Felix Leiter is one of the most important supporting characters within theJames Bondfranchise, and in many ways, feels like the American equivalent to 007. While Bond works alone for the most part when he takes on missions assigned to him by MI6, Felix occasionally provides him with assistance in his capacity as an agent of the CIA. While he is often cast in a supporting role, Felix is often there to help Bond take downsome of the most ruthless villainsin the series.
Felix provides an American perspective on international conflicts, but like 007, does not always follow the rules as closely as his superiors may have expected. Similar to characters like Q, Moneypenny, M, and even Blofeld, Felix has been played by multiple actorsover the course of the Bond franchise.Here is every actor who played Felix Leiter in the James Bond movies, ranked.
8John Terry
Appeared in: ‘The Living Daylights’ (1987)
John Terry is a very talented actorwhose credits include such classics asFull Metal Jacket, Of Mice and Men, andZodiac,so the notion of him joining the Bond franchise as Felix was certainly an exciting one.The Living Daylightmarked the first film in whichTimothy Daltontook over as Bond, and instilled a slightly darker tone that felt closer in line to the original source material thatIan Fleminghad created with his novels.
Although the film itself deserves far more credit than it has received,Felix doesn’t really play a big factor in the plot ofThe Living Daylights, as he really only appears at the very end to help Bond in the midst of an action scene. While it would have been interesting to see how Terry and Daltons’ dynamic could have evolved over the course of multiple installments,The Living Daylightsmarked the last time in which they got to appear on screen together.
The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights: British secret agent James Bond is tasked with aiding a Soviet general’s defection to the West, but a complex web of deception soon leads him into a global conspiracy involving arms deals and assassinations. Amidst political intrigue and high-stakes espionage, Bond relies on his skills to unravel the truth.
7Bernie Casey
Appeared in: ‘Never Say Never Again’ (1983)
Bernie Casey had the unfortunatetask of appearing inNever Say Never Again, a strange offshoot of the Bond franchise that was produced by Warner Brothers, and not the typical company of MGM. Due to a strange rights agreement revolving around the novelThunderball,Sean Conneryended up returning to play Bond for the first time sinceDiamonds Are Foreverfor an unofficial sequel directed byIrvin Kershner.
Felix has little more than a cameo inNever Say Never Again, so it is relatively unfair to judge Casey for what he could do with the character. Due to the rights agreement,Never Say Never Againwas not allowed to make any specific references to the various adventures that Bond and Felix had gone on together in any of the previous films that Connery had starred in. His appearance inNever Say Never Againultimately amounts to a bit of fan service.
Never Say Never Again
6Jack Lord
Appeared in: ‘Dr. No’ (1962)
Jack Lord was the first actor to ever play Felix, and did a great job at outlining why he was such an important figure that would reappear throughout many ofthe franchise’s most essential installments.Lord’s version of Felix stops in to explain to Bond why he should be concerned about his mission to find Dr. Julius No (Joseph Wiseman), and later helps save him and Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) when they are trapped out in the ocean.
Lord was able to identify why Felix had such a strong friendship with Bond, as they are both rogue agents that are willing to do anything to stop the villains. It is actually rather unfortunate that Lord was not able to reprise his role in any of the subsequent Bond films, as it would have been very interesting to see how he interacted with Connery during the more intense circumstances withinFrom Russia With Love.
A resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.
5Norman Burton
Appeared in: ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ (1971)
Norman Burton gave a fantastic performance as Felix inDiamonds Are Forever, even though it is generally regarded as being one of themost disappointing entries in the Bond franchise.Considering that a majority ofDiamonds Are Forevertakes place in Las Vegas, it made complete sense why Bond would go to seek out assistance from Felix when he was trying to track down the agents of SPECTRE.
Diamonds Are Foreverimproves significantly anytime that Burton appears in the film, as he appears to be one of the only members of the cast that was willing to treat the material seriously. While Connery played a version of Bond that almost felt like a caricature of what he had already done within previous entries within the series, Burton was able to add some complexity to this underrated role by showing Felix’s unwavering support for his allies in MI6.
Diamonds Are Forever
James Bond infiltrates a diamond smuggling ring, uncovering a plot by his arch-nemesis Blofeld to build a space-based laser weapon. From Amsterdam to Las Vegas, Bond faces off against Blofeld’s henchmen and foils the plan, ensuring the diamonds return to their rightful owners.
4Rik Van Nutter
Appeared in: ‘Thunderball’ (1964)
Rik Van Nutter was one of the rare actors who got to show Felix getting in on the action, as he serves as one of Bond’s primary allies inThunderball. The aquatic adventure film may have begun witha thrilling action scene where Bond uses a jetpack, but a majority of the story revolves around 007 having to team up with other spies to infiltrate an underwater weapon being utilized by SPECTRE. While Bond has never been a character who is particularly interested in being “part of a team,” Nutter was able to prove that Felix was worthy of his respect.
The chemistry between Nutter and Connery actually makesThunderballmore excitingthan it would have been otherwise; while viewers likely went into the film knowing that Bond was probably going to survive, there was reason to believe that Felix would perish at any given moment.
Thunderball
James Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.
3Cec Linder
Appeared in: ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)
Ced Linder had the benefit of playing Felix in one of the best Bond films, asGoldfingerisrenowned as an all-time classicthat established many of the recurring themes of the franchise. Although Lord had done a good job at playing Felix inDr. No, Linder was able to show a more motivated version of the character who helps Bond during his initial mission in Miami.
Felix is established as one of the few characters in the franchise that Bond can trust, which is a rare quality considering how many of his allies have betrayed him or turned him over to the villains. Linder was also to understand the tone of the series, which really came to fruition inGoldfinger; humor and self-awareness are critical to the success of the Bond films, and Linder gets a few great one-liners that prove him worthy of sharing scenes with an actor of Connery’s acclaim.
Goldfinger
2David Hedison
Appeared in: ‘Live and Let Die’ (1973), ‘License to Kill’ (1989)
David Hedison had one of the most interesting arcs as Felix in the Bond films, as he appeared in two of the best entries over a decade apart. InLive and Let Die, Hedison’s version of Felix is introduced toRoger Moore’s Bond before he goes on a mission to New Orleans to track down the gangster known as “Mr. Big” (Yaphet Kotto).
Hedison had a significantly bigger role inLicense to Kill, which revolved aroundTimothy Dalton’s version of Bond breaking from MI6 togo on a solo mission of revengeafter Felix is attacked at his wedding by terrorists, and his wife is killed. While it seemed unusual that Bond would ever do anything that would contradict his orders from British intelligence, it is evident that his connection with Felix is strong enough that he feels obligated to ensure that he had justice. It is due to the emotional value that Hedison provided thatLicense to Killwas able to become one of the darkest (and most underrated) entries in the entire Bond franchise.
Live and Let Die
1Jeffrey Wright
Appeared in: ‘Casino Royale’ (2006), ‘Quantum of Solace’ (2008), ‘No Time To Die’ (2021)
Jeffrey Wrighthad the benefit of playing Felix in the most films, as he co-starred alongsideDaniel CraiginCasino Royale, Quantum of Solace,andNo Time To Die. Wright is obviously one of the best actors working today, and was able to provide some of the best dramatic material in the history of the Bond series; although Bond often finds it challenging to admit thepersonal struggles that he is going throughto M (Judi Dench), he is generally able to seek out the advice that Felix provides when he needs it.
Wright had a great featured appearance inNo Time To Die, where it is established that Bond seeks out Felix’s help after he has retired from his role as an active MI6 agent. Bond even refers to Felix as his “brother,” and it is evident that the two share a deep friendship. It is likely that whenever Craig’s replacement as Bond is announced, another actor will inevitably be cast as Felix. However, it will take a truly brilliant performer to live up to the legacy of what Wright was able to do with the character.
