James Bondmay be an international man of mystery, but one of the bigger mysteries of the popular franchise is if M is based on a real person. M is the anchor throughout the 007 series as the Chief of the British intelligence agency MI6, assigns Bond his missions. Rumors have circulated for decades about who the character in theIan Fleming James Bond booksand subsequent films has been based on. The simple answer is thatM ismost likely a culmination of several people the author knew who were authority figures in British intelligence.
Ian Fleming himself served in the British Naval Intelligence Division in the Second World War and drew large inspiration from his time in service to cultivate the James Bond franchise that has stood the test of time.Judi Dench may be the most well-known Mfrom the recent films, but M was based upon multiple supervisors and intelligence officers Fleming served under and learned from.Fleming wrote the Bond books imagining himself as 007, while M helped him become one of the greatest spymasters in fictional history.That is what M is known for doing in real life: turning brothers into Bonds.
Maxwell Knight Is Speculated To Be One Possible Inspiration For James Bond’s M
Could The BBC Broadcaster and Secret Spymaster Be The Real-Life M?
When looking for clues about who M is based on, it would be reasonable to assume the real-life person was too named M. That is already one point in Maxwell Knight’s corner. According toCountry File, the BBC History broadcaster is likely theinspiration for James Bond’s M. Knight had a dual life, appearing on TV and radio as a broadcaster specializing in natural history while leading undercover operations for MI5 for decades.Rumor has it he was also endearingly nicknamed “M.”
“When looking for clues about who M is based off of, it would be reasonable to assume the real life person was too named M.”
Another big hint is Henry Hemming’s 2017 book,Agent M: The Lives and Spies of MI5’s Maxwell Knight, which details how he transformed the way the national security organization operated and even supported having female spies. It took a while, butNo Time to Diefinally caught up to this fact,featuring Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch in agent roles, even though there wasan unfortunate backlash.It’s no wonderMaxwell Knight’s support of women in espionage helped cast Dench in the role of M for over twenty years.
Colin Gubbins Is Another Potential Real-Life M Who Influenced Ian Fleming
Colin Gubbins And Bond Author Ian Fleming Worked On A Secret WW2 Raid Together
Colin Gubbins, who was in charge of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in WW2, is most likely another inspiration for M. According toThe Yorkshire Post,Grubbins and Fleming worked closely together during a dangerous wartime raid in 1941 & 1942, in which they stole enemy ships near the Spanish Island Fernando Po. This may sound familiar to anyone who has watched Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson’s latest film,The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,in which Cary Elwes plays Colin Gubbins, and is called M for short.
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Author Brian Lett also draws the conclusion that Gubbins was the inspiration for M in his book,Ian Fleming and SOE’S Operation POSTMASTER: The Untold Top Secret Story. He alludes toGubbins strong leadership during that controversial raid, which helped to mold Ian Fleming to lie about Britain’s involvement in the operations on an international stage. Just like theJames Bondbooks and films, their missions are carried out in secret. It’s not a secret any longer Gubbins is part of the inspiration for M.
The Mystery Behind M’s Inspiration Makes James Bond’s Mythology Even More Intriguing
M Being Based Off Real Life War Heroes Makes for Compelling Cinema
Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, John Huston, David Niven, Edward Fox, Judi Dench, and Ralph Fiennes have all given life to the serious and commanding MI6 leader M since the first James Bond film,Dr. No, in 1962. James Bond may be a superstar spy, but the films would not work without 007 having this important guiding force. Ian Fleming basingM on several real wartime leaders and heroes just makes the character even more vital to the films and makes the mythology more intriguing.
Fans still believeDaniel Craig should have returned as James Bondfor another film, but regardless of who plays Bond or M, as long as filmmakers continue to include their powerful boss and messy spy dynamic, the 007 franchise will still be as compelling as the real-life WW2 Bond and M the stories are based on. It’s even more fascinating knowing the real-life men M is based on commanded dangerous missions and risked their own lives.James Bondmay have a license to kill, but it’s M who gave him that license.
