ben whishaw q skyfall james bond Ben Whishaw Speaks On Playing Q In Skyfall & Working With Daniel Craig

In a recent interview with the good folks over at Shortlist, Ben Whishaw talks about playing Q in the hugely anticipated 23rd Bond adventure, ‘Skyfall’. MI6′s resident gadgets man, Whishaw is the first Q in the franchise’s history to be younger than 007. Q, a James Bond staple, hasn’t appeared in a 007 film since 2002’s ‘Die Another Day’ when John Cleese turned on the quirk for the role. For the previous 36 years, the gadget whizz and inventor had been played by Desmond Llewelyn. In the interview with Shortlist, Whishaw speaks on the way he was offered the role of Q and how the character was described to him by director Sam Mendes, “Sam [Mendes] just offered it to me out of the blue. It was incredibly exciting. He said this Q was going to be a computer genius. It makes sense for the [film’s] story because the ‘enemy’ operates in cyberspace. There’s a new world order.”

The actor touched on his preparation process of playing Q, “I read about MI6, mainly. For my own interest more than anything. I’m fascinated by the people who work in that field and the double life they have to lead. And I was interested in the brutality and ruthlessness of [the agents] on one hand and the suave way they present themselves on the other.” Ben Whishaw was asked whether he studied either Desmond Llewelyn and John Cleese’s versions of Q, to which he replied, “I deliberately didn’t do that. What I did do was watch all the early [Bond films] that Q isn’t in. It felt like a chance for a fresh start so I didn’t want to be bogged down in [previous Q performances]. It was the same for Sam; Bond’s been going for 50 years so there’s a formula and template. You have to deliver certain things with a Bond film, but you want to innovate and surprise people too.”

While the previous incarnations of Q show him as a bungler, the actor described his portrayal as Q, “…slicker this time. He’s still an eccentric, jovial English chap but, because of the genius he has, there’s a lethal, powerful side to him. Although he does make a mistake I can’t tell you about [laughs].” Also, Ben Whishaw shed some light on his experience of working with Daniel Craig on ‘Skyfall,’ “[Daniel Craig's] a really nice bloke. He’s a perfectionist; incredibly dedicated to his work and pretty hard on himself. I think he does feel the pressure of that character and having to deliver. But he can also be very playful and quite silly.”

Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Road to Perdition), ‘Skyfall’ sees Daniel Craig and Judi Dench continue their roles as James Bond and M. The cast also includes Naomie Harris as a field agent named Eve, Javier Bardem as Silva; the stories leering and sinisterly creepy lead villain, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw as Q; MI5′s resident gadgets man, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner; the MI6 Chief of Staff, Ola Rapace, Bérénice Marlohe as the “glamorous and enigmatic” Sévérine, and Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory - who’s been described as “darkly complex.” ‘Skyfall’ will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th, with a North American release following on November 9th.

I’ve got incredibly high hopes for ‘Skyfall,’ I love this TV spot and I’m a huge fan of Daniel Craig’s more gritty and intense incarnation of James Bond. This latest 007 chapter was shot at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, Scotland, Whitehall in London, Shanghai and Istanbul. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films ‘Jarhead’ and ‘Revolutionary Road’ for Mendes. Composer Thomas Newman will score the film.  You can read the official synopsis and production notes for ‘Skyfall’ below.

In SKYFALL, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. SKYFALL marks the return of Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007, as well as Judi Dench reprising her role as M. The film also stars franchise newcomers Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris. The film is directed by Sam Mendes from a screenplay written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are producers.

‘Skyfall’ will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th, with a North American release following on November 9th. The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films ‘Jarhead’ and ‘Revolutionary Road’ for Mendes. Composer Thomas Newman will score the film. The Production Designer is Dennis Gassner, who previously designed ‘Quantum of Solace’ and collaborated with Mendes on the films ‘Road to Perdition’ and ‘Jarhead.’ The Editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include ‘Casino Royale.’ Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, ‘In Bruges,’ and ‘Children of Men,’ is the Costume Designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Gary Powell is Stunt Co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX Supervisor and Steve Begg is Visual Effects Supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.

The IMAX release of SKYFALL will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.