Desmond Llewelyn Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Desmond Llewelyn was born in South Wales in 1914, the son of a coal mining engineer. In high school, he worked as a stagehand in the school's productions and then picked up sporadic small parts. His family would not give up their effort to prevent him from a life on stage, so an uncle who was a high ranking police officer arranged for Llewelyn to ...
September 12, 1914, Newport, Wales, United Kingdom
Died
December 19, 1999, Firle, United Kingdom
Place Of Birth
Newport, Wales, UK
Height
6' 2" (1.88 m)
Profession
Actor
Education
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Nationality
British
Spouse
Pamela Mary Llewelyn (m. 1938–1999)
Children
Justin Llewelyn, Ivor Llewelyn
Parents
Ivor Llewelyn, Mia Llewelyn
Movies
The World Is Not Enough, GoldenEye, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Tomorrow Never Dies, Octopussy, Moonraker, Licence to Kill, You Only Live Twice, The Living Daylights, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Man with the Golden Gun, Diamonds Are Forever, For Your Eyes Only, The Spy W...
TV Shows
Follyfoot
Star Sign
Virgo
#
Quote
1
[on George Lazenby] Poor old Lazenby. I mean, he just wasn't an actor. But he wasn't bad... if he'd just behaved properly, he would have been a good Bond. Like an idiot, some fool told him, 'You are now a star, behave like one.'
2
I am hopeless with gadgets. I can't even get a ticket to work in one of those confounded machines on the London Underground. And I can hardly put on a kettle, let alone set a video.
3
You must keep fantasy with Bond, and not only fantasy, but pure relaxation, enjoyment. What you see on the screen is something that you don't have in this world today. You can just sit back and enjoy it.
4
Yes, I know 'Q' is beloved. But, for God's sake, don't make him some kind of sentimental grandfather. That's what I am in real life.
5
When asked by People Magazine, shortly before his death, how long he intended to continue with the Bond series: "As long as the producers want me and the Almighty doesn't."
His widow Pamela Mary Llewelyn died in East Sussex in 2001 at the age of 88.
6
In Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), while posing as an Avis car representative in Hamburg, Germany, Q's name badge reads 'Quinten Quigley'.
7
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.
8
Had intended to retire from acting with The World Is Not Enough (1999), since he was 84 at the time of filming.
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.
12
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.
13
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).
14
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" was 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.
15
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.
On why he disliked Americans: In World War II, Desmond was rescued from a German POW camp by an American GI. When he told the soldier he'd been there for five years, the American replied, "Aw, cut it out. War's only been on for three years," forgetting that it was only the United States that had been at war for three years. Upon telling his story to Ian Bulloch, an American stuntman on the set of Thunderball (1965), Bulloch replied, "Maybe the Yank should've left you there!".
19
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.
20
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.
$1.2 Million
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
GoldenEye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)