Dame Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench played Bond's boss M in seven films, working with both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig before being killed off in 'Skyfall'.

She was the first female to take on the role but questioned if a woman should play Bond as it would not be true to Ian Fleming's novels.

She said: "Bond ought not to be a woman. Because, essentially, that kind of model - Bond as a woman - was not in the writing."