Desmond Llewelyn was born in South Wales in 1914, the son of a coalmining engineer. He began his stage career in high school, working as a stagehand in the school's productions and picking up small parts. However, his family disapproved of his pursuit of an acting career, so an uncle, a high-ranking police officer, arranged for Llewelyn to take the department's physical exam.
Llewelyn failed the eye test and was rejected by the police, but he continued to pursue his acting dreams. He was accepted to the Royal Academy for the Dramatic Arts in the mid-1930s, but his career was put on hold when World War II broke out.
Llewelyn was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the British army and served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He was captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war for five years. During his captivity, he was caught attempting to escape through a tunnel and was sentenced to 10 days in solitary confinement, which he found to be a welcome respite from the crowded conditions of the prison camp.
After the war, Llewelyn returned to London and revived his acting career. He was cast as Q in the 1963 film From Russia with Love and went on to appear in every Eon Productions Bond film except Live and Let Die (1973). Llewelyn was omitted from Live and Let Die because the producers felt that the gadgets were too prominent, but he was reinstated for The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) due to fan demand.
Despite admitting that he has no mechanical skills in real life, Llewelyn remained a beloved and iconic part of the Bond franchise, appearing in numerous films throughout his career.
