This is a list of actors that have appeared physically (but not always characteristically) in the Eon Productions series of the James Bond film series more than once.
In the Bond films, Bernard Lee's character, M, is Admiral Sir Miles Messervy (only ever named, besides as 'M', as 'Admiral' and 'Miles' on screen in his appearances), Bond's irascible boss who sends him out on assignments. He also portrays M along with Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny in the 1975 French comedy " Bons baisers de Hong Kong". Lee was succeeded by Robert Brown, though not necessarily playing the same character (Brown had played another admiral in the series previously).
Dame Judi Dench, a friend of Lee, would later take over the role of a brand-new M, starting in 1995 with some references to her predecessor, including an oil painting of Lee in the role seen in MI6's secondary HQ (a Scottish castle).[citation needed]
After Lee's death in 1981, the producers hired actor Robert Brown to continue the role in the Bond films. Brown picks up the role in Octopussy, however it is never explicitly stated on screen whether Robert Brown's character is intended to be the same person played by Lee, if he was intended to be Admiral Hargreaves, the role played by Brown in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me, or if he is supposed to be another character altogether.[citation needed]
In 1995, actress Dame Judi Dench became known to an international audience after taking over the role of M starting with GoldenEye and continuing through all of the Pierce Brosnan films. She is the only actor from Brosnan's era to remain in the rebooted franchise featuring Daniel Craig, starring in 2006's Casino Royale, 2008's Quantum of Solace, and 2012's Skyfall, followed by a cameo in 2015's Spectre. A painting of Dench's M is shown at the relocated M16 headquarters in 2021's No Time to Die. Dench played M in a total of eight films.[citation needed]
Starting with the second film in the James Bond series, From Russia with Love (1963), Desmond Llewelyn appeared as Q (the quartermaster of the MI6gadget lab known as Q-branch) in every Bond film, except Live and Let Die (1973), until The World Is Not Enough (1999). He had originally been chosen for the role as he had previously worked with the director Terence Young on the 1950 war film They Were Not Divided. In the 2002 film Die Another Day, John Cleese, who played the character R, the assistant to Q in The World Is Not Enough, was promoted to the head of Q-branch, thus taking on the title of Q. In all, Llewelyn appeared in 17 Bond films, more than any other actor, and worked with the first five James Bond actors. He also portrayed Q in a 1967 made-for-television special (produced by Eon Productions) entitled, Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond which was included in the 2006 special edition DVD release of You Only Live Twice.
Desmond Llewelyn appears as Major Boothroyd/Q in the following films:
From Russia with Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Diamonds are Forever (1971)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy (1983)
A View to a Kill (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence to Kill (1989)
Goldeneye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
John Cleese
In 1999, comedian John Cleese appeared in the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough as Q's assistant, referred to by Bond as R. In 2002, when Cleese reprised his role in Die Another Day, the character was promoted, making Cleese the new quartermaster (Q) of MI6. In 2004, Cleese was featured as Q in the video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, featuring his likeness and voice.[citation needed]
Cleese appears as R/Q in the following films:
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002)
Ben Whishaw
Actor Ben Whishaw took over the role in 2012's Skyfall. Q was absent from the two previous movies, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace and it was Daniel Craig who had expressed concern over the character's absence, and expressed his hope that Q would return in Skyfall.
Whishaw appears as Q in the following films:
Skyfall (2012)
Spectre (2015)
No Time to Die (2021)
Moneypenny – Secretary
Lois Maxwell
Lois Maxwell lobbied for the role in James Bond, as her husband had had a heart attack and they needed the money. Director Terence Young, who once had turned her down on the grounds that she looked like she "smelled of soap", offered her either Moneypenny or the recurring Bond girlfriend, Sylvia Trench, but she was uncomfortable with a revealing scene the latter had in the screenplay. The role as M's secretary guaranteed just two days' work at £100 per day; Maxwell supplied her own clothes.[1] The Trench character, however, was eliminated after From Russia with Love.
In 1967, Maxwell angered Sean Connery for a time by appearing in the Italian spy spoof Operation Kid Brother with the star's brother Neil Connery and Bernard Lee.[1] In 1971, Maxwell was nearly replaced for Diamonds Are Forever after demanding a pay raise; her policewoman's cap disguises hair she had already dyed for another role.[1] In 1975, she plays Moneypenny weeping for the death of James Bond in a short scene with Bernard Lee as M in the French comedy Bons Baisers de Hong Kong. For the filming of A View to a Kill, her final appearance, Bond producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli told her that the two of them were the only ones from Dr. No still working on the series. Maxwell asked that her character be killed off, but Broccoli recast the role instead.[1]
As Moneypenny, according to author Tom Lisanti, she was seen as an "anchor", with her flirtatious repartee with Bond lending the films realism and humanism. For Moneypenny, Bond was "unobtainable", freeing the characters to make outrageous sexual double entendres. At the same time, her character did little to imbue the series with changing feminist notions.[2]
Her total screen time as Moneypenny in 14 films was less than two hours, and she spoke fewer than 200 words.[3]
As Miss Moneypenny
Dr. No (1962)
From Russia with Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Diamonds are Forever (1971)
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy (1983)
A View to a Kill (1985)
Caroline Bliss
Caroline Bliss was only featured in two James Bond movies (the only two Timothy Dalton starred in as James Bond). Although, her role in Licence to Kill was little more than a cameo. She is the only actress to play Moneypenny while wearing glasses. She is also the youngest actress to play Moneypenny.[citation needed]
In a commercial for London's 2012 Olympic bid, Bond once again suited up as Miss Moneypenny. She appeared alongside Roger Moore, who played 007 between 1973 and 1985.
Naomie Harris
The role of Miss Moneypenny was not cast in the following Bond films, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. The character eventually returned in the 2012 film, Skyfall, under the alias 'Eve', played by Naomie Harris. It is only at the end of Skyfall that agent 'Eve' is revealed to be Moneypenny.
He played the role of Frederick Gray, the Minister of Defence in six James Bond films between 1977 and 1987:
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) (in this film Bond calls him "Freddie" – in private, after the briefing at the naval base – when Gray tells him that he is to go to Egypt.)
Central Intelligence Agency/US Armed Forces – United States
Agent Felix Leiter
David Hedison
David Hedison is also notable as the first actor to have played James Bond's ally Felix Leiter in more than one film (Live and Let Die and Licence to Kill) (The second was Jeffrey Wright, who appeared as Leiter in Casino Royale (2006), and reprised the role in Quantum of Solace).[citation needed]
In 1972 Michael G. Wilson joined Eon Productions, the production company responsible for the James Bond film series dating back to 1962 that began with his stepfather Albert R. 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Wilson specifically worked in Eon Productions's legal department until taking a more active role as an assistant to Cubby Broccoli for the film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). In 1979 Wilson became executive producer of the film Moonraker and since has been an executive producer or producer in every James Bond film, currently co-producing with his half-sister Barbara.[citation needed]
Cameo Roles
Goldfinger (1964) – soldier at Fort Knox (uncredited)
Quantum of Solace (2008) – Man sitting in green armchair in Haitian hotel lobby (uncredited)
Skyfall (2012) – Pallbearer at the funeral of MI6 agents (scene cut from final film)
Spectre (2015) – Government official seen discussing positive result of Nine Eyes vote with Max Denbigh (C), alongside his son Gregg Wilson in his first cameo appearance.
Walter Gotell
A German-British actor, Walter Gotell is known for his role as General Gogol, head of the KGB, in the Bond films.[citation needed]
Gotell won the role of General Alexis Gogol in The Spy Who Loved Me for being a look-alike of the former head of Soviet secret police Lavrentiy Beria. His first role in the James Bond films came in 1963, when he played the henchman Morzeny in From Russia with Love. Starting in the late 1970s, he played the recurring role of General Gogol in the James Bond series, beginning with The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977. The character returned in Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985) and The Living Daylights (1987). As the Cold War developed, the role of leader of the KGB was seen to change attitudes to the West – from direct competitor to collaborator. His final appearance, as the Cold War began to become less imminent, sees him transferred to a different, more diplomatic role.[citation needed]
Hartford, née Brown, appeared in two EON films, 41 years apart. In Thunderball, she dances impromptu with Bond at the Kiss Kiss Club before Fiona Volpe cuts in. Her character presumes Volpe to be Bond's wife. Hartford was married at the time to Huntington Hartford who owned Paradise Island, a filming location for the film. In 2006's Casino Royale, she sits directly across from Bond when he plays poker against Dimitrios at the Ocean Club, founded by her ex-husband, again on Paradise Island.
Shane Rimmer played all different characters in the three films he appeared in. He also provided (uncredited) voice over-dubbing for the character of Hamilton in Live and Let Die (1973).
British actress born in London, England on 17 March 1931. Eunice Gayson is best known for playing Sylvia Trench, James Bond's fetching girlfriend in the first two Bond films (Dr. No and From Russia with Love). Originally, Gayson was going to be cast as Miss Moneypenny, but the part went to Lois Maxwell instead. Gayson was originally to have been a regular in the Bond film series, but her character, Sylvia Trench, was dropped.
American actor Richard Kiel is best known for his role as the steel-toothed Jaws in the James Bond movies The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979) as well as the video game Everything or Nothing, and Mr. Larson in Happy Gilmore. He stands at a towering height of 7feet 1.5inches (2.18 m).[citation needed]
Martine Beswick is best known for her two appearances in the James Bond film series. Although she auditioned for the first Bond film Dr. No, she was cast in the second film From Russia with Love as the fiery gypsy girl Zora. She engaged in the famous "catfight" scene with her rival Vida (played by former Miss IsraelAliza Gur). She was incorrectly billed as "Martin Beswick" in the title sequence. Beswick then appeared as the ill-fated Paula Caplan in Thunderball. She had been away from the Caribbean so long that she was required to sunbathe constantly for two weeks before filming, in order to look like a local[citation needed].
Martine Beswick film appearances in the James Bond film series:
British actor Bob Simmons, although uncredited, is notable in appearing as 007 in the pre-title sequences of the first three Bond films. He also appeared, uncredited, in the roles of three villains in later films.
Dr. No (1962) – James Bond in Gunbarrel Sequence (uncredited)
Q is a character in the James Bond films and novelisations. Q is the head of Q Branch, the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service charged with oversight of top secret field technologies.
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and villain from the James Bond series of novels and films, created by Ian Fleming. A criminal mastermind with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond. Blofeld is head of the global criminal organisation SPECTRE and is commonly referred to by the codename Number 1 within this organisation. The character was originally written by Fleming as a physically massive and powerfully built man, standing around 6' 3" and weighing 20 st, who had become flabby with a huge belly.
Miss Moneypenny, later assigned the first names of Eve or Jane, is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. She is secretary to M, who is Bond's superior officer and head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).
A Bond girl is a character who is a love interest, female companion or (occasionally) an adversary of James Bond in a novel, film, or video game. Bond girls occasionally have names that are double entendres or sexual puns, such as Plenty O'Toole, Holly Goodhead, or Xenia Onatopp. The female leads in the films, such as Ursula Andress, Honor Blackman, or Eva Green, can also be referred to as "Bond girls". The term Bond girl may also be considered as an anachronism, with some female cast members in the films preferring the designation Bond woman.
Eon Productions Ltd. is a British film production company that primarily produces the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the UK.
Michael Gregg Wilson, is an American-British screenwriter and film producer, best known for his association with the James Bond film series.
Lois Ruth Maxwell was a Canadian actress who portrayed Miss Moneypenny in the first fourteen Eon-produced James Bond films (1962–1985). She was the first actress to play the part. The films in which she played Miss Moneypenny were Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985). She did not appear in the 1967 adaptation of Casino Royale, nor in the 1983 remake of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again, as the production was not Eon's, though she did, as a similar character, in the spoof O.K. Connery.
Ian Fleming Publications is the production company formerly known as both Glidrose Productions Limited and Glidrose Publications Limited, named after its founders John Gliddon and Norman Rose. In 1952, author Ian Fleming bought it after completing his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale; he assigned most of his rights in Casino Royale, and the works which followed it to Glidrose.
Since its inception in 1962, the James Bond film series from Eon Productions has featured many musical compositions, many of which are now considered classic pieces of British film music. The best known piece is the "James Bond Theme" composed by Monty Norman. Other instrumentals, such as "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", and various songs performed by British or American artists such as Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger", Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice", Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only", Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill", Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" also become identified with the series.
Peter Curtis Lamont was a British set decorator, art director, and production designer most noted for his collaborations with filmmaker James Cameron, and for working on eighteen James Bond films, from Goldfinger (1964) to Casino Royale (2006). The only Bond film that he did not work on during that period was Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), as he was working on Cameron's Titanic (1997) at the time. He also worked extensively as a set dresser on the Carry On series in the 1960s.
James Bond was a comic strip that was based on the eponymous, fictional character created by author Ian Fleming. Starting in 1958 and continuing to 1983, it consisted of 52 story arcs that were syndicated in British newspapers, seven of which were initially published abroad.
The James Bond film series is a British series of spy films based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond, "007", who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. It is one of the longest continually running film series in history, having been in ongoing production from 1962 to the present. In that time, Eon Productions has produced 25 films as of 2021, most of them at Pinewood Studios. With a combined gross of over $7 billion, the films produced by Eon constitute the fifth-highest-grossing film series. Six actors have portrayed 007 in the Eon series, the latest being Daniel Craig.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to James Bond:
The James Bond series of films contain a number of repeating, distinctive motifs which date from the series' inception with Dr. No in 1962. The series consists of twenty five films produced by Eon Productions featuring the James Bond character, a fictional British Secret Service agent. The most recent instalment is No Time to Die, released in UK cinemas on 30 September 2021. There have also been two independently made features, the satirical Casino Royale, released in 1967, and the 1983 film Never Say Never Again.
The series of theatrical feature films about James Bond have been filmed since the 1960s; in each decade at least three movies have been filmed. Before the films there was an episode of the television series Climax! which was produced that adapted the novel Casino Royale into a one-hour TV movie.
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