Rory Kinnear, best known as Bill Tanner in the James Bond films, has revealed the challenges of playing M's long-suffering sidekick. In an interview, the actor admitted that much of his dialogue in 'Skyfall' was incomprehensible to him, forcing him to learn lines syllable by syllable. 'The irony is, most of what I'm saying, I have not a clue what any of it means,' he said.
Kinnear, who first joined the Bond franchise in 'Quantum of Solace', described the role as 'functional' but insisted it required creating a living backstory. Despite the glamour of 007's exotic locations, Kinnear noted the upside: 'Most of the time, I got to walk to work.'
The actor, who has played Hamlet on stage and Bolingbroke in 'The Hollow Crown', is one of four former Hamlets in 'Skyfall', alongside Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney. He recalled an annoying game played by Judi Dench on set, where she would quote Shakespeare and challenge him to continue the line. 'Of course I could never get them,' he laughed.
Kinnear's range extends from Denis Thatcher to Brian Epstein, and he won an Olivier award for his comedic turn in a Restoration play. Despite his success, he remains modest, assuming his looks would limit him to playing murderers in TV detective series.
