A Celebration of Ben Whishaw (Q) and Sir Roger Moore (007)

By: Steven Jay Rubin

Published:
2020-10-14

The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia presents This Day in James Bond History - remembering the late Sir Roger Moore on the anniversary of his birth in 1927 and wishing actor Ben Whishaw a very happy 40th birthday.

Headlining the 007 franchise from 1973 to 1985, Moore catapulted the series towards a level of international success that even eclipsed Sean Connery’s tenure.

More importantly, he instilled Bond fever into a new generation of fans who loved his lighter approach to Ian Fleming’s seminal secret agent. In pivoting from the gritty approach of Sean Connery and George Lazenby, the Bond creators struck gold with a combination of witty dialogue, humorous situations, outlandish schemes, and extremely colorful adversaries and female companions. The movies became epic in size and box office revenue. And because of the success, the studio increased their budgets considerably, taking 007 around the world to incredible exotic locales, from the stunningly beautiful islands off the coast of Thailand, to the Pyramids of Egypt at night, to the mountain peaks of Greece and beyond. Yes, the humor began to wither towards the end of his reign, but Roger Moore had cemented himself as a tent pole in the world’s most successful film series.

The marvelously talented Ben Whishaw made his Q debut in the 2012 film Skyfall

To say he was a huge breath of fresh air to the series is an understatement. As much as we loved Desmond Llewelyn, it was time to bring Q Branch into the digital age of super computers, smart phones, artificial intelligence and the ultimate in surveillance technology. Whishaw fit the bill. He was a computer nerd and, at first, Daniel Craig’s 007 didn’t quite know how to evaluate him. But they “bonded” quickly, and their repartee in the series has been fun to watch.

Many times now, Bond’s back has been covered by a Q who isn’t above breaking a few rules to keep his favorite double-O alive. So let’s hoist one to the young man who keeps 007 ahead of the game. Happy Birthday, Ben.

All text. Copyright © 2020 Steven Jay Rubin. All rights reserved.

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A Celebration of Ben Whishaw (Q) and Sir Roger Moore (007)

Headlining the 007 franchise from 1973 to 1985, Moore catapulted the series towards a level of international success that even eclipsed Sean Connery’s tenure.

The marvelously talented Ben Whishaw made his Q debut in the 2012 film Skyfall

Tag Cloud