Q is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. Q (standing for Quartermaster), unlike M, is a job title rather than a name. He is the head of Q Branch, the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service. The character actually appears only fleetingly in Ian Fleming’s novels, but comes into his own in the successful Bond film series; he is also mentioned in the continuation novels of John Gardner and Raymond Benson.

Q (right) shows James Bond his latest works.

The character of Q (although not always identified as such) has appeared in each of the 007 films except in Live and Let Die and the 2006’s Casino Royale.

In the first film, Dr No, Major Boothroyd is played by Peter Burton in only one scene in which he replaces Bond’s Beretta .25 pistol with Bond’s signature Walther PPK handgun. He later appeared in From Russia with Love played by Desmond Llewelyn due to scheduling conflicts that kept Burton from reprising. Llewelyn continued to play the role, with the exception of Live and Let Die (which did not feature the character at all), in every James Bond film until his death in 1999.

In the series, Boothroyd was preparing to retire during the events of The World Is Not Enough (1999) and had clearly retired by the time of Die Another Day (2002), but it was not indicated on screen whether the character has since died.

In the films, the relationship between Q and Bond is one of fatherly exasperation (“Oh, do grow up, 007!”) met with adolescent indifference. The exception is during From Russia with Love where he simply introduces the gadgets, then makes sure Bond knows how to work the booby-trapped briefcase catches. The relationship was established by director Guy Hamilton in Goldfinger, when he explained to Llewelyn that he didn’t want Q to actually like Bond, since the agent tended to abuse and destroy Q’s gadgets when in the field. However, on occasions Q has shown a warm and grandfatherly concern for Bond’s welfare and safety, such as when he secretly sneaked gadgets out of MI6 to help Bond survive his vendetta against druglord Franz Sanchez in Licence to Kill.

Q passes on his latest gadgets to Pam Bouvier (left) and James Bond (right) in ‘Licence to Kill’.

The gadgets Q supplies are almost invariably destroyed as a result of Bond’s use of them, and Q is constantly exhorting Bond to take better care of them and to occasionally read the instruction manual. Before introducing any new gadgets, Q is nearly always quoted as saying: “Now pay attention, 007.” Bond usually responds by displaying an instant mastery of whatever device Q hands to him.

In addition to the tech laboratories, Q occasionally meets Bond in the field to deliver some equipment or to personally handle some specialized devices to assist Bond. This goes so far as in Octopussy, where Q aids him getting onto the cult’s island and gives some help in the final battle, and in Licence to Kill (1989), where Q sides with Bond, supplying him with gadgetry and even helping him operationally despite Bond’s having resigned from the British Secret Service.

The following have played Q in films:

• Peter Burton:
  • Dr No (1962)
• Desmond Llewelyn:
  • 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)
  • A View to a Kill (1985)
  • The Living Daylights (1987)
  • Licence to Kill (1989)
  • GoldenEye (1995)
  • Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
  • The World Is Not Enough (1999)
• Geoffrey Bayldon:
  • Casino Royale (1967)
• Alec McCowen:
  • Never Say Never Again (1983)
• John Cleese:
  • Die Another Day (2002)

See also:

• Bond allies