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What Happened To The Women From The James Bond Films?

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The strikingly-beautiful women who appear in James Bond films have become nearly as iconic as the character of 007 himself. Aside for having strong opinions about if Sean Connery was or wasn’t the best Bond or which is the most memorable of the movies, fans tend to have their share of thoughts on who their favorite Bond girls are as well.

But whether it’s recalling Honey Ryder’s classic entrance, Vesper Lynd in her purple dress, or Jill Masterson covered in gold, everyone agrees that the women who 007 gets involved with are all easy on the eyes. While some of these actresses would retain their gorgeous visage years after playing a Bond paramour, some became unrecognizable in the decades since. Pour yourself a drink that’s been shaken, not stirred, and see where the former flames of James Bond rank all time…

#21 – Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland) – The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

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In the film The Man With The Golden Gun, Mary Goodnight is an inexperienced, yet well-meaning field fellow operative who assists James Bond in following Andrea Anders through Hong Kong. Sparks fly before the two part ways briefly, but Bond has more pressing matters at hand. 

After being imprisoned by the film’s villain, Francisco Scaramanga, Mary reunites with Bond over a goodwill dinner and manages to escape the compound. Together, they finish the mission they started together, becoming romantically entangled in the process.

Britt Ekland Today

britt
Photo: Twitter.com/@theusatodaysun

Britt Ekland is a Swedish-born actress, singer, and model. Her film and television career took off in the ’60s with appearances in The Double Man and The Night They Raided Minsky’s. She would further cement her status as a blonde bombshell with her appearance alongside Roger Moore in The Man With The Golden Gun. Ekland married actor Peter Sellers, and would later be in a relationship with singer Rod Stewart, leading her to be one of the most-photographed women on the 1970s. 

After a successful film career in supporting roles throughout the 1970s and ’80s, she would later appear mostly on television and the theater stage. She was cast in a theater production of Cinderella in 2008, and appeared in a handful of reality shows in the 2010s. In 2021, she would continue touring the UK in a production of The Cat and the Canary

#20 – Jinx (Halle Berry) – Die Another Day (2002)

jinx
Photo: Twitter.com/@Thunderballs007

In Die Another Day, Glacinta, or “Jinx” Johnson, works as an American NSA operative, pairing up with James Bond to spy on North Korean agents and investigate their ties with diamond magnate Gustav Graves. Her attempt to double-cross Bond is eventually thwarted by his own pursuit of the villain Zao.

After coming to her senses and joining Bond on his quest to capture Graves and his right-hand woman, Miranda Frost, the two engage in airborne sword play while fighting for their lives. 007 and Jinx bring order to chaos once more as they escape a fiery plane crash and subsequently destroy the union of Zao and Graves.

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Halle Berry Today

halle berry
Photo: Pinterest.com/Kaleb

Halle Berry has been lighting up the stage and screen for decades, making her one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood today. After a brief career on the beauty pageant circuit, she scored a breakthrough role in the 1992 film, Boomerang, which led to dozens of other films in her career, including Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and the X-Men films. 

Her work in film has earned her numerous accolades, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in the movie Monster’s Ball. She continues to work both in front of and behind the camera. She made her directorial debut in 2020 with the Netflix movie, Bruised. 

#19 – Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts) – A View To A Kill (1985)

Photo: Twitter.com/YouOkayBond

Stacey Sutton is a geologist employed by the state government of California. She ends up joining forces with James Bond in an attempt to take down her former boss, Max Zorin, played by Christopher Walken. Zorin’s attempts to cause geopathic stress and destroy Silicon Valley are met with some serious resistance.

In one of the most daring rescue attempts in Bond history, Sutton and Bond succeed in redirecting Zorin’s blimp, leading the villain to his demise over San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Sutton’s intimate knowledge of the area’s geological makeup was an instrumental part of ensuring Bond’s success.

Tanya Roberts Today

tanya roberts
Photo: Twitter.com/@FilmUpdates

Victoria Leigh Roberts, otherwise known as Tanya Roberts, was an American actress, model, and producer. She was best known for her role of Julie Rogers in the final season of the TV series Charlie’s Angels and starring in B-movies such as Sheena: Queen of the Jungle and The Beastmaster. 

In 1998, Roberts would play the role of Midge Pinciotti in the sitcom That ’70s Show, and would be on the show for three seasons. She retired from acting in 2005. In December 2020, she would become ill while on a hiking trip, leading to an infection and multi-organ failure. She would be taken off life support just a few weeks later and pass away in January of 2021.

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#18 – Plenty O’Toole (Lana Wood) – Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

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In Diamonds Are Forever, Plenty O’Toole is working the casino floor at the Whyte House Hotel, trying to rub shoulders with wealthy men, hoping for a share of profits when they win big. As O’Toole has a reputation for stirring up bad luck wherever she goes, she costs Bond valuable time and money as they begin their journey together.

Despite her attempts to turn her run of luck around, O’Toole never seems to catch a break. As the plot thickens, she encounters men who mistake her for Tiffany Case, and they drown her in a hotel pool before she has a chance to reveal her real identity.

Lana Wood Today

lana
Photo: YouTube.com/Inside Edition

Lana Wood is an American actress and producer. Born Svetlana Lisa Gurdin, she made her debut in a film entitled, The Searchers as a child actress, achieving star status relatively early on in her career. Lana is the sister of actress Natalie Wood, who famously drowned under mysterious circumstances in 1981. 

Wood would end up landing to role of Sandy Webber on the TV series Peyton Place. She would end up posing for Playboy in 1970, the year before being cast opposite Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever. She would even end up in affair with Connery after the movie. She has appeared in more than 20 films, and over 300 TV shows as well. She semi-retired from acting in 1982, but would return to star in a number of low-budget films after 2008.

#17 – Paloma (Ana De Armas) – No Time To Die (2021)

paloma
Photo: Twitter.com/@007

Paloma fills out the cast of the most recent Bond film, 2021’s No Time To Die, quite nicely. She serves as a Cuban intelligence operative employed by the CIA. Upon meeting Daniel Craig’s Bond however, she discloses that a mere three weeks of training is all that she has to offer.

Working with Bond to infiltrate a party thrown by the adversary crime organization Spectre, the pair succeed in freeing themselves from nanobots who are in hot pursuit of them, and Paloma becomes an instrumental part in getting 007 out of the line of fire.

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Ana De Armas Today

Ana De Armas
Photo: Pinterest.com/ĶŘØÔŞV

Ana De Armas began her successful career in film and television in her native country of Cuba, landing a leading role in the romantic drama entitled, Una Rosa De Francia. Shortly after her debut, she moved to Madrid, Spain in search of more lucrative opportunities, before eventually ending up in Hollywood.

Her appearance in Los Angeles would prove to be most profitable, landing her roles in films such as War Dogs, Hands of Stone, and Blade Runner 2049. She would also be nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical in the 2019 hit movie Knives Out. After her stint as Paloma in No Time To Die, she is set to portray actress Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix drama Blonde. 

#16 – Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) – The World Is Not Enough (1999)

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Elektra King is the daughter of wealthy oil tycoon Sir Robert King, who ends up being killed at the beginning of The World Is Not Enough. Elektra King is used to getting what she wants, willing to use any means necessary to do so. In a plot twist of the film, she happens to be the criminal mastermind behind the events that have taken place, including the killing of her father. 

With a lethal combination of beauty and brains, Elektra sets her sights on Bond as her next conquest and victim. Despite what she perceived as an airtight plan, Bond would ultimately put an end to their struggle with a single gunshot, simply saying to her afterwards, “I never miss.”

Sophie Marceau Today

Sophie Marceau
Photo: Pinterest.com/Suburban Men

Sophie Marceau made a splash in the entertainment industry when she was still a teenager. Her debut film was a French film called La Boum, for which she received a Cesar Award (the French version of an Oscar) for Most Promising Actress. Her rising star in European film led to work opportunities abroad.

She earned international recognition for her role as Princess Isabelle in the hugely popular 1995 film Braveheart. In more recent years, she has played a variety of roles, many in French films, though in 2012, she played a lead in the movie Happiness Never Comes Alone

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#15 – Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) – Die Another Day (2002)

Photo: Twitter.com/RobsPatts

In Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan’s last bout as 007, he finds himself working alongside MI6 agent Miranda Frost, who secretly would be working as a double agent for diamond magnate Gustav Graves. Her treachery leads Bond to be captured in North Korea and imprisoned for 14 months.

When Bond finds out that Miranda betrayed him, she utters the memorable, but poorly-written line, “looks like it’s death for breakfast.” She meets her end while aboard Graves’ plane. She is eventually impaled by a dagger while in a sword fight with the American NSA agent Jinx.

Rosamund Pike Today

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Rosamund Pike is a British actress who attended Oxford after being rejected from every stage school she applied to. She was offered the role of Miranda Frost in Die Another Day just after finishing Oxford. She has mentioned that when she was auditioning for the role, she was asked to strip down to her underwear, something that she refused.

She would provide voicework for some James Bond audio books, narrating The Spy Who Loved Me. Pike became a household name after starring in 2014’s thriller Gone Girl, where she would earn numerous awards and accolades for her performance. In recent years she would be case in A Private War, The Wheel of Time, and I Care A Lot.

#14 – Paris Carver (Teri Hatcher) – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

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Paris Carver is the wife of media criminal Elliot Carver in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies. She and Bond had previously met at a high-profile cocktail party and started a short relationship. When seeing Bond again years later at a cocktail party, the sparks would reignite between them. 

Paris had suspicions about her husband’s nefarious activity and assists Bond in helping her uncover a plot involving murder and illegal sea drilling. Unfortunately, Paris is killed by Carver’s assassin Dr. Kaufman after Elliot catching her with Bond. 

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Teri Hatcher Today

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Teri Hatcher is a producer and actress well known for her portrayal of Lois Lane on the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman. After studying at the American Conservatory, she set her sights on Hollywood after working as an NFL cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers.

Her pivotal role as Lois Lane led to other lucrative opportunities in film and television, including guest spots on Murphy Brown, Seinfeld, and Saturday Night Live. Hatcher would have a starring role in the popular TV series Desperate Housewives, which aired from 2004-2012.

#13 – Christmas Jones (Denise Richards) – The World Is Not Enough (1999)

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Dr. Christmas Jones is an American nuclear physicist working in Russia to help dismantle nuclear warheads in The World Is Not Enough. Her initial encounter with Bond results in sparks of mistrust and contempt between the two, setting the stage for additional conflict, before ultimately ending in the two pairing up. 

Jones would blow Bond’s cover as a fellow nuclear physicist and the two narrowly end up escaping death at the hands of Elektra King, who surprisingly winds up collaborating with the main villain Renard. Her and Bond foil Renard and Elektra’s nefarious plans, and end the film celebrating the holiday of New Year’s together.

Denise Richards Today

Photo: Twitter.com/onlythebest4you

Denise Richards would appear in smaller roles in movies and TV shows throughout the ’90s, such as Loaded Weapon 1, Tammy and the T-Rex, and Saved by the Bell and Married…with Children. Her first major starring role was in the 1997 movie Starship Troopers and then would appear in the thriller Wild Things.

Richards received some flak for playing the character of nuclear physicist Christmas Jones opposite Pierce Brosnan, as critics and fans would say the role and her wardrobe wasn’t believable. She would have a healthy amount of acting gigs in movies and on TV shows in the 2000s and 2010s, most recently appearing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2020. 

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#12 – Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen) – Goldeneye (1995)

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Xenia Onatopp is a ruthless assassin and fighter pilot employed by the notorious Janus crime organization. She was a popular villain with fans, showcasing a seductive, yet sociopathic nature in the 1995 film Goldeneye, which was Pierce Brosnan’s first appearance as Bond. 

Her and 007 do an intimate and dangerous dance in several interactions, racing each other down the highway, playing baccarat, and eventually working their way into the Cuban jungle. Just as it looks like Bond is going to succumb to her crushing thighs, 007 is able to get out of it, leaving Xenia caught against a tree, getting crushed in the process.

Famke Janssen Today

Famke Janssen
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Famke Janssen is a Dutch actress and former fashion model. She moved to the United States in 1984 to pursue dreams in the modeling industry. She would sign with Elite Model Management, and work with famous brands like Armani, Chanel, and Victoria’s Secret, though she would find success in entertainment as well. 

After a rewarding career on the runway, Janssen would leave the world of modeling in 1990 to pursue roles in film and television. She was a guest star on several TV shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation before appearing in films like The Faculty, Rounders, House on Haunted Hill, and the X-Men film franchise. She made her debut directing in the 2011 film Bringing Up Bobby. More recently, she starred in the Netflix horror series Hemlock Grove.

#11 – Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) – Casino Royale (2006)

vesper lynd
Photo: Tumblr.com/Earths Mightiest Heroines

In Casino Royale, Vesper Lynd is a foreign liaison agent from the HM Treasury’s Financial Action Task Force. She is initially assigned to Bond to ensure that he properly manages the $10 million that is lent to him to play in a  high-stakes poker game in the film against villain Le Chiffre.

Just when it looks like Bond and Lynd will wind up living happily ever after, she is kidnapped and ends up sacrificing her life in heartbreaking fashion. What Bond doesn’t realize is that she was working as a double agent for Quantum, a terrorist organization that has been behind everything. 

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Eva Green Today

eva green
Photo: Pinterest.com/Natasha Kowal

Eva Green lit up the screen in Casino Royale opposite co-star Daniel Craig in his first appearance as the suave spy. Entertainment Weekly would rank her as the fourth-best Bond girl of all time. Before this heavenly match delighted millions, Green started her career in theater before a series of events would earn her a film debut in the movie The Dreamers. 

She received international recognition for her breakout role, going on to earn critical acclaim for other roles such as Kingdom Of Heaven and Perfect Sense. Since helping revitalize the Bond franchise, she has appeared opposite Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows. In 2019, she starred in the live-action adaption of Dumbo and is set to star in the Apple TV series Liaison.

#10 – Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Photo: Twitter.com/007

In Pierce Brosnan’s second installment as Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies, Wai Lin is a spy for the Ministry Of State Security Of The People’s Republic Of China. She has managed to achieve the rank of colonel, and her skill in martial arts makes her a force to be reckoned with for anyone who crosses her path.

She encounters Bond when she’s sent to investigate media mogul Elliot Carver and the surrounding rumors of him trying to escalate a war between China and the UK. The two end up escaping Carver’s henchmen and even manage to sink Carver’s ship, taking out the villain in the process.

Michelle Yeoh Today

yeoh
Photo: Pinterest.com/duran pereira

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh rose to fame in the 90s, starring in assorted Hong Kong action films. Her extensive knowledge and experience of martial arts make her the perfect casting choice for action sequences, as demonstrated by an Academy Award-winning role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Yeoh has appeared in several English, Mandarin, and Cantonese films. Her other notable works include Memoirs Of A Geisha, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, where both physical prowess and acting skills are highlighted to perfection. In 2018, she would star in the romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians

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#9 – Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) – The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

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Anya Amasova is a Soviet intelligence agent employed by the KGB. Her appearance in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me was so convincing that her character was adapted for a novel and tabletop role-playing game involving other Bond characters.

Bond and Amasova travel through Egypt with similar mission objectives and goals. The essence of their attraction to one another involves an attempt to outdo the other in accomplishing their respective missions. The conclusion involves a daring escape with both celebrating their successes in each other’s arms.

Barbara Bach Today

barbara
Photo: Twitter.com/@EdHuslik

Barbara Bach is an American actress and model. Her modeling career made her one of the most sought-after faces of the 1960s, appearing on the covers of magazines such as Seventeen and Vogue USA. This led to future television and film opportunities as well.

Starting out in Italy, Bach portrayed Nausicaa in L’Odissea, a television adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. Her work was recognized and celebrated by American film producers, and she would land the role of Amasova about a decade after her film debut. With 28 films to her credit, she is no longer acting however. In the ’90s, she co-founded a charity assisting in addiction recovery with husband Ringo Starr.

#8 – Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) – From Russia With Love (1964) 

Tatiana Romanova
Photo: Pinterest.com/Stuart Powell

Tatiana Romanova is a Soviet army corporal acting as beautiful bait in a diabolical plot to seek revenge on James Bond in From Russia With Love. Her loyalties to her mission and her country quickly shift as she suddenly ends up developing feelings for the handsome secret agent. 

At the conclusion of the mission, Tatiana turns on the former orchestrator of this dastardly plan, shooting her to defend herself and her new beau. Any evidence of plot twists gets destroyed, and she and Sean Connery’s Bond go sailing off into the sunset.

Daniela Bianchi Today

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Daniela Bianchi is an Italian actress, certainly most well-known for her portrayal of Bond girl Tatiana Romanova. Born in Rome, she dabbled in the beauty pageant scene before taking on the role in the second Bond film. Her ethereal beauty and dancer’s elegance made her a natural choice to star alongside 007. Though, due to her heavy Italian accent, her lines end up being voiced by actress Barbara Jefford. 

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Despite the film’s success, Bianchi didn’t desire to achieve Hollywood greatness. After several smaller French and Italian films, she would actually appear in a James Bond spoof that was called Operation Kid Brother, with Sean Connery’s younger brother Neil. She would officially retire from acting in 1970, settling down to marry shipping magnate Alberto Cameli, who passed away in 2018. 

#7 – Rosie Carver (Gloria Hendry) – Live And Let Die (1973)

rosie carver
Photo: Twitter.com/@007

In the film Live and Let Die, Rosie Carver is a rogue CIA operative who is sent on a mission to assassinate James Bond. After a series of erroneous judgement calls, she finds herself embroiled in a tryst that puts both her and 007 in danger at the hands of villain Dr. Kanaga.

Rosie’s inexperience in the field and the additional stress of playing double agent ultimately ends up tragically costing her her life. Gloria Hendry, the woman behind the character, would make history as the first Black woman to play a love interest of James Bond. 

Gloria Hendry Today

gloria
Photo: Twitter.com/@thatgirlxf

Before Gloria Hendry played the role of Rosie Carver in Live And Let Die to perfection, she would actually start out working as a Playboy bunny in New York’s illustrious club. It was there that she would end up catching the eye of director Daniel Mann.

Hendry’s first acting role came when she was cast in the film, For Love Of Ivy opposite legendary actor Sidney Poitier. From there, she went on to score several other small roles as she worked her way toward Bond status. She would later complete a memoir about her modeling and acting experience, called Gloria. Her most recent film appearance occurred in 2012, in the movie Freaky Deaky.

#6 – Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) – Goldfinger (1964)

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While most other Bond girls had some previous acting chops to fall back on, Tania Mallet was chosen for her role in Goldfinger after producers merely looked at her modeling portfolio. One photo in particular that sealed the deal was a racy shoot of the blonde beauty in a bathing suit.

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While dancing around Bond as the two circle the globe in pursuit of Goldfinger, Masterson has no idea that her days are numbered. She meets her fateful end by the famous henchman Oddjob, despite Bond’s attempts to save her. Thankfully, her efforts to slow Goldfinger and exact revenge for her sister are not in vain.

Tania Mallet Today

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English Tania Mallet was born with aristocratic lineage that would help propel her into the limelight from a very young age. She began modeling when she was still a young child and continued rising in the modeling world before she would even enter the film industry in Goldfinger.

With stellar modeling photos being the gateway to her Bond girl success, she was an effective but short-lived member of the Bond girl team, with her character of Tilly Masterson meeting her demise. She returned to modeling in 1976 after citing that she was in danger of losing her personal freedoms with film contracts. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 77. 

#5 – Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton) – Goldfinger (1964)

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Jill Masterson is a lady that works for villain Goldfinger, as she assists him in cheating in high-stakes card games. After Bond discovers her in a compromising position, he manages to win her loyalty and betray the titular villain. This ends up proving to be a death sentence for Masterson. 

Though Masterson is only on-screen for ten minutes, her stint is quite memorable. The iconic image of her lifeless gold body on the bed remains one of the most recognized moments in Bond film history. Jill’s sister Tilly attempts to avenge her death by partnering with Bond, suffering a similar fate at Goldfinger’s hand.

Shirley Eaton Today

shirley eaton
Photo: Twitter.com/@toysofbond

Shirley Eaton started her career onstage as a singing sensation, appearing in variety shows throughout the UK, before being cast in a number of films. She moved into comedy roles, starring opposite British comedy stars of the time such as Jimmy Edwards, Max Bygraves and Arthur Askey.

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By far, her most successful role has been that of Jill Masterson from Goldfinger. She would even famously appear on the cover of Life magazine in all gold. She would go on to a number of films after Bond, but would retire in 1969, citing that she missed her kids too much. She ended up publishing an autobiography in 1999, called Golden Girl

#4 – Tracy Bond (Diana Rigg) – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963)

tracy bond
Photo: Twitter.com/@iamRobbinYoung

Tracy Bond plays the pivotal role of the only woman that gets the secret agent to tie the knot. She would play Tracy opposite George Lazenby’s only portrayal as Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The couple’s brief nuptials come to a tragic end at the hands of Spectre leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Bond and Tracy fall in love and marry at the estate of her father, Marc-Ange Draco. The two are well on their way to wedded bliss in Bond’s Aston Martin when they ware ambushed by Blofeld and his mistress. Tracy is killed in a drive-by shooting in one of the saddest conclusions to a Bond film. 

Diana Rigg Today

diana rigg
Photo: Twitter.com/@IGN

English actress Diana Rigg sadly passed away in September of 2020, but her impression on film and television will live on with the memorable roles that she played. She made her professional stage debut in 1957 with The Caucasian Chalk Circle, moving to the stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company shortly thereafter.

Aside for her appearance in the Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, she also garnered fame as Emma Peel in the popular ’60s TV series, The Avengers. Audiences more recently are more likely to know her from her calculated portrayal of  Lady Olenna Tyrell on the hit series Game Of Thrones

#3 – Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) – Dr. No, From Russia With Love (1964)

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The character of Sylvia Trench makes appearances in the first two films, Dr. No and From Russia with Love, an unusual occurrence for any of Bond’s flames. Upon meeting the spy, she provides her last name, followed by her full name, saying”Trench, Sylvia Trench.” His response of “Bond, James Bond” would become a legendary trademark of the character. 

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Sylvia’s bold and brazen ways quickly capture the attention of Bond, and although jet-setting the planet in search of stopping the next villain that’s set on world domination, 007 makes time for her in between dodging bullets and meetings with Russian officials.

Eunice Gayson Today

eunice gayson
Photo: YouTube.com/Red Carpet News TV

Eunice Gayson was an English-born actress who enjoyed a successful career in television and film. Her major roles included starring in the horror film, The Revenge Of Frankenstein, as well as the TV series, The Saint, which would coincidentally star future Bond actor Roger Moore.

Gayson was initially cast to play the role of Miss Moneypenny in Dr. No, but actress Lois Maxwell, who was originally slated to play Sylvia Trench, felt the character was too immodest and chose to play Moneypenny instead. After the Bond films, she would continue acting regularly in the London theater scene before passing away in 2018 at the age of 90. 

#2 – P. Galore (Honor Blackman) – Goldfinger (1964)

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P. Galore is the pilot of smuggler Goldfinger in the film that bears his name. Leading a team of female aviators, their flying circus show is a front for a nefarious smuggling operation that is charged with the immense task of infiltrating the gold held at America’s Fort Knox.

While initially pushing back on his flirting and holding her own, Galore eventually falls under the seductive spell of 007’s charm. Goldfinger’s plan to infiltrate Fort Knox and make off with billions is foiled after Galore assists Bond in bringing down the villain’s operation.

Honor Blackman Today

honor blackman
Photo: Twitter.com/@DailyMirror

Honor Blackman knew at a young age that she wanted to have a career in entertainment, so her parents invested in providing her with acting and music lessons to set her up for success. Her training would certainly pay off with a breakout role in a film called Fame Is The Spur, before she achieved later success on the theater stage. 

Her dedication to studying judo is what set her apart from other actresses, helping her prepare for the part of Cathy Gale in the TV series, The Avengers. This  would also help her in the movie Goldfinger. Blackman would act in a number of films and plays, and would produce a one-woman show in 2006 called Word of Honor. Blackman passed away in April of 2020 at the age of 94.

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#1 – Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) – Dr. No (1962)

honey
Photo: Twitter.com/@Really007pod

Honey Ryder appeared in the very first Bond movie, 1962’s, Dr. No. The character would establish herself as the original Bond girl, holding her own opposite leading man Sean Connery. The iconic entrance of her slowly walking out of the water in her white bathing suit would make cinematic history.

This breathtaking, blonde beachcomber was first found by 007 when he was collecting seashells. Her fiercely independent nature was countered move for move by Bond. Actress Ursula Andress’ superior performance became the gold standard for future women that would go toe-to-toe with the secret agent.

Ursula Andress Today

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

While Ursula Andress is certainly best known for having the unique distinction of being the first Bond girl, she would also go on to have roles in a variety of other films afterward. She certainly credits Dr. No with being the gateway for future work, saying “This bikini made me into a success.”

Following her breakout role in An American In Rome, she was snatched up by Hollywood executives who wished to capitalize on her natural beauty and charismatic screen presence. She went on to star in several films opposite another icon of the era, Elvis Presley. She currently lives in Rome and Switzerland, spending her days making art. 

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