The actor with the most appearances as James Bond.

Move over James Bond stars, there's one actor whose contributions to the franchise far surpass yours. The James Bond series has propelled many actors to mega-stardom, from the likes of Sir Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan, Sir Roger Moore, and Daniel Craig. Throughout the years, a total of six actors have been granted the iconic spy's license to kill, bringing him to life in thrilling on-screen adventures. And soon, another actor will join this elite group.

Out of all the actors who have played Bond, the late Sir Roger holds the record for playing the character the most times. He graced the screen as 007 in seven official Bond productions by Eon. On the other hand, Australian model and former car salesman George Lazenby, who has since retired from acting, only had the opportunity to portray Bond once.

Most recently, Daniel Craig bid farewell to the Bond franchise with his final appearance in "No Time To Die" in 2021. And ever since then, it has become a national pastime to speculate on who will take on the iconic role next. However, author Ian Fleming, the creator of Bond, also wrote other beloved characters who have made their way onto the big screen, such as M and Miss Moneypenny.

In each film, Bond is supported by a team at MI6, many of whom make appearances in multiple movies. But it's Desmond Llewelyn's Q who holds the record for appearing the most times in a 007 film. Q, short for "quartermaster," was not originally written by Fleming, but Llewelyn's portrayal of the character in 17 films over 36 years has made him a staple in the franchise.

Despite being paid only a day rate for his brief appearances in each film, Llewelyn's role as MI6's quartermaster allowed him to earn a good living through commercials. He even appeared in advertisements for popular brands such as Ford, Heineken, and Reach toothbrushes, as well as video games based on the classic Bond films.

Q and Bond's relationship on-screen was often strained but developed into a fondness over time. In Llewelyn's final appearance as Q, he tells Bond that he is retiring, and Brosnan's 007 expresses his hope that this is not happening too soon. Llewelyn then makes a grand exit, saying his famous line, "I've always tried to teach you two things: First, never let them see you bleed," before being lowered out of view on a platform.

Sadly, this was not intended to be Llewelyn's final appearance as Q. In an interview on the DVD extras for his last film, he stated that he would continue in the role "as long as the producers want me and the Almighty doesn't." Tragically, he passed away in a car accident at the age of 85, just three weeks after the premiere of "The World is Not Enough." Sir Roger Moore, who played Bond from 1973 to 1985, spoke at his funeral.

As it stands, Llewelyn remains the actor with the most appearances in Bond films, playing the same character, followed by Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in 14 films. However, he may lose this title in the future if cameo appearances are taken into account. Producer Michael G. Wilson, who has appeared uncredited in 16 Bond movies, is just one appearance behind Llewelyn, although one of these was cut from the final version of "Skyfall."

But the impact of Llewelyn's portrayal of Q and his long run on the franchise is unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon.

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