Klaus Maria Brandauer is Max Largo in Never Say Never Again

In Never Say Never Again (1983)
Klaus Maria Brandauer
is Maximillian Largo

Klaus Maria Brandauer is a well-known Austrian actor and director that starred in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983) as villain Maximillian Largo. He was born in the town of Bad Aussee, Austria on June 22nd 1944.

Brandauer has appeared in nearly seventy films including more than thirty television movies. His latest film is the German spy thriller Manipulation (2011), where he stars as special agent Rappold. The film is set in 1956 during the Cold War and filmed in Switzerland and Germany.

Klaus Maria Brandauer is Maximillian Largo in Never Say Never Again (1983)

“Do you imagine that I could lose a
woman to an underpaid British agent?”

In 1966 Klaus Maria Brandauer made his film debut in The Salzburg Connection, a French thriller where he played the character Johann Kronsteiner.

The most recognised television movie by Brandauer was the biographical drama Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) which starred Halle Berry in the title role.

One of Brandauer's finest films is the 1981 drama Mephisto, where he stars as Hendrik Hoefgen. The movie won the 1981 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was based on the novel by German writer Klaus Mann.

In 1983 Klaus Maria Brandauer starred with Sean Connery and Kim Basinger in the unofficial James Bond movie Never Say Never Again. Brandauer played the character of Maximillian Largo, one of the most interesting James Bond villains.

Some of the popular Klaus Maria Brandauer movies are:

Tetro (2009)
Between Strangers (2002)
Rembrandt (1999)
Felidae (1994)
White Fang (1991)
The French Revolution (1989)
Hanussen (1988)
Out of Africa (1985)
The Lightship (1985)
Colonel Redl (1985)
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Mephisto (1981)

Maximillian Largo

Maximillian Largo is the master villain in the unofficial James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983). He is portrayed by Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer.

Largo is a wealthy entrepreneur working for the criminal organisation SPECTRE. He leads a cunning blackmail scheme, known as The Tears of Allah, that involves stealing two nuclear missiles from the United States Air Force (USAF).

At Largo's command are some interesting characters including:

Lippe (Pat Roach) a deadly assassin
Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera), SPECTRE No. 12 agent and Largo's henchwoman
Domino Petachi (Kim Basinger), Largo's mistress

Reporting directly to Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Max Von Sydow), Maximillian Largo is the No. 1 agent at SPECTRE. He resides on his luxury yacht the Flying Saucer which is based in Nassau, The Bahamas.

A key part of the Tears of Allah plan requires Jack Petachi (Gavin O'Herlihy) to arm the cruise missiles at the Swadley air base in the UK and encode them to land in the sea near The Bahamas.

Largo and his men recover the nuclear weapons from the ocean and hide them in two secret locations. SPECTRE gives the NATO nations seven days to meet their demands; otherwise they will launch the missiles at set targets.

James Bond (Sean Connery) travels to The Bahamas to look into the activities of Maximillian Largo. He survives several attempts on his life by Blush who tries to lure him to sharks and places a bomb in his hotel room.

In southern France, Agent 007 gains admission to Largo's charity ball. Here, Largo invites him to play Domination, a video game that gives out powerful electric shocks. When Largo is defeated by Bond, he is infuriated, but allows 007 a dance with Domino.

Largo orders Blush to kill Bond who lures 007 into a death defying pursuit through the streets of Monaco. Blush then captures Bond, but before she can shoot, 007 fires his nifty fountain pen causing her to explode.

James Bond secretly boards the Flying Saucer and is treated as a guest by Largo. Upon arriving at Largo's North African home, Palmyra, Domino and 007 are captured. Bond is shackled high in a stone fortress while Domino is prepared to be sold to Arabs.

Agent 007 manages to break free and rescues Domino on horseback. The pair escape and jump into the ocean before tracking the villain to the Tears of Allah excavation site. Here, Maximillian Largo is eventually killed underwater by Domino with a spear gun while James Bond disarms the final nuclear missile.

Return from Klaus Maria Brandauer to James Bond Villains