George Smiley

George Smiley
Gary Oldman as Smiley in the 2011 film
First appearanceCall for the Dead
Last appearanceA Legacy of Spies
Created byJohn le Carré
Portrayed by
In-universe information
GenderMale
OccupationIntelligence officer
AffiliationThe Circus
SpouseLady Ann Sercomb
NationalityBritish

George Smiley OBE[1] is a fictional character created by John le Carré. Smiley is a career intelligence officer with "The Circus", the British overseas intelligence agency. He is a central character in the novels Call for the Dead, A Murder of Quality, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, Smiley's People, the upcoming Karla's Choice, and a supporting character in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Looking Glass War, The Secret Pilgrim and A Legacy of Spies. The character has also appeared in a number of film, television, and radio adaptations of le Carré's books.

Le Carré created Smiley as an intentional contrast to James Bond, a character who he believed depicted an inaccurate and damaging version of espionage.[2] Short, overweight, balding, and bespectacled, Smiley is polite and self-effacing and frequently allows others to mistreat him, including his serially unfaithful wife; these traits mask his inner cunning, excellent memory, mastery of tradecraft, and occasional ruthlessness.[3] His genius, coupled with other characters' willingness to underestimate him, allows Smiley to achieve his goals and ultimately become one of the most powerful spies in Britain.[4][5]

The character is held in high esteem in Britain, where he has become a pop-culture icon on par with Bond.[4] The Guardian has called him "the sort of spy [Britain] believes it ought to have: a bit shabby, academic, basically loyal, and sceptical of the enthusiasms of his political masters."[6]

  1. ^ A Murder of Quality p. 167
  2. ^ Parker, James (26 October 2011). "The Anti-James Bond". The Atlantic. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  3. ^ Bell, James (30 June 2016). "George Smiley: Nobody Does It Better". Eulogize This. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b Marsh, Calum (2 November 2017). "Why George Smiley is among the richest, cleverest and most fascinating characters in post-war fiction". National Post. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  5. ^ Denby, David (28 February 2012). "We Are All Smiley's People". The New Yorker. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  6. ^ "In praise of... George Smiley". The Guardian. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2023.