List of recurring characters in the James Bond film series

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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. There have been twenty-five films in total released between 1962 and 2021 and produced by Eon Productions, which now holds the adaptation rights to all of Fleming's Bond novels. [1] [2] Bond has been portrayed in these films by six actors: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.

Contents

Several of the series' supporting characters, such as M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny, are MI6 posts, not character names, and some of the actor changes in these positions reflect in-universe replacements. Such change was explicit for M in GoldenEye (1995), with Judi Dench's character referred to as a newcomer, and in Skyfall (2012), as Ralph Fiennes' character Gareth Mallory replaces Dench's character as M; it was explicit for Q in Die Another Day (2002), as John Cleese's character replaces Desmond Llewelyn's Q after being his apprentice in The World Is Not Enough (1999). There is only one clear case of a single M, Q, or Moneypenny character switching actor: when Q, Major Boothroyd, switches from Peter Burton in Dr. No (1962) to Desmond Llewelyn in From Russia with Love (1963).

Overview

Film
Character
James Bond
007
Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Felix Leiter Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
M Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Miss Moneypenny Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Q Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Sylvia TrenchYes check.svg
Ernst Stavro Blofeld Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Sheriff J.W. Pepper Yes check.svg
Bill Tanner Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
General Gogol Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Sir Frederick Gray Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Jaws Yes check.svg
RublevitchYes check.svgYes check.svg
SmithersYes check.svg
Jack WadeYes check.svg
Valentin ZukovskyYes check.svgYes check.svg
Charles Robinson Yes check.svg
René Mathis Yes check.svg
Mr White Yes check.svgYes check.svg
Dr. Madeleine Swann Yes check.svg
Dr. VogelYes check.svg

By era

1962–1971: Sean Connery and George Lazenby

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who have appeared in two or more Sean Connery films.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
  •  V indicates a voice-only role.
Character1962196319641965196719691971
Dr. No From Russia with Love Goldfinger Thunderball You Only Live Twice On Her Majesty's Secret Service Diamonds Are Forever
James Bond
007
Sean Connery [3] George Lazenby [3] Sean Connery [3]
Felix Leiter Jack Lord [4] Cec Linder [4] Rik Van Nutter [4] Norman Burton [4]
M Bernard Lee R [5]
Miss Moneypenny Lois Maxwell R [6]
Q Peter Burton [7] Desmond Llewelyn R [7]
Sylvia Trench Eunice Gayson [8]
Ernst Stavro Blofeld Anthony Dawson [9]
Eric Pohlmann V [9]
Anthony Dawson [9]
Eric Pohlmann V [9]
Donald Pleasence [9] Telly Savalas [9] Charles Gray [9]

1973–1985: Roger Moore

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who have appeared in two or more Roger Moore films.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
  •  U indicates an uncredited appearance.
Character1973197419771979198119831985
Live and Let Die The Man with the Golden Gun The Spy Who Loved Me Moonraker For Your Eyes Only Octopussy A View to a Kill
James Bond
007
Roger Moore [3]
M Bernard Lee [5] Robert Brown R [5]
Miss Moneypenny Lois Maxwell [6]
Sheriff J.W. Pepper Clifton James [10]
Q Desmond Llewelyn R [7]
Bill Tanner Michael Goodliffe U [11] James Villiers [11]
General Gogol Walter Gotell [11]
Sir Frederick Gray Geoffrey Keen [11]
Jaws Richard Kiel [12]
Rublevitch Eva Rueber-Staier [13] Eva Rueber-Staier [13]
Smithers Jeremy Bulloch [14]

1987–1989: Timothy Dalton

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who have appeared in both Timothy Dalton films.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
Character19871989
The Living Daylights Licence to Kill
James Bond
007
Timothy Dalton [3]
Felix Leiter John Terry [4] David Hedison [4]
M Robert Brown [5]
Miss Moneypenny Caroline Bliss [6]
Q Desmond Llewelyn R [7]

1995–2002: Pierce Brosnan

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who have appeared in two or more Pierce Brosnan films.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
Character1995199719992002
GoldenEye Tomorrow Never Dies The World Is Not Enough Die Another Day
James Bond
007
Pierce Brosnan [3]
M Judi Dench R [5]
Miss Moneypenny Samantha Bond [6]
Q Desmond Llewelyn [7] Desmond Llewelyn [7]
John Cleese [7]
John Cleese [7]
Bill Tanner Michael Kitchen [11] Michael Kitchen [11]
Jack Wade Joe Don Baker [15]
Valentin Zukovsky Robbie Coltrane [16] Robbie Coltrane [16]
Charles Robinson Colin Salmon [17]

2006–2021: Daniel Craig

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who have appeared in two or more Daniel Craig films.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
  •  C indicates a cameo role.
Character20062008201220152021
Casino Royale Quantum of Solace Skyfall Spectre No Time to Die
James Bond
007
Daniel Craig [3]
Felix Leiter Jeffrey Wright [4] Jeffrey Wright [4]
Olivia Mansfield
M
[lower-alpha 1]
Judi Dench [5] Judi Dench C [5]
René Mathis Giancarlo Giannini [18]
Mr White Jesper Christensen [19] Jesper Christensen [19]
Bill Tanner Rory Kinnear [20]
Gareth Mallory
M
[lower-alpha 1]
Ralph Fiennes [5]
Eve Moneypenny Naomie Harris [21]
Q Ben Whishaw [22]
Franz Oberhauser
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Christoph Waltz [9]
Dr. Madeleine Swann Léa Seydoux [23]
Dr. Vogel Brigitte Millar [24]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Olivia Mansfield (Judi Dench's M) dies in Skyfall (2012) and is replaced by character Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), appearing earlier in the same film. In Spectre (2015), Mansfield has a cameo appearance in a video she recorded before her murder. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>James Bond</i> Media franchise about a British spy

The James Bond series focuses on the titular character, a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have written authorised Bond novels or novelisations: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver, William Boyd, and Anthony Horowitz. The latest novel is With a Mind to Kill by Anthony Horowitz, published in May 2022. Additionally Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond, and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Connery</span> Scottish actor (1930–2020)

Sir Thomas Sean Connery was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Connery originated the role in Dr. No (1962) and continued starring as Bond in the Eon Productions films From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Connery made his final appearance in the franchise in Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon-produced Bond film.

Q (<i>James Bond</i>) Character from James Bond

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Fiennes</span> English actor (born 1962)

Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Widely regarded as one of Britain’s most well-known and popular actors, he has received various accolades including a BAFTA Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and an Emmy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Moneypenny</span> Fictional character in James Bond novels and films

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).

M is a codename held by a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond book and film series; the character is the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service for the agency known as MI6. Fleming based the character on a number of people he knew who commanded sections of British intelligence. M has appeared in the novels by Fleming and seven continuation authors, as well as appearing in twenty-four films. In the Eon Productions series of films, M has been portrayed by four actors: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes, the incumbent; in the two independent productions, M was played by John Huston, David Niven and Edward Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomie Harris</span> English actress (born 1976)

Naomie Melanie Harris is an English actress. She started her career when she was a child, appearing in the television series Simon and the Witch in 1987. She portrayed Selena in the zombie film 28 Days Later (2002), the witch Tia Dalma in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films, Winnie Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), and Frances Barrison / Shriek in Sony's Spider-Man Universe film Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). She portrayed Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond films Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Whishaw</span> English actor (born 1980)

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<i>Dr. No</i> (film) 1962 James Bond film directed by Terence Young

Dr. No is a 1962 spy film directed by Terence Young. It is the first film in the James Bond series. Starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman and Jack Lord, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather from the 1958 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, a partnership that continued until 1975. It was followed by From Russia with Love in 1963. In the film, James Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a fellow British agent. The trail leads him to the underground base of Dr. Julius No, who is plotting to disrupt an early American space launch from Cape Canaveral with a radio beam weapon.

Daniel Kleinman is a British television commercial and music video director who has designed every title sequence for the James Bond series of films since GoldenEye (1995), with the exception of Quantum of Solace (2008). He returned to design the titles for Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Craig</span> English actor (born 1968)

Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. He gained international fame by playing the fictional secret agent James Bond for five installments in the film series, from Casino Royale (2006) up to No Time to Die (2021).

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.

<i>Skyfall</i> 2012 James Bond film by Sam Mendes

Skyfall is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the villain, with Judi Dench returning as M. Directed by Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan, the film has Bond investigating a series of targeted data leaks and co-ordinated attacks on MI6 led by Silva. It sees the return of two recurring characters, Miss Moneypenny and Q, after an absence of two films. Ralph Fiennes, Bérénice Marlohe, and Albert Finney are among the supporting cast.

<i>007 Legends</i> 2012 video game

007 Legends is a first-person shooter video game featuring the character of British secret agent James Bond. It was developed by Eurocom and first released by Activision on October 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with Microsoft Windows and Wii U versions releasing later that year. Wii U release of the game was cancelled in Australia and the game was removed from all digital storefronts in January 2013.

<i>No Time to Die</i> 2021 James Bond film by Cary Joji Fukunaga

No Time to Die is a 2021 spy film and the twenty-fifth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, starring Daniel Craig in his fifth and final portrayal of fictional British MI6 agent James Bond. The plot follows Bond, who has left active service with MI6, and is recruited by the CIA to find a kidnapped scientist, which leads to a showdown with a powerful and vengeful adversary armed with a technology capable of killing millions.

<i>Spectre</i> (2015 film) James Bond film

Spectre is a 2015 spy film and the twenty-fourth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. Directed by Sam Mendes and written by John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Jez Butterworth from a story conceived by Logan, Purvis, and Wade, it stars Daniel Craig as Bond, alongside Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci, and Ralph Fiennes. It was distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. In the film, Bond learns of Spectre, an international crime organisation led by Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Waltz).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Bond (reboot series)</span> Fictional character

James Bond is a fictional character and the titular main protagonist of Eon Productions' rebooted James Bond film series, first introduced in the 2006 film Casino Royale. Portrayed by British actor Daniel Craig, this interpretation of the character, and the actor portraying him, received critical praise for a "caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007" – a darker, more realistic tone than the lighter characterizations portrayed in past Bond films.

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