Bernard Lee
BM Hall of Fame Induction Year: 2005
IMDb Page
Contributions: Bernard Lee was born on January 10, 1908 in London, England. He died on January 16, 1981 in London. Lee is the original actor to portray M, James Bond's boss. Starting with "Dr. No," Lee made his way all the way through "Moonraker" before his tragic death while shooting "For Your Eyes Only." His unexpected absence caused producers to re-write his scenes in "For Your Eyes Only," giving the ministry of defense his lines and making mention that M was away. Lee is one of the few original Bond stars that started in the series and continued on loyally until his death. He was one of the only characters in the movie that had control over James Bond. Lee understood his position, and never let Connery, Lazenby, or Moore intimidate him while filming. His performances were always at their peak, and as the series grew, he allowed his character to grow. Bernard Lee provided one of the few familiar faces to the series, and fans could be comforted by the fact that at least one actor knew what he was doing.
The actors portraying his character of M after Lee had to stumble over a bar set so high that it required a step ladder to touch it. His performance forced producers to select only the best actor or actress to fill the role, and to never settle. That says a lot about how great he really was. Bernard Lee was so influential on the series, a portrait of remembrance can be seen in "The World is Not Enough." His legacy will always live on in the series.
IMDb Page
Contributions: Bernard Lee was born on January 10, 1908 in London, England. He died on January 16, 1981 in London. Lee is the original actor to portray M, James Bond's boss. Starting with "Dr. No," Lee made his way all the way through "Moonraker" before his tragic death while shooting "For Your Eyes Only." His unexpected absence caused producers to re-write his scenes in "For Your Eyes Only," giving the ministry of defense his lines and making mention that M was away. Lee is one of the few original Bond stars that started in the series and continued on loyally until his death. He was one of the only characters in the movie that had control over James Bond. Lee understood his position, and never let Connery, Lazenby, or Moore intimidate him while filming. His performances were always at their peak, and as the series grew, he allowed his character to grow. Bernard Lee provided one of the few familiar faces to the series, and fans could be comforted by the fact that at least one actor knew what he was doing.
The actors portraying his character of M after Lee had to stumble over a bar set so high that it required a step ladder to touch it. His performance forced producers to select only the best actor or actress to fill the role, and to never settle. That says a lot about how great he really was. Bernard Lee was so influential on the series, a portrait of remembrance can be seen in "The World is Not Enough." His legacy will always live on in the series.
