Milkman to Mercenary: The Roles of Necros
Necros is one of the standout characters from the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights. He’s a formidable villain, the epitome of icy control and lethal skill. Portrayed by German actor Andreas Wisniewski but voiced by Kerry Shale, Necros is a former KGB agent turned international mercenary.
Known for his striking blond hair, commanding presence, and personal stereo, this multilingual, Soviet-trained assassin is notable for his chilling disguises, including his explosive milkman, as he aids in arms dealing and targeting British agents.
Necros
Necros, the formidable and adaptive mercenary, serves under the rebellious Soviet General, Georgi Koskov, and the American arms dealer, Brad Whitaker. A towering, blond enigma, Necros’ single indulgence is his omnipresent personal stereo, often playing “Where Has Everybody Gone?” by the Pretenders.
Expert in both disguise and execution, he shows a distinct preference for strangulation as his method of choice.
Initially, his mission revolves around escorting Koskov safely from a British Secret Service safe house in England to Whitaker’s Tangiers estate. Disguised as a milkman, Necros infiltrates the intelligence compound, strangles the cook in the kitchen, and stows his body in a chest freezer.
A sudden confrontation with a covert MI5 agent, disguised as a butler, is swiftly ended with a decisive blow from a frying pan. Stealing a radio from an incapacitated agent, Necros announces a faux gas leak leading to an urgent evacuation.
Amid the chaos, he abducts Koskov, utilizing explosive milk bottle grenades to neutralize MI6 agents attempting to intercept him, leaving the British Secret Service scrambling for answers.
Contrary to expectations, Necros and Koskov are seen in Whitaker’s villa, not in USSR. As Whitaker and Koskov discuss their vendetta against General Pushkin, Necros is seen with a woman by the pool. Their plan centers around killing Pushkin to both avenge a cancelled arms deal and prevent their Afghan arms supply from being traced back to Whitaker.
Later, Necros murders Saunders, the MI6 head of Station V in Vienna, Austria, while disguised as a balloon salesman, enraging James Bond. Necros’ deceptive tactics are designed to make the British secret service believe the Soviets have initiated a “Smiert Spionem” or “Death to Spies” operation.
In Tangiers again, Necros, disguised as a lighting technician, plans to assassinate General Pushkin during a speech. However, Bond thwarts the attempt by staging Pushkin’s assassination himself.
With his mission redundant, Necros retreats in the resulting panic, only to be briefly spotted by Bond when knocked unconscious by Kara Milovy with Chloral Hydrate.
Later in Afghanistan, Necros is mostly seen accompanying Koskov or Colonel Feyador. And during an attack on Feyador’s airbase by Bond and Kamran Shah, Necros acts as Koskov’s bodyguard.
When Bond hijacks a cargo plane carrying Koskov’s opium shipment, Necros is dispatched to board the plane. In mid-air, a fight ensues between Bond and Necros on the cargo net. Bond eventually gets the better with Necros holding onto Bond’s boot. So, Bond takes out a knife and cuts his laces, causing Necros to fall to his death and allowing Bond to disarm the bomb.
Andreas Wisniewski
Andreas Wisniewski is a German actor and former dancer, known for roles in notable films like The Living Daylights and Die Hard.
His acting debut came in 1986 with Gothic, and he’s since featured in TV series such as Superboy, Mann & Machine, and Northern Exposure. His career also includes a role in Mission: Impossible and appearances in British TV Lock, Stock…The Series, playing Heinrich, and Ultimate Force, as Serbian terrorist Savo Glasnovic.
Wisniewski’s talents extend to directing, as shown in his 2001 short film Inspiration. Despite his acting success, he’s maintained a low profile lately, focusing on family and Buddhism. He made a brief return in 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.
