‘The Real Q’ Nick Finlayson has died

Nick Finlayson, Special Effects Technician on 10 Bond films, has passed away earlier this month.

Nick Finlayson with Desmond Llewelyn with GoldenEye props
Photo © 1995 MGM United Artists Pictures / Danjaq - via 007.com

Finlayson, also known as 'the real Q', worked on A View To A Kill (1985), The Living Daylights, Licence To Kill (1989), Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2005), Quantum Of Solace (2008) and SkyFall (2012).

He created dozens of Q's gadgets and props and special effects, including the GoldenEye piton gun and piton belt (pictured above), Ericsson JB988 mobile phone remote control for the BMW750iL.

Nick Finlayson created the Ericsson JB988 mobile phone prop for Tomorrow Never Dies. Several were amde, and one of them was auctioned by Julien's in 2014.
Photo © Julien's Auctions

Fellow Special Effects Supervisor John Richardson commented on 007.com, “He first worked with me on A View To A Kill and together we completed two more Bond films and at least seven other films, including Aliens and the last two of the Harry Potter series. A very clever and talented technician he was an important and valued member of my team. He deservedly earned himself the title of ‘The Real Q’ building many of the iconic Bond gadgets. He had a great sense of humour and he would often devote his time helping and mentoring younger members of the Effects department. He will be sorely missed by all those who knew him and worked with him.”

While Chris Corbould, who worked with Finlayson on all of his 10 Bond films, commented: “The film industry has lost one of the true gentlemen in Nick Finlayson. His infectious laugh and beaming smile brightened everybody’s day no matter what else was going on. I worked alongside Nick over many, many years where his ingenuity and expertise created many of the greatest moments in Special Effects history whether it be James Bond, Batman or Lara Croft. I feel privileged to have known and worked with Nick but his legacy will live on through the many technicians he has mentored over the years.”

See below the very impressive list of movies that Nick Finlayson worked on as Special Effects Technician:

2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home
2019 Pokémon Detective Pikachu
2018 The Kid Who Would Be King
2018 Mary Poppins Returns
2017/I Life
2016 Assassin's Creed
2016 Ben-Hur
2016 The Legend of Tarzan
2014 Fury
2014 Edge of Tomorrow
2013 World War Z
2012 SkyFall
2012 Zorn der Titanen
2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2008 Quantum of Solace
2008 The Dark Knight
2007 Fred Claus
2007 Hannibal Rising
2006 Casino Royale
2005 Batman Begins
2003 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
2002 Die Another Day (Workshop supervisor)
2002 Below
2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
2000 102 Dalmatians
1999 The World Is Not Enough
1999 The Mummy
1998 Firestorm
1997 Tomorrow Never Dies
1997 The Fifth Element
1995 GoldenEye
1993 Cliffhanger (uncredited)
1992 Far and Away (uncredited)
1991 Highlander II: The Quickening
1989 Licence to Kill
1988 Willow
1987 The Living Daylights
1986 Aliens
1985 A View to a Kill
1983-1985 Terrahawks (TV Series)
1982 Pink Floyd: The Wall (aircraft subcontractor)
1980 Hopscotch (uncredited)

Sources: 007.com, From Sweden With Love, Gerry Anderson, IMDB,