Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn (; 12 September 1914GRO Register of Births: DEC 1914 11a 490 NEWPORT M. – Desmond W. Llewelyn, mmn = Wilkinson – 19 December 1999GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 2000 A70E 247 EASTBOURNE – Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn, DoB = 12 September 1914, aged 85) was a Welsh actor. He was best known for his role as Q in 17 of the ''James Bond'' films between 1963 and 1999.

Biography

Early life

Llewelyn was born on 12 September 1914 in Newport,

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, wit ...

, the son of Mia (née Wilkinson) and Ivor Llewelyn. In 1921, Ivor purchased the very first

Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, Nort ...

production automobile, a Bentley 3-litre from W. O. Bentley. His father was a coal mining engineer, while his son originally wanted to be a minister, but during his education at

Radley College Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley, is a public school (independent boarding school for boys) near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. The school covers including playing fields, a golf course, a lake, an ...

, he worked as a stagehand in the school's productions and occasionally picked up small roles. In his youth, Llewelyn played rugby for

Newport RFC Newport Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Casnewydd) is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, South Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Premier Division. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on ...

and can be seen wearing the club tie in ''

The Living Daylights ''The Living Daylights'' is a 1987 spy film, the fifteenth entry in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first of two to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by John Glen, the film's ...

'' as well as that of Malpas Cricket Club in ''

Octopussy ''Octopussy'' is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by John Glen and the screenplay was written by ...

''.

Second World War

The outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

in September 1939 halted his acting career; Llewelyn was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, serving with the

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designate ...

. In 1940, he was captured by the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

in France and was held as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

for five years in

Oflag VII-C Oflag VII-C was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for officers located in Laufen Castle, in Laufen in south-eastern Bavaria from 1940 to 1942. Most of the prisoners were British officers captured during the Battle of France in 1940. T ...

and the infamous

Colditz Castle Castle Colditz (or ''Schloss Colditz'' in German) is a Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz in the state of Saxony in Germany. The castle is between the towns of Hartha and Grimma on a hill spur over the ...

(

Oflag IV-C Oflag IV-C, often referred to by its location at Colditz Castle, overlooking Colditz, Saxony, was one of the most noted German Army prisoner-of-war camps for captured enemy officers during World War II; ''Oflag'' is a shortening of ''Offiziersl ...

) in Germany.

Acting career

''James Bond'' series

Llewelyn was chosen for the role of Q because of his work with director Terence Young in the 1950 war film '' They Were Not Divided'', in which he played a tank gunner. Beginning with '' From Russia with Love'' in 1963, Llewelyn appeared as Q, the

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In ...

of the MI6

gadget A gadget is a mechanical device or any ingenious article. Gadgets are sometimes referred to as ''gizmos''. History The etymology of the word is disputed. The word first appears as reference to an 18th-century tool in glassmaking that was develop ...

Lab (also known as Q Branch), in every EON Bond film until his death, with the exception of '' Live and Let Die'' in 1973, in which the character Q did not appear. Llewelyn was the only actor in the original Bond series to have worked alongside five of the actors who played the spy, who were

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) 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. Origina ...

, George Lazenby,

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 1 ...

Timothy Dalton Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama '' The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence a ...

and

Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 ('' GoldenEye'', '' Tomorro ...

in 17 films, more than any other actor in the series. Desmond Llewelyn

His last appearance as Q prior to his death was in ''

The World Is Not Enough ''The World Is Not Enough'' is a 1999 spy film, the nineteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by Michael Apted, from an ...

'' in 1999. During his briefing of

007 The ''James Bond'' series focuses on 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 ...

in the film, Q introduces

John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...

's character, R, as his

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

, and the film alludes to Q's retirement, to which Bond, after seeing Q, expresses his hope that it will not be any time soon. Q's response is to admonish Bond to "always have an escape plan", after which he lowers himself through the floor of his lab. Llewelyn had stated not long before his death that he had no plans to retire and that he would continue playing Q "as long as the producers want me and the Almighty doesn't." In the follow-up 2002 film ''

Die Another Day ''Die Another Day'' is a 2002 spy film and the twentieth film in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It was produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and directed by Lee Tamahori. The fourth and final film st ...

'',

's character is now the head of Q branch, having inherited the title of quartermaster from his predecessor. In 1967, Llewelyn also portrayed Q in an EON produced television documentary entitled '' Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond''. This promotional film was included in the 2006 Special Edition DVD release of '' You Only Live Twice''.

Other work

Although one of British cinema's most recognisable characters and an important and long-standing element in the 'Bond' franchise, 'Q' did not make Llewelyn rich—the actor was merely paid 'by the day' for his few hours of work on-set and did not share in the money made by the films. Nevertheless, because Llewelyn was considered one of the franchise's major institutions and also immensely popular among Bond fans, Llewelyn starred in several commercials, including ones to promote the video games '' GoldenEye 007'' and ''

Tomorrow Never Dies ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' is a 1997 spy film, the eighteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode from a screenplay ...

''. Llewelyn made a brief appearance in "Little Mother", an episode of ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia d ...

''. He also appeared in other films such as the

Ealing Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was his ...

comedy ''

The Lavender Hill Mob ''The Lavender Hill Mob'' is a 1951 comedy film from Ealing Studios, written by T. E. B. Clarke, directed by Charles Crichton, starring Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway and featuring Sid James and Alfie Bass. The title refers to Lavend ...

'' (1951), the 1963 film ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

'' (as a Roman senator), and the 1981 PBS production of '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', and he had a small role in the musical ''

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 musical-fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes with a screenplay co-written by Roald Dahl and Hughes, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel '' Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car'' (1964). The film stars ...

'' (1968), which was itself based on a children's book by Bond author

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., an ...

. In 1961 he made an uncredited cameo appearance early on as one of the Marques's servants in the Hammer Film Productions of '' The Curse of the Werewolf.'' He also acted on stage with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

and

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

(appearing as an extra in Olivier's 1948 film ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'') and appeared as Geoffrey Maddocks ('The Colonel') in the British television series '' Follyfoot'' from 1971 to 1973. The Bond film ''Live and Let Die'' was filmed during the third series of ''Follyfoot'', and Llewelyn was written out of the series for three episodes to appear in the film. However, the Bond producers ultimately decided to leave the character out of the film anyway, much to Llewelyn's annoyance. He was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1995 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at London's Hyde Park Hotel, during a press launch for the new Bond film, '' GoldenEye''.

Personal life

Despite playing an inventor in the Bond films, Llewelyn always maintained that he was totally lost in the world of technology, a trait that also plagued his successors,

and

Ben Whishaw Benjamin John Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an English actor and producer. After winning a British Independent Film Award for his performance in ''My Brother Tom'' (2001), he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of the titl ...

. A biography entitled '' Q: The Biography of Desmond Llewelyn'' was written by Sandy Hernu, and subsequently released on 1 November 1999. Blaen-y-Pant House, Newport - geograph

Death

On 19 December 1999, Llewelyn was driving alone to a book signing event when his

Renault Mégane The Renault Mégane () is a small family car produced by the French car manufacturer Renault for model year 1996, and was the successor to the Renault 19. The Mégane has been offered in three- and five-door hatchback, saloon, coupé, conver ...

collided head-on with a Fiat Bravo on the A27 near the village of Berwick, East Sussex. Llewelyn sustained massive internal injuries and was airlifted by helicopter to Eastbourne District General Hospital, where he died soon afterward at the age of 85. The driver of the Fiat, a 35-year-old man, was seriously injured but survived; a woman in her thirties was also in the Fiat and suffered minor injuries. An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death. Llewelyn's death occurred three weeks after the premiere of ''

''. Roger Moore, who starred with Llewelyn in six of his seven ''Bond'' films, spoke at his funeral on 6 January 2000 at St Mary the Virgin Church in

Battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...

, Sussex. The service was followed by a private cremation at Hastings Crematorium, with the ashes given to Llewelyn's family. His widow, Pamela Mary Llewelyn, died in East Sussex in 2001, also aged 85. His son, Justin Llewelyn, died in 2012, aged 59.

Selected filmography

* '' Ask a Policeman'' (1939) as Headless Coachman (uncredited) * '' Captain Boycott'' (1947) as Gentleman on Train (uncredited) * ''

'' (1948) as Extra (uncredited) * '' Adam and Evelyne'' (1949) as Undetermined Supporting Role (uncredited) * '' The Chiltern Hundreds'' (1949) as First guardsman (uncredited) * ''

Guilt Is My Shadow ''Guilt Is My Shadow'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Roy Kellino and starring Elizabeth Sellars, Patrick Holt and Peter Reynolds. In the film, a woman is haunted by her conscience after she kills a man and hides the body. It is base ...

'' (1950) as Pub customer * '' They Were Not Divided'' (1950) as '77 Jones * ''

'' (1951) as First guardsman (uncredited) * ''

Valley of Song ''Valley of Song'' is a 1953 British comedy drama film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Mervyn Johns, Clifford Evans, Maureen Swanson and the London Welsh Association Choral Society. It marked the film debut of actress Rachel Roberts. It ...

'' (1953) as Lloyd as Schoolmaster * '' Operation Diplomat'' (1953) as Police Constable at barrier (uncredited) * ''

Knights of the Round Table The Knights of the Round Table ( cy, Marchogion y Ford Gron, kw, Marghekyon an Moos Krenn, br, Marc'hegien an Daol Grenn) are the knights of the fellowship of King Arthur in the literary cycle of the Matter of Britain. First appearing in lit ...

'' (1953) as A Herald (uncredited) * ''Stryker of the Yard'' (1953) * '' A Night to Remember'' (1958) as Seaman at Steerage Gate (uncredited) * ''

Further Up the Creek ''Further Up the Creek'' is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Val Guest and starring David Tomlinson, Frankie Howerd, Shirley Eaton, Thora Hird, Desmond Llewelyn and Lionel Jeffries. It served as a follow up to '' Up the C ...

'' (1958) as Chief Yeoman (uncredited) * ''

Corridors of Blood ''Corridors of Blood'' (aka ''Doctor from Seven Dials'')Tom Weaver, ''The Horror Hits of Richard Gordon'', Bear Manor Media 2011 p 80-95 is a 1958 British-American period drama film directed by Robert Day and starring Boris Karloff and Christop ...

'' (1958) as Assistant at operations (uncredited) * ''

Sapphire Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sa ...

'' (1959) as Police Constable (uncredited) * '' Sword of Sherwood Forest'' (1960) as Wounded Fugitive (uncredited) * '' Gorgo '' (1961) (uncredited) * '' The Curse of the Werewolf'' (1961) as 1st Footman (uncredited) * '' Only Two Can Play'' (1962) as Clergyman on Bus (uncredited) * ''

The Pirates of Blood River ''The Pirates of Blood River'' is a 1962 British adventure film directed by John Gilling and starring Kerwin Mathews, Glenn Corbett, Christopher Lee and Oliver Reed. Plot While in a penal colony, Huguenot Jonathan Standing (Kerwin Mathews) is c ...

'' (1962) as Tom Blackthorne (uncredited) * ''

'' (1963) as Senator (uncredited) * '' From Russia with Love'' (1963) as Boothroyd / Q * '' The Silent Playground'' (1963) as Dr. Green * '' Goldfinger'' (1964) as Q * ''

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel ''Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. Pl ...

'' (1965) as Jailer (uncredited) * '' Thunderball'' (1965) as Q * '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967) as Q * ''

'' (1968) as Mr. Coggins * ''

On Her Majesty's Secret Service On Her Majesty's Secret Service may refer to: * ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (novel), a 1963 novel by Ian Fleming * ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (film), a 1969 film adaptation of the novel ** ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' (sou ...

'' (1969) as Q * '' Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971) as Q * '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' (1974) as Q * '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977) as Q * ''

The Golden Lady ''The Golden Lady'' is a British thriller film directed by José Ramón Larraz and starring Christina World, June Chadwick, Suzanne Danielle and Desmond Llewelyn. Filmed in 1978, it was released in 1979. Plot Julia Hemingway ( Ina Skriver, cr ...

'' (1979) as Professor Dixon * '' Moonraker'' (1979) as Q * '' For Your Eyes Only'' (1981) as Q * ''

'' (1983) as Q * ''

A View to a Kill ''A View to a Kill'' is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted ...

'' (1985) as Q * ''

'' (1987) as Q * '' Prisoner of Rio'' (1988) as Commissioner Ingram * ''

Licence to Kill ''Licence to Kill'' is a 1989 spy film, the sixteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the second and final film to star Timothy Dalton as the MI6 agent James Bond. It sees Bond suspended from MI6 as he pursu ...

'' (1989) as Q * ''Merlin'' (1993) as Professor Mycroft * '' GoldenEye'' (1995) as Q * ''

'' (1997) as Q * ''

'' (1999) as Q * ' (1999) as Peregrin Morley

Other appearances

* '' Dangerman'': Episode "The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovergrove" 1964 as Charles - Doorman * ''James Bond: Licence to Thrill'' – TV Movie documentary (1987) as Himself * ''

Wogan ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 until 1992, presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcast ...

'' (1989) – episode – Licence to Kill Special * ''30 Years of James Bond'' – TV Movie documentary (1992) as Himself * ''The Goldfinger Phenomenon'' – Video documentary short (1995) as Himself * ''Behind the Scenes with 'Thunderball – Video documentary (1995) as Himself / Q * ''GoldenEye: The Secret Files'' – TV Short documentary (1995) as Himself * ''In Search of James Bond with Jonathan Ross'' – TV Movie documentary (1995) as Q * ''This Is Your Life'' – TV Series documentary – Desmond Llewelyn (1995) as Himself * ''The World of James Bond'' – TV Movie documentary (1995) as Himself * ''Countdown to Tomorrow'' – Documentary (1997) as Himself / Q * ''The Secrets of 007: The James Bond Files''- TV Movie documentary (1997) as Himself / Q * ''James Bond: Shaken and Stirred'' – TV Movie documentary (1997) as Himself * ''License to Thrill'' – Short (1999) as Q * ''The Making of 'The World Is Not Enough – Video documentary short (1999) as Himself * ''Exclusive'' – TV Series documentary – Episode dated 21 November 1999 (1999) as Himself – Interviewee * ''The Bond Cocktail'' – TV Movie documentary (1999) as Himself * ''Highly Classified: The World of 007'' – Video documentary (1998) as Q * ''The James Bond Story'' – TV Movie documentary (1999) as Himself / Q * ''Inside "From Russia with Love"'' – Video documentary short (2000) as Himself * ''Inside "Moonraker"'' – Video documentary short (2000) as Himself * ''Inside Q's Lab'' – Video documentary short (2000) as Himself / Q * ''Terence Young: Bond Vivant'' – Video documentary short (2000) as Himself * ''Now Pay Attention 007: A Tribute to Actor Desmond Llewelyn'' – TV Movie documentary (2000) as Himself

References

External links

Obituary at Salon.com
* *
The Follyfoot forum
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Peter Burton Peter Ray Burton (4 April 1921 – 21 November 1989) was an English film and television actor. Early life Peter Ray Burton, was born in Bromley, Kent, to Frederick Ray Burton and Gladys Maude (née Frazer). Career He is perhaps best known fo ...

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(in Eon

James Bond films James Bond is a fictional character created by British novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. A British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007, Bond has been portrayed on film in twenty-seven productions by actors Sean Connery, David Nive ...

)
1963–1999 , width = 28% align = center , Succeeded by

, - , width = 28% align = center , Preceded by
Johnny Weissmuller

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

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17
1999 , width = 28% align = center , Incumbent {{DEFAULTSORT:Llewelyn, Desmond 1914 births 1999 deaths Artists' Rifles soldiers British Army personnel of World War II Prisoners of war held at Colditz Castle People educated at Radley College People from Newport, Wales Road incident deaths in England Royal Welch Fusiliers officers Welsh male film actors Welsh male television actors World War II prisoners of war held by Germany 20th-century Welsh male actors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art