Bill Tanner is the Chief of Staff of MI6 in the fictional James Bond film and novel series. Bill Tanner appears infrequently throughout the James Bond novels of Ian Fleming, and is also a regular character in the later continuation series by John Gardner.

Michael Kitchen as MI6 chief of staff Bill Tanner.

In 1965, Kingsley Amis wrote The Book of Bond or Every Man His Own 007, a tongue-in-cheek manual for prospective secret agents, illustrated with examples from Fleming’s novels. For this work, Amis used the pseudonym “Lt.-Col. William (‘Bill’) Tanner”.

Film biography: In The Man with the Golden Gun, Tanner is in M’s office with M and Colthorpe. When talking about Francisco Scaramanga sending a bullet to him, Tanner only says two lines. The first saying that his fingerprints were verified by the CIA and the next when talking that Scaramanga would attempt to get them psycologically upset, until M send’s them out. Tanner is only seen briefly, in the film and is not mentioned by name until the end credits.

In For Your Eyes Only, Bill Tanner is given a bigger role as M is on leave. Tanner gives Bond his assignment (along with Sir Fredrick Gray), which he sends him to find Hector Gonzales. Later when he was unable to get information from him Melina Havelock kills him and Tanner then gets up him for not getting any information out of him. Tanner was embarrassed at the end of the film, when he connects (by phone) the Prime Minister and Bond. Unknowingly though, Bond is not there and it is merely a talking parrot.

In GoldenEye, Tanner is only briefly seen in the Situation Room when the Goldeneye weapon is set off. Tanner gives his advice to M and Bond.

In The World Is Not Enough he is seen at the Scotland MI6 building discussing the murder of Sir Robert King, father of Elektra King. When Bond comes to the conclusion that Renard is behind it, Tanner is seen with them talking about what Renard can do or planning to do. He is only seen again twice, when Elektra King contacts M to get her to come and see her and finally at the end of the film where Q is attempting to find Bond. They find Bond by picking up heat senses; they find Bond in bed with Christmas Jones.

Tanner returns to the Bond film series in Quantum of Solace, once again in his familiar position as M’s trusted aide.

The following have played Tanner in films:

• Michael Goodliffe (The Man with the Golden Gun – uncredited)
• James Villiers (For Your Eyes Only)
• Michael Kitchen (GoldenEye / The World Is Not Enough)
• Rory Kinnear (Quantum of Solace).

See also:

• Bond allies