Bond at 50: Five Supporting Characters That Made Bond Films Work

The James Bond films have not survived for half a century by James Bond alone.  There have been bad guys, sexy girls, and more gadgets than you can count.  But almost overlooked have been the supporting characters that have provided continuity, class and an important counterpoint to the five James Bonds. 

Here's my list of five supporting characters that have contributed so much to the success of the series.

1.  Bernard Lee - M.  The head of MI6, her majesty's secret service.  Lee played a stern, no-nonsense director who coolly dispatched Bond on his dangerous missions.  A veteran of over 100 films, Lee played the role of M in the first 11 Bond movies, transitioning from the hard-edged Dr. No to the lighter version with Roger Moore.  

Lee's last film was Moonraker.  Lee filmed the opening scenes of For Your Eyes Only, but was hospitalized with stomach cancer before filming was completed, and died in January 1981 at age 73.  The script was rewritten to show M on leave, leaving the role vacant for that film as a tribute to Lee.  The veteran actor was so perfect for the part, it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

2.  Judith Dench - M.  For four films, Robert Brown filled in as M, but he always seemed like that - a stand in for Bernard Lee.  But in 1995, accomplished actress Judith Dench took over the role of M, and she immediately owned the role.  As Bond's first woman boss, she was as stern and demanding as Lee's character.  But with Dench we see a personal relationship develop with Bond.  She admires him and respects him. And she appreciates the danger into which she sends him.  

By all accounts, Dench's character is at the center of the upcoming Skyfall, and rumors persist that this may be her last Bond film with hints that her character may not survive.  But regardless, Dench has been a highlight of the last seven Bond films.  Her portrayal of M has added to her stunning list of film credits and remarkable performances.

3.  Desmond Llewelyn - Q.  The Quartermaster.  The master of gadgets - and the sharp quip to put Bond in his place.  ("Oh grow up, 007").  Llewelyn's familiar face appeared more Bond films than any other actor - 17.  He started with a small role in From Russia With Love, explaining the latest attache case to Bond in M's office.  In Goldfinger, we got a full look at Q in his lab as he introduced the "other" star of Goldfinger -- the Astin Martin DB5, complete with ejector seat.  From that scene on, Q was an integral part of the Bond formula.  The character has been absence from the two Daniel Craig movies, but will return with a younger, tech-savvy Q in Skyfall.

Llewelyn died in 1999 after filming The World Is Not Enough. He was fatally injured in a car accident.  The film's closing credits contain a dedication to Llewelyn. 

4.  Lois Maxwell - Moneypenny. The "usual repartee", as M called it in Thunderball, between Bond and Moneypenny was another important part of the Bond formula, particularly in the early movies. Maxwell was perfectly cast as the secretary who always flirted with Bond, but never caught the prize. But there was always a subtle undercurrent that she did not really want Bond, and that while she flirted, she knew the dangerous business he was about.  

Maxwell played Moneypenny in the first 14 Bond films, probably extending one or two films past the appropriate age for the Moneypenny character, particularly in an awkward scene at the races in her last film, A View To A Kill. But there was more to Maxwell than Moneypenny.   Two other actresses have played Moneypenny since Maxwell, but her successors have not left an impression.  However, in the new Skyfall, the role is played by a new Moneypenny, Naomi Harris.  

After her husband's death in the late 1960s, Maxwell largely gave up acting (except for the Bond films), and returned to her native Canada, where she was a columnist for the Toronto Sun (writing under the pen name "Moneypenny") and a successful businesswoman.  She died in 2007 at age 80.

5.  Felix Leiter - played by eight actors.  For fans of the Bond novels, one of the diappointments of the Bond movies is the failure to develop the character of Felix Leiter, Bond's counterpart at the CIA.  In six of the 13 Fleming books, Leiter is a hardened ex-marine, bourbon and branch water drinking Texan who loses an arm and part of a leg in a shark attack in the second Bond book, Live and Let Die.  

The eight actors who have played Leiter are:  Jack Lord (Dr. No), Cec Lender (Goldfinger), Rik Van Nutter (Thunderball), Norman Burton (Diamonds Are Forever), David Hedison (Live and Let Die and License to Kill),  John Terry (The Living Daylights), and Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace). 

After an absence of some period in the films, Leiter reappears in the Daniel Craig reboot, appearing in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, leading to the possibility that this relationship will develop further in the Daniel Craig Bond movies.  Leiter does not appear in Skyfall, but his absence makes sense as the plot seems to center on M, London and a homeland attack on the British Secrect Service.