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Desmond Llewelyn in The Living Daylights (1987)

Trivia

Desmond Llewelyn

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  • Despite being the longest-recurring actor in the 007 franchise, appearing in 17 films, his on screen time is only a little more than 30 minutes in total.
  • Attended almost every Bond premiere in Norway.
  • His largest role as Q was in Licence to Kill (1989).
  • Is the only actor to have worked with the first 5 official James Bonds. Before his death, he had stated that he thought Timothy Dalton was the closest to Ian Fleming's vision of Bond.
  • Over the years, he created his own back story for the character of 'Q' by wearing different ties belonging to various clubs and institutions. Accordingly, 'Q' was educated at Radley (as was Llewelyn), where he excelled in rugby, cricket and rowing. Afterwards he attended Trinity college in Cambridge (like one of Desmond's sons), before settling down in Gwent. Furthermore, 'Q' played cricket for the MCC, rugby for Newport and became an honorary member of the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.
  • In Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), while posing as an Avis car representative in Hamburg, Germany, Q's name badge reads 'Quinten Quigley'.
  • He died after he was driving home from a booksigning to promote his autobiography in East Sussex and his car collided head-on with another.
  • Holds the distinction of being in more James Bond movies than anyone else: he appeared in his role as "Q"/"Major Boothroyd" in 17 James Bond movies. Coincidentally, Q is also the 17th letter of the modern English alphabet.
  • Llewelyn was not the first choice for the role of "Q." Actor Peter Burton played the role of Major Boothroyd (later known as "Q"), in Dr. No (1962), the first in the '007' series. Burton was unavailable when the second movie From Russia with Love (1963) was filmed. The part went instead to Llewelyn and remained his for 16 more productions until his death in 1999. Llewelyn did not play "Q" in Live and Let Die (1973). Producers felt too much attention was being paid on the gadgetry so they downplayed it by cutting his role. However, audiences enjoyed the role of "Q" so much that Llewelyn was brought back indefinitely. He did not appear in Never Say Never Again (1983) with Sean Connery, as this was not an official EON production. The part of "Q" was played by Alec McCowen instead.
  • Died shortly after the release of The World Is Not Enough (1999).
  • His favourite of the Bond gadgets was the original Aston Martin in 'Goldfinger'.
  • Ironically, he admitted on Ireland's Gerry Ryan Radio Show in May 1999 that despite playing MI6 gadget master Q, he, Llewelyn, personally detested gadgets.
  • His widow Pamela Mary Llewelyn died in East Sussex in 2001 at the age of 88.
  • He made six films with Christopher Lee: Hamlet (1948), They Were Not Divided (1950), Corridors of Blood (1958), The Pirates of Blood River (1962) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
  • He made twelve films with Lois Maxwell: 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) and A View to a Kill (1985). However, in an interview 8 months before he died, Llewellyn only recalled sharing screen time with her in the Ascot scene in A View To A Kill.
  • In real life he wasn't gadget conscious and couldn't even put a shelf up.
  • Married Pamela in 1938 and had 2 sons.
  • He made ten films with Bernard Lee: From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965), 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) and Moonraker (1979).
  • The accident in which he died happened near Firle in East Sussex.
  • The DVD of "Doctor Who - Tomb Of The Cybermen" reveals that he was unsuccessfully sought for the role of Prof Parry (played by Aubrey Richards).
  • He made five films with Anthony Dawson: They Were Not Divided (1950), The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), From Russia with Love (1963), The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965) and Thunderball (1965). Terence Young directed all of them except for The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), which was directed by Terence Fisher.
  • On the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers but was captured before Dunkirk.
  • He appeared in the The Big Breakfast (1999) in early December 1999.
  • He made his film debut as a policeman in the Will Hay film 'Ask a Policeman'.
  • Educated at Radley, he trained as an accountant but dropped out and went to RADA after which he started acting in rep in 1936.
  • He made his stage debut in 1937 at Bexhill on Sea.
  • In his first Bond film director Terence Young wanted to film Q as a Welshman as he'd played one in an early film of Terence's -They Were Not Divided.
  • Despite his role as gadget expert Q in the Bond films, away from the film sets he was at a complete loss with gadgets.
  • Married to, Pamela.

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