Supporting characters in Casino Royale (2006)

The following is a list of James Bond allies in the 1953 novel and 2006 film "Casino Royale":

Recurring characters

*M - Judi Dench
*Felix Leiter - Jeffrey Wright

René Mathis

James Bond Character
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name=René Mathis
portrayed=Giancarlo Giannini
gender=Male
affiliation= Deuxième Bureau (novels)
MI6, possibly Le Chiffre (film)
status= Active (novels)
Arrested/Unknown (film)
role=Ally

René Mathis is a fictional character from the James Bond film "Casino Royale". He is portrayed by Giancarlo Giannini, who will reprise the role in "Quantum of Solace". The character appears in the original novel by Ian Fleming and, a trusted ally of Bond attached to the French Deuxième Bureau, he reappears in "From Russia with Love", and we learn in the subsequent book "Doctor No" that he has saved Bond's life. The film character is markedly different in certain respects.

Film biography

In the film, Mathis - who introduces himself using the famous Bond mannerism as "My name is Mathis. "René" Mathis." - is portrayed as a charming and supremely competent lone-wolf MI6 agent stationed in Montenegro. During the entire Montenegro sequence, it is evident that Mathis is continually working behind the scenes to counter Le Chiffre's plans and protect Bond and Vesper Lynd. Because an ally of Le Chiffre is the local chief of police (played in a cameo role by Michael G. Wilson), Mathis frames him for corruption by forging documents with Photoshop. Mathis also helps Bond by disposing of the bodies of two LRA assassins that Bond has killed by placing them and their cell phone in the boot of Le Chiffre's henchman Leo's car and then ringing that phone while Leo and the police stand by. "Being dead," he says as they watch Leo's arrest, "doesn't mean one can't still be helpful."

Before parting company for a break in the poker tournament, Bond carelessly divulges to Mathis and Vesper the tell-tale mannerism he'd spotted when Le Chiffre had been bluffing - and later divulges this knowledge to Le Chiffre himself at the gaming table when he says "I won't consider myself to be in trouble until I start weeping blood." When the game resumes, Le Chiffre affects the telling mannerism to tempt Bond to go "all in" on a crucial hand: Le Chiffre isn't bluffing, and Bond loses all of his starting stake at a stroke. "You must have thought I was bluffing, Mr. Bond." When Le Chiffre captures Bond after the tournament is over, he leads Bond to believe that Mathis had betrayed Bond when he says "I'm afraid your friend Mathis is really... "my" friend Mathis."

As Mathis approaches Bond recuperating from his capture, MI6 tasers Mathis and takes him into custody. M describes Vesper as a traitor, and says this may vindicate Mathis, but Bond says he still can't be trusted and MI6 should continue to "sweat" him. M then compliments Bond on learning the lesson that no-one can be trusted. Mathis' true affiliation is therefore not resolved in the film.

Carter

James Bond Character
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fgcolor=#fff
name=Carter
portrayed=Joseph Millson
gender=Male
affiliation=MI6
status=Alive
role=Ally

Carter is an inexperienced MI6 agent who tries to help Bond capture the bombmaker Mollaka in Madagascar. In spite of Bond's coaching, he keeps his hand to his earpiece to talk to Bond on the radio (showing Mollaka that he has a radio in his ear) and makes eye contact with Mollaka as well. Mollaka flees; Carter draws his gun and gives chase despite Bond telling him to stay put and holster the weapon. Mollaka runs through a pit where a snake and mongoose are fighting, but Carter trips, falls in and accidentally fires his gun into the air, sending people screaming.

Mendel

James Bond Character
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name=Mendel
portrayed=Ludger Pistor
gender=Male
affiliation=Basel Bank
status=Alive
role=Ally

Mendel is a Swiss banker who facilitates the transfer of James Bond's poker winnings. Armed with a high-tech briefcase, Mendel assures all of the player's money is safely transferred.

Film biography

Mendel is first seen at the Casino Royale in Montenegro of which he tells the 10 poker players that their 10 million dollars have been deposited and that the winnings would go to their respective bank accounts with a password.

Mendel is next seen when he interrupts James Bond and Vesper Lynd. Mendel needs the password and account number of them to deposit the 120 million dollars they win (115 million from the game plus the 5 million Vesper refused to give Bond to rebuy). Vesper enters the account number and password before Mendel leaves.

Mendel is last seen on the phone with Bond after Bond wants to find out which account the money was transferred to. Mendel confirms that the money had been transferred to the specified account and is (somewhat improbably) able to tell which bank it is being withdrawn from at that moment, which leads Bond to Vesper.

Villiers

James Bond Character
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fgcolor=#fff
name=Villiers
portrayed=Tobias Menzies
gender=Male
affiliation=MI6 M
status=Inactive
role=Ally

Villiers is an aide to M in the James Bond film "Casino Royale". The name would appear to be a reference to the actor James Villiers, who played Bill Tanner in "For Your Eyes Only".

Film biography

Villiers is first seen with M when she is leaving a Parliament hearing, criticising the media and James Bond. He is next seen when he looks up what is going on at Miami International Airport. He finds that a new plane is going to be unveiled which allows M to tell Bond what the bomber is after. It was announced on Dec. 20 that Villiers would appear only in "Casino Royale", as his role would not be reprised in "Quantum of Solace".

The character could be seen as a successor/reimagining of previous aides to Judi Dench's M such as Bill Tanner (played by Michael Kitchen) and Charles Robinson.

Some fans have given Menzies' character the nicknames "Mister Moneypenny" and "Mannypenny" after M's secretary from the previous Bond films due to her role being approximately filled by Villiers.