Desmond Llewelyn, the actor who played Q in 17 of the 19 James Bond films, died Sunday in a head-on car crash in Britain. Llewelyn provided 007 with his killer fountain pens and other death-dealing apparatus in every Bond film except "Dr. No" and "Live and Let Die." Llewelyn, who had played small parts in other pictures such as "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," and "Merlin," had just published his life story, "Q: The Authorized Biography of Desmond Llewelyn," by Sandy Hernu, last month. He was returning alone from a book signing when the collision occurred. The three occupants of the second car were believed to be in stable condition. Although John Cleese had signed on for the next three Bond pictures to play a new gadget man, Q's assistant, Bond franchise producers had said the 85-year-old Llewelyn could continue in his role as long as he wanted. Nevertheless, Llewelyn's character is given a graceful exit in the latest Bond movie, "The World Is Not Enough." While descending slowly on a lift out of the bottom of the film frame, Q tells Bond two things to remember: "Never let them see you bleed, and always have an escape route."
James Bond's "Q" Dies in Car Crash
DECEMBER 20, 1999 | Submitted by The Hollywood Reporter
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