20 Things You Didn't Know About The World Is Not Enough (1999)
6. Q’s Return
Desmond Llewelyn’s Q was a staple of the Bond franchise since he first joined the series in From Russia With Love, only missing out on Live And Let Die (1973) between his debut and this film.
Llewelyn had survived all of the-then eras of the various Bond actors, but he had been keen to introduce a permanent assistant for Q for some time. That assistant came in the form of R (John Cleese), who was being groomed to succeed Llewelyn in the role, combining his trademark visual comedy with a more serious performance.
Although Q gives a poignant farewell speech in The World Is Not Enough, Llewelyn stated at the time of the film’s release that he had no intention of retiring anytime soon and was heartily gearing up to appear in the next Bond film.
Tragically, on 19th December 1999, just three weeks after the film’s premiere, Llewelyn was involved in a fatal car accident near his home in East Sussex. This was a massive shock to his family, colleagues, and fans alike. Perhaps fittingly, Roger Moore, who had delighted in teasing Llewelyn - who was very unlike his techno-savvy onscreen character - on set, gave the eulogy at his long-time colleague's funeral.
John Cleese later adopted the role of Q in Die Another Day, far sooner than any of the filmmakers had expected, and made a respectful reference to his predecessor in that film.