James Bond Characters: The Supporting People in 007's World

A variety of James Bond characters have featured in the 007 movies. Some have provided vital support to Bond in the field whilst others work at MI6 in the British Secret Service.

The main recurring characters in 007's world are M, Miss Moneypenny, Q and Felix Leiter. Here is a quick summary of the main James Bond characters:

M

The stern and imposing boss of James Bond and head of MI6 is M. He is known for sending Agent 007 on missions from his opulent London office. As much as M admires Bond's work on assignment, he loathes his uncivilised deeds. M has been played by Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, and Judi Dench in the official Bond movie series.

Miss Moneypenny

The extremely dependable secretary for M is Miss Moneypenny. She is known for her can-do attitude and has a high regard for Agent 007, MI6's top agent. Before Bond departs on his missions, he often enjoys a bit of casual banter with the delightful Miss Moneypenny. The character of Miss Moneypenny has been portrayed by three different actresses: Lois Maxwell, Caroline Bliss and Samantha Bond.

Q

The person responsible for providing field equipment for James Bond is Q. He is the head of MI6's Q Branch and is renowned for producing uncanny gadgets that often save 007's life. Q is in charge of a laboratory that creates state-of-the-art devices for Agent 007. Q has been played by Desmond Llewelyn and John Cleese.

Felix Leiter

Bond's loyal ally in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is Felix Leiter. He has often befriended 007 on various missions and featured in nine official Bond movies. Leiter has been portrayed by various actors in the 007 film series. David Hedison and Jeffrey Wright are the only actors to have played Felix Leiter on two occasions.

General Anatol Gogol

General Gogol is head of the KGB and appeared in six Bond movies. He is portrayed by Walter Gotell and known for his interactions with MI6 and Agent 007 on a variety of missions.

Sir Frederick Gray

The Minister of Defence for the British government, Sir Frederick Gray, is known for providing James Bond with vital information during mission briefings. He appears in six 007 films and is portrayed by Geoffrey Keen.

Bill Tanner

Appearing four times in the 007 movie series, Bill Tanner, is MI6's Chief of Staff. Tanner is known for giving crucial support to James Bond on assignment. Michael Kitchen is the only actor to play Bill Tanner twice.

Charles Robinson

The Chief of Staff for M, Charles Robinson, provides important support to James Bond. He works alongside M and is responsible for the safety of Agent 007. He is played by Colin Salmon and appears in three Bond movies.

Sheriff J W Pepper

One of the notable James Bond characters is the colourful Louisiana policeman Sheriff Pepper. He is portrayed by Clifton James and appears in two 007 movies.

Jack Wade

Working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Jack Wade assists Agent 007 on two missions. He is portrayed by Joe Don Baker and known for his casual attire and contempt of the British methods.

Valentin Zukovsky

Ex-KGB agent Valentin Zukovsky provides indirect support to James Bond on two missions. He is portrayed by Robbie Coltrane and uses his criminal connections to give inside information to 007.

René Mathis

One of the most recent James Bond characters is René Mathis. He is a reliable ally to Agent 007 in two Bond movies and is portrayed by Giancarlo Giannini. Mathis is known for giving Bond vital support in Montenegro and Bolivia.

For more information on the James Bond characters visit The Bond Journey.

Grant is an avid fan of the James Bond movie series and founder of The Bond Journey, an educational website featuring information on the actors, characters, films, girls, villains and music.

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James Bond Characters: The Supporting People in 007's World

James Bond is Back "Devil May Care"

James Bond will soon be back, in bookstores. "Devil May Care," a novel written by British author Sebastian Faulks and authorized by the estate of the late Ian Fleming, is due to come out in 2008, the centennial of Fleming's birth.

According to the Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, "Devil May Care" is set during the Cold War and, like so many Bond adventures, moves about a variety of scenic locales.

"My novel is meant to stand in the line of Fleming's own books, where the story is everything," Faulks, whose books include "Birdsong," "Charlotte Gray" and the upcoming "Engleby," said in a statement issued Tuesday by Doubleday.

"In his house in Jamaica, Ian Fleming used to write a thousand words in the morning, then go snorkeling, have a cocktail, lunch on the terrace, more diving, another thousand words in the late afternoon, then more martinis and glamorous women. In my house in London, I followed this routine exactly, apart from the cocktails, the lunch and the snorkeling."

Fleming, who died in 1964, wrote such favorites as "Goldfinger," "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love." Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore are among those who have played the debonair secret agent on screen.

The Bond series has continued over the past 40 years, with Kingsley Amis and John Gardner among those writing stories. Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications Limited, said Faulks was ideal for the job.

"We had him in mind for our centenary novel for quite some time. He has an ability to write convincingly in whichever period or genre he chooses, and his novel `On Green Dolphin Street' in particular made me think he might enjoy exploring the world of Ian Fleming and James Bond," Turner said in a statement.

"We gave a sneak preview of the manuscript to Barbara Broccoli (daughter of Bond film producer Albert Broccoli), who said if I had told her the family had found an old manuscript of Ian's in the basement she would have believed me. Sebastian couldn't have written a better book to celebrate Ian's 100th birthday."

Film rights have not yet been sold, Doubleday said.

James Bond is Back "Devil May Care"