20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About James Bond

18. Judi Dench's M Has A Name

You'd think that the point of the code name 'M' is to keep the real name of the MI6 head a secret, but, surprisingly, the Bond films have traditionally revealed the true monikers behind the initial of Bond's superiors. The original M, for instance, was Sir Miles Messervy and Ralph Fiennes' latest incarnation of the character is called Gareth Mallory. The real name of Judi Dench's M was shrouded in mystery, however. In Casino Royale, for instance, Bond breaks into M's home and says "I had no idea M stood for...", before M shuts him up. Even in Skyfall, where M got much more screen-time than usual, her name was still not disclosed. For the more eagle-eyed viewers, however, it was. The box in which Bond receives M's British bulldog toy after her death reveals her name to be 'Olivia Mansfield.' Clearly the criteria for becoming M is tough - you just have to have an M in your name.