Q From the James Bond Franchise Is a Woman in Real Life

Will Lerner
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

The James Bond franchise is based on author Ian Fleming’s experience as a British intelligence officer. The agency that 007 works for is a fictional version of the real Secret Intelligence Service, an organization that Alex Younger runs.

Younger recently spoke at the Women in IT Awards in London. He revealed a traditionally male character from the Bond movies is actually a woman in his agency because he wants more women to join. “If any of you would like to join us … the real-life Q is looking forward to meeting you, and I’m pleased to report that the real-life Q is a woman,” he said.

Ben Whishaw (left) is the current actor who plays Q. (Photo: Sony Pictures)
Ben Whishaw (left) is the current actor who plays Q. (Photo: Sony Pictures)

That’s right, the real Q is a woman. In the movies, Q (short for Quartermaster) has always been a male:

  • Peter Burton (1962)

  • Desmond Llewelyn (1963-1999)

  • Geoffrey Bayldon (1967)

  • Alec McCowen (1983)

  • John Cleese (2002)

  • Ben Whishaw (2012-present)

Desmond Llewelyn (standing to the right of Pierce Brosnan) is the actor who played Q the longest. (Photo: Everett Collection)
Desmond Llewelyn (standing to the right of Pierce Brosnan) is the actor who played Q the longest. (Photo: Everett Collection)

The Bond franchise has gender-swapped a notable role before. In 1995, Judi Dench became the first woman to play M. As for real life, Alex Younger explained that adding more women is about doing a better job, not just achieving quotas.

Alex Younger, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in the United Kingdom. (Photo: FCO)
Alex Younger, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service in the United Kingdom. (Photo: FCO)

“The more different people you have in the room, in these high-pressure circumstances in which we operate, the better the decisions,” he explained. “So success, for me is a deeper, broader range of technological skills in MI6, and more diversity — in particular, more women.”

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