<<>> Now That's Entertainment . . . Issue # 12 [[ WARNING: The following piece contains material and/or language that may offend or not be suitable for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.]] "The loss of Q" People come and people go. The lord giveth and the lord taketh away. Well, this past Sunday, the world suffered the loss of another cult favorite. In these past few years, we've seen celebrity after celebrity, from all genres and categories, move on, or pass on. On December 19th, we witnessed the passing of Desmond Llewelyn, better known to the general public as Q, the "eccentric gadgetry expert" of the James Bond series. On Sunday, Llewelyn was doing an autograph signing in England. Upon the end of this session, he headed off alone in his vehicle and headed off to wherever he was heading off. Near Firle, England, Desmond Llewelyn, and along with him Q, was killed. Mr. Llewelyn was a victim of a head-on collision. The 3 occupants of the other car are believed to be in stable condition. Llewelyn starting his career of being Q as early as "From Russia with Love" and his final appearance as this lovable gadgetry expert can be seen in "The World is Not Enough." All in all, he co-starred in 17 Bond Films, and can easily be considered one of the elite actors to ever grace the silver screen. On screen, he can been seen as this man who comes up with the most technologically-advanced equipment that 007 could ever wish for, ranging from toxic fountain pens, to remote control Boxsters. However, in an October interview, he tells us that he was a real "bungler" off-screen. He can be quoted as saying "Most gadgets expire or explode as I though them." He was born in South Wales, during the first world war. He entered a world that has resorted to brute force to solve its problems. A son of a coal mining engineer, he grew up to land the coveted role of Q. The director originally wanted Q to have a Welsh accent. Llewelyn decided to go to go through the lines once using the worst Welsh accent, followed by the same in English. And the rest is history. A man with a great heart, and great at his art, has gone to the next place, and we will all miss him, that's a given, but the morbid question lingers, "Who will play Q?" This should be the least of anybody's worries at this point, but it will be a question that will float about until it is answered, and answered it must be. That's not up to me to decide, nor is it yours, per se. This will be a very difficult task for the casting director of the next Bond flick, but let's put all of that aside for now. From a young'n...a rookie of Bond films like myself, to the men and women who have followed the exploits of agent 007 since day one, all will miss his likeness. All will miss his portrayal. All will miss the true Q. RIP Desmond Llewelyn 1914-1999 ============================ © 1999 Michael Kwan. Reproduction, exhibition or distribution of the preceeding piece without the expressed written consent of the author(s) can result in severe criminal and civil penalties under international agreements. Subscribe: nowthatsentertainment-subscribe@eGroups.com Unsubscribe: nowthatsentertainment-unsubscribe@eGroups.com Comments/Questions: mkwan@canada.com