As we walked towards the studio, I looked up at the huge three-digit sign, nudged the guy next to me and gave him an excited look… “Yeah, seen it all before,” said his face. I was a little deflated but it didn’t last long. I was excited because I was about to set foot on the world famous 007 soundstage at Pinewood Studios, Berkshire, England.
A month or so earlier I had an email asking if I was available for a top-secret project titled “B23” to play a techy type. I replied an immediate YES!
“B23” would become of course SKYFALL.
I had only been an Extra or Supporting Artiste, if you will, for about a year. My first job was Pirates of the Caribbean and I had done a couple of adverts and The Hour with a certain Ben Whishaw. I was green, nervous and under the naïve spell of showbiz.
The casting process had been a shock: walking into a room in my finest geekery, cardigan, glasses and satchel to be greeted by at least 45 sets of glasses cardigans and satchels. A sobering experience for anyone who thinks their fashion style is edgy or unique.
I got the job.
Costume fitting provided me with a pair of checked Red Herring trousers, grey shirt, Topman tie, and a Jasper Conran half zip sweater both in plum, (I notice these things you know). I wore my own glasses and wore my own watch with the classic Goldfinger NATO strap.
So, Day One: Dressed and fed we get on a mini bus, about 15 of us, all similarly kitted out, and we arrive at the famous building. We walk onto set: it’s up some stairs… Raised at least ten feet in the air is the perfect replica of the London Underground tunnels converted into an open plan series of desks all fitted out with more Sony monitors than I’ve ever seen. We are seated in place by the Assistant Directors and I’m given a squeezy stress ball. (I do my best to hold it and squeeze it prominently but its not noticed so I quickly discard it). I am also given my MI6 ID card. Jake Wells 001. This is it: I am now officially a member of Q branch, (or am I?).
Now I’m a little confused.
In those days, the call sheets which had all the day’s shooting schedule were literally everywhere on set. I picked one up to see what was happening that date and saw the cast list: DC – Bond, Dame Judi – M and Ben Whishaw – ‘B’, what? ‘B’? I looked further down and found my name among the other SAs (Supporting Artists) and there it was again: we were ‘B Branch’. Is this a new department within the SIS? Maybe tech support/cyber wasn’t Q after all? As it turns out, and more obvious to those with more film knowledge, this was just code words. Production was not keen on it getting out that Ben was the new Q. It’s worth mentioning at this point that I had no clue about the plot of the film and it stayed that way until I was sat in the IMAX months later to watch the movie. A kind lady offered to tell me the story one day over lunch but, in a rare moment of self-discipline, I politely declined; this was a movie I wanted to see with fresh eyes.
So, sat at my computer with three monitors, I was set to save England. A proper method actor, I had timed the graphics and worked out when the screen would change so I could hit the mouse or keyboard at that point. My best friend is a cyber genius and told me he hates it when you see “computer experts” in films tippy typing on keyboards as if they’re writing code at top speed. “In real life,” he told me, “you’re just clicking a mouse”. So, that’s what I did, every day praying for a close up. Imagine my laughter when, watching the film you see Q tippy typing on his keyboard – such a cliché!
I may have become a little obsessed with Ben during filming: he was gentle, funny, shy, reserved, skinny as a rake and smoked roll ups at lunch time. I was once stood behind him when ordering lunch and decided I would have the same, a sweet potato if I recall.
I was also fascinated by his costume as the new Q. As I mentioned above, I was already into the rabbit hole world of screen accurate costume, fuelled by a new discovery: a YouTube series presented by David something or other. I was already a dark polo, chinos and chukkas man but I was also geek chic so Q’s cardy and glasses combo was right up my street. I was too scared to talk to Ben, even though he was approachable enough between takes, at the backstage door, rolly in mouth. I asked his lighting double who was dressed identically if I could look at the label of his cardigan, so I could at least see if it was obtainable. No such luck; they were, he told me, custom made and possibly only those two existed. I had no reason to disbelieve him. Another part of the costume I did manage to find was a pair of blue velvet brogues.
So, a few days in to the shoot, I’m settled in and couldn’t have been more at home. A co-Q-Brancher lived near me so I was getting picked up in Croydon at 06:00 every morning in time for a healthy breakfast, the full English banished in order to obtain the hot Ben body (it never happened).
Each day I was sat at my desk while Daniel and Ben slowly realise that what they think they are hacking is actually hacking them (Spoiler alert). Sometimes, for variety’s sake, I would be directed out of my seat to walk about the office to do what is known in the biz as ‘wipes and bananas’. On one of these takes I was set just off stage and “on action” walk over and pick something up. I’m standing behind the set with some crew, the crowd AD, a kind looking older man and a striking brunette: Mr G. Wilson and Ms B. Brocolli of course. I did go a bit wobbly as they decided to chat to me in between takes. They were there all day that day and I was determined to ‘accidentally’ be as near as poss as often as poss.
Souvenirs you ask? Well, I was a lot more innocent in those days and never would have dreamt of pinching anything, so one Friday afternoon I went to the shopping centre in Uxbridge and found the exact same tie, took it in and swapped it over for the one I wore throughout filming. Silly, isn’t it?
Since then, I’ve worked on DC Super Heroes, Star Wars and even been stage struck by the likes of Cruise and Pitt. But that Bond experience back in 2012 remains a precious memory which will never get stale, and neither will my joy of walking onto a set. You’ll never hear me say “I’ve seen it all”, I aint seen nothin’ yet.
Sam says: I’m sure I’ve missed out some titbits that will come to me after I’ve hit send but you can always ask me about it at the next Club event.
2026 Membership Ben Whishaw Skyfall
Last modified: 13 January 2026
