Dr Kaufman is a character in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, protrayed by Vincent Schiavelli.

Vincent Schiavelli as Dr Kaufman in ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’.

Biography: Dr Kaufman is a German professor of forensic medicine and a professional marksman, making him a capable assassin. His hobbies included the art of chakra torture, and he claims that he is quite skilled at it. He is hired by Elliot Carver to kill his wife, Paris Carver, and James Bond in Bond’s hotel room in Hamburg and make it look like Bond committed murder/suicide.

Just as he is about to kill Bond, he is radioed by Mr Stamper telling him to ask Bond how to unlock his car. Bond gives Kaufman his cellphone, which unlocks it and tells him the code to press. However, the code is for the taser on Bond’s phone and Dr Kaufman receives an electric shock. Bond then grabs the stunned Kaufman’s gun and turns it against him. Kaufman attempts to reason with Bond in the following exchange:

Kaufman: Wait! I am just a professional doing a job.
Bond: Me too.

Bond then proceeds to shoot Kaufman in the head (one of the two occasions in the film series in which 007 is shown exercising his licence to kill against a disarmed opponent, the other being Professor Dent in Dr No) before escaping from the room via the balcony. Later in the film Bond encounters Mr Stamper, Kaufman’s protégé, whom the doctor had schooled in the ancient art of chakra torture. Stamper states that, “He [Kaufman] was like a father to me.” Prompting Bond’s wry comment: “Interesting role model.”

See also:

• Bond henchmen