the Scotsman, but Connery made the role his own.
Roger Moore was kind of a joke. He obviously didn't take Bond with even a minimal amount of seriousness. Pierce Brosnan is an arrogant jerk, and you don't have to be Mel Gibson to hate Timothy Dalton.
The new guy, Clive Owen Daniel Craig actually wants to subvert the franchise. If any part of you is a Bond-hater you'll have a soft spot for him, but if you're a true fan, you won't.
That isn't quite fair. What Moore did was bring "The Saint" to the big screen. He played Bond with the same sensibility as the TV show -- a bit prissy and with more humor. I think Moore's movies tended to be a bit more cartoony in nature (writing to the actor?)
Lanenby was the best. He was believable disguised as Sir Hilary Bray. When any of the actors disguised introduced themself, you expected the villain to say, "Really, you seem very like a Secret Service agent"