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Desmond Llewelyn as Q in James Bond Octopussy

Desmond Llewelyn

Actor

Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn was born on 12 September 1914 at Blaen-y-Pant House in the Bettws area of Newport, Monmouthshire, the son of a coal mining engineer. He was educated at Radley College, where he became involved in theatrical productions, having originally intended to train for the ministry.

During the Second World War, Llewelyn served as a lieutenant with the Royal Welch Fusiliers and was taken prisoner by German forces during the retreat to Dunkirk in 1940, spending the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war. After his release he resumed his acting career on stage and in British films and television.

Llewelyn became internationally famous for playing Q, the gadget-master of the British Secret Service, appearing in seventeen James Bond films between From Russia with Love (1963) and The World Is Not Enough (1999). He appeared opposite all five actors to play Bond during his lifetime - Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan - missing only Dr. No (1962) and Live and Let Die (1973).

Llewelyn was killed in a car accident on the A27 near Berwick, East Sussex, on 19 December 1999, shortly after returning from a Bond-related book signing event; he was 85. A biography, Q: The Biography of Desmond Llewelyn by Sandy Hernu, was published the same year.

Welsh character actor from Newport best remembered as Q, the gadget-master of MI6, in seventeen James Bond films between 1963 and 1999.

Llewelyn's other screen work included roles in numerous British films and television series through the 1950s and 60s, though it was his 36-year association with the Bond franchise that defined his career and made "Q" one of cinema's most enduring supporting characters. He was famously good-humoured about the many gadgets and one-liners written for him, and remained closely associated with the Bond fan community until his death.

A Welshman from Newport, Llewelyn often spoke of his affection for his home country in interviews, and his wartime service with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, followed by his years as a prisoner of war after Dunkirk, remained a source of pride throughout his life.

Career Highlights

  • Played Q in seventeen James Bond films between 1963 and 1999
  • Appeared opposite all five Bond actors of his lifetime: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan
  • Served as a lieutenant with the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the Second World War and was a prisoner of war after Dunkirk
  • Subject of the biography Q: The Biography of Desmond Llewelyn by Sandy Hernu (1999)
ℹ️ Born Desmond Wilkinson Llewelyn, 12 September 1914, Bettws, Newport, Monmouthshire
ℹ️ We lost Desmond on the 19th December 1999, East Sussex

Born and raised in Newport, Monmouthshire, and later served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, one of Wales's historic infantry regiments, during the Second World War.

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