James Bond is known for being a lone wolf, but many times he needs the help of his many contacts and allies to run down the threats his enemies have planned against England or the world.
In GOLDENEYE, 007's CIA contact is Jack Wade, played by Texan actor Joe Don Baker in his second Bond outing after the role of THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS' villain Brad Whitaker, opposite Timothy Dalton's Bond. He also appeared in Martin Campbell's miniseries EDGE OF DARKNESS, in the role of Jedburgh.
Wade is a fan of gardening with a great sense of humor, who even mocks at Bond's formality calling him a "stiff-assed Brit". However, he plays a key role in helping Bond to find the whereabouts of the shadowy head of Janus.
The CIA agent leads 007 to Valentin Zukovsky, a former KGB agent limping after being shot by Bond in the past. Zukovsky is now an arms dealer who owns a nightclub in St. Petersburg, a task he finds rather annoying and makes him constantly complain about the "free market economy". First holding a grudge against Bond for the incident, he later agrees to help him when the secret agent makes an arrangement with him - letting one of Zukovsky's man make a "miraculous" escape with the money of an arms-deal exchange at Kirov's Funeral Parlour and having the buyer arrested.
Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane, known for the TV series CRACKS and later the role of Hagrid in two Harry Potter films, would be so successful playing Zukovsky that he returned for a final appaerance in 1999's THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH.
Russian Defence Minister Dimitri Mishkin, is played by French actor Tcheky Karyo. A member of the new Russian Politburo, Mishkin arrests James Bond accusing him of terrorism and stealing the GoldenEye weapon. However, after Natalya's confession that the one who took and fired one of the EMP satellites was General Ourumov aka Russia's next "iron man", he becomes a rather short-term ally of 007 before being cold-blooded shot by a furious Ourumov.
The classic MI6 staff has some new faces, starting by a female M, played by Judi Dench. The British character actress, who would remain in the role for 17 years until 2012's SKYFALL, said the chance of playing the role was "one of the flatteriest invitations" she has ever had. Her credits also include SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, NOTES ON A SCANDAL and, most recently, PHILOMENA.
Nicknamed the "Evil Queen of Numbers" by the older members of the Service, Barbara Medwsley is the first civil personell to occupy the direction of the British Secret Service. She isn't intimidated by men, taking the freedom to call 007 a "sexist, mysoginist dinosaur" and a "relic of the Cold War". But in spite of that, she hopes he "comes back alive" of his assignament.
Samantha Bond's Moneypenny isn't falling to Bond's charms immediatly, and reminds him his behavior could be considered as "sexual harrasement". The British actress would reprise her role in the other three Pierce Brosnan 007 films.
Lifted straight from the novels of Ian Fleming, Bill Tanner is MI6's Chief of Staff. Michael Kitchen, whose credits include Fred Schipsi's THE RUSSIA HOUSE, was the actor chosen to play this role who appears in the saga for the first time since 1981's FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, where James Villiers played the part.
Aged 82, Desmond Llewelyn offers his 15th appaerance as MI6's gadget master Q, still telling Bond off for mistreating his weapons and asking him to "grow up" for once and for all.
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