Ben Whishaw Interview

How does it feel to play such an iconic character?

Very exciting. I’m thrilled to be part of the lineage of it and be taking the character into a new phase.

Q is now much more of a computer-whiz and hacker-genius type figure.

Did they write it with you in mind, or did you have to audition?

I didn’t audition for it, but it was very inspired by [Mark] Zuckerberg and that whole generation of people who are so powerful in the world.

And I think Sam had seen another film that I’d done which he liked, Bright Star.

Are you tech-savvy in real life?

I’m not technical. I really don’t have a technical mind at all.

It’s a case of acting. I have to sell it!

Does Q no longer construct any physical gimmicks?

In a way the humour comes from the absence of gadgetry - the world is taking place in cyberspace.

James Bond meets Q early on in the story, and Q comes back later when they’re trying to pin down Javier Bardem’s character.

I suppose Q has to win Bond over.

It can be a bit tedious, showing endless shots of someone tapping at a keyboard...

I think they’re very aware of that, so the walls of Q’s Branch are covered in screens so that the computers aren’t just boxed.

These images keep it dynamic.

Desmond Llewelyn played Q 17 times. Have you signed on for the possibility of endless installments?

I think the idea is that he will emerge in other films, but the details of that, I know nothing about.

Jamie Graham is the Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You'll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that's just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outlets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and horror.