Felix Leiter
Felix Leiter is a fictional character created by Ian Fleming in the James Bond books, films, and other media. The character is an operative for the CIA and Bond's friend. After losing a leg and a hand to a shark attack, Leiter joined the Pinkerton Detective Agency. The name "Felix" comes from the middle name of Fleming's friend Ivar Bryce, while the name "Leiter" was the surname of Fleming's friend Marion Oates Leiter Charles, the then wife of Thomas Leiter.
| Felix Leiter | |
|---|---|
| James Bond character | |
Some of the many faces of Felix Leiter: from top-left: Jack Lord, Cec Linder, Rik Van Nutter, Norman Burton from bottom-left: David Hedison (1973), John Terry, David Hedison (1989), Jeffrey Wright. | |
| First appearance | Casino Royale (1953) |
| Last appearance | No Time to Die (2021) |
| Created by | Ian Fleming |
| Portrayed by | Michael Pate (as "Clarence Leiter") (1954) Jack Lord (1962) Cec Linder (1964) Rik Van Nutter (1965) Norman Burton (1971) David Hedison (1973 & 1989) Bernie Casey (1983) John Terry (1987) Jeffrey Wright (2006, 2008 & 2021) |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | CIA operative DEA agent Private investigator |
| Spouse | Della Leiter (née Churchill) (wife, deceased) |
| Children | Cedar Leiter (daughter) Kelsey Leiter (daughter) |
| Nationality | American |
| Classification | Ally |
Leiter also appeared in novels by continuation authors, as well as ten films and one television episode, "Casino Royale", in which the character became a British agent, Clarence Leiter, played by Michael Pate. In the Eon Productions series of films, Leiter has been portrayed by Jack Lord, Cec Linder, Rik Van Nutter, Norman Burton, David Hedison, John Terry, and Jeffrey Wright; in the independent production Never Say Never Again, the part was played by Bernie Casey. Leiter has also appeared in the video game 007 Legends.