The name’s Fleming...

Johnny Flynn on playing the Bond creator as a proto-007 in war drama Operation Mincemeat

THE ESPIONAGE

“It’s worthy of a Bond story,” says Johnny Flynn about Operation Mincemeat, in which he plays author Ian Fleming. “This is where he learned the ins-and-outs of that spy world.” Then a commander in Naval Intelligence during World War II, the Bond-writerin-waiting concocted a crackpot scheme involving parachuting a dead man carrying fake documents into the sea to misdirect the Germans so the Allies could invade Sicily. “He’s not on the front line,” says Flynn, who also acts as the film’s narrator. “We have a bit of fun that he is quietly writing in the background.”

THE SUAVENESS

To prep, Flynn listened to hours of Fleming interviews, but more fruitful was reading the early 007 novels. “I read Casino Royale and a couple of others,” he says. “More than the films, you are right inside Bond’s head, learning his likes and dislikes.” For Flynn, this is the author talking. “It’s just exactly how Fleming thinks the world should be and how a gentleman should behave.”

THE CODENAMES

Fleming’s relationship with his superior Admiral Godfrey (Jason Isaacs) plays into another part of the Bond myth. “Fleming felt he could do things better than his superiors, which is exactly like the relationship between Bond and M.” He even dubbed Godfrey ‘M’ after his own fearsome mother. “He’s always pushing the limits,” says Flynn. “That’s quite fun to explore, and it’s great having Jason playing Godfrey because he does such a good irate tone.”

THE KIT

“When you learn about the operation, you discover there was this secretweapons expert,” says Flynn, alluding to Q Branch. A prototype version is featured in the film; one scene includes a chainsaw watch that would not look out of place on Sean Connery’s wrist. Flynn also got to wear some Bond clobber, chiefly a naval commander’s uniform. “It’s fun to have that to play off, in the way that the uniform gives you status,” he says. “It does the work for you. It’s fun for me, as it is so far away from who I am.” At least he didn’t have to wear a Roger Moore safari suit.

OPERATION MINCEMEAT IS IN CINEMAS FROM 14 JANUARY

Above: No time to spy — Ian Fleming (Johnny Flynn) checks out a prototype Bond watch. Below: An officer and a gentleman: Flynn enjoyed wearing Fleming’s uniform.