For decades now, the cultural icon James Bond has remained relevant regardless of the time period and trends, partly because of his female costars, also known as the Bond girls. James Bond is quite popular, but when news of a new Bond film comes out, the newest Bond girl will arguably grab more headlines. Through over 20 movies, the Bond franchise has introduced dozens of women to the world. Many of the ladies had been relatively unknown before appearing in a Bond film, and many times, their role became a huge break in their career, often leading to greater fame. Keep reading to see where these famous Bond girls are now.
Where Are They Now: Your Favorite Bond Girls
Eunice Gayson
The Bond girl that started it all, Eunice Gayson, starred in the 1962 Bond film Dr. No and the 1963 installment From Russia With Love. Originally, Gayson was to play Miss Moneypenny’s character, but she ended up portraying Sylvia Trench, the first film crush of James Bond. The studio thought about letting Gayson play a recurring role, but they nixed that idea in the end. Still, Eunice Gayson will always be known as the first Bond girl.
Eunice Gayson
Ursula Andress
Another original Bond Girl, Ursula Andress, helped immortalize the role with her scene-stealing appearance as the shell diver Honey Ryder in Dr. No. She came out of the ocean wearing a white bikini, and on her hip was a large diving knife. The moment became iconic in both cinematic and fashion history. Decades later, the scene was cleverly nodded to in another Bond film, with Halle Berry rising out of the sea in Die Another Day.
Ursula Andress
Daniela Bianchi
Born in Italy, Bianchi was a model who became the first runner-up in Miss Universe back in 1960. Her win helped her land several film roles in Italy and France. However, her big break was her role in From Russia with Love, where she portrayed Tatiana Romanova. After working on the film, Bianchi continued to act, but her most prominent role remains to be the one in the Bond film.
Daniela Bianchi
Shirley Eaton
Before getting cast in a Bond film, Shirley Eaton was already an accomplished actress, and she continued to work on films until 1969. Eaton’s appearance in a Bond movie may have only been brief, but it was probably one of the most unforgettable. She was the woman who was painted gold in Goldfinger, which many people think is one of the best Bond movies. The iconic scene was trendy,r and LIFE magazine featured the actress in gold on its cover for its November 1964 issue.
Shirley Eaton
Honor Blackman
In 1947, Blackman made her debut on the big screen with the movie Fame is the Spur. She continued to get cast in both film and TV. She co-starred in the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts and on the British TV show The Avengers. Her performance in the TV series helped her land one of the most unforgettable Bond girl roles in the franchise. Blackman joined the third Bond film cast, Goldfinger, where she played Pussy Galore (that’s such a cringe-worthy name). Blackman continues to be among the most recognizable stars in the entire franchise.
Honor Blackman
Claudine Auger
Claudine Auger is a French actress who started as a model. She earned the title of Miss France Monde and was the 1958 Miss World first runner-up before she moved on to playing some minor film roles. These helped her get cast in the 1965 Bond film Thunderball. She played the role of Dominique “Domino” Derval in the film. After Bond, Auger continued to star in many movies up through the 1990s.
Claudine Auger
Luciana Paluzzi
Italian-American actress Luciana Paluzzi is different from most women on this list. Paluzzi’s resume before she got cast as Fiona Volpe in the 1965 bond film Thunderball had already been quite extensive. She never starred in another huge blockbuster, but she continued to act well into the ‘80s. She appeared in notable films in Hollywood and the Italian film industry, such as Chuka, 99 Women, The Green Slime, Black Gunn, The Sensuous Nurse and The Klansman.
Luciana Paluzzi
Akiko Wakabayashi
Through the ‘50s and ‘60s, actress Akiko Wakabayashi was relatively unknown in Japan, but she got her breakthrough in the 1962 movie King Kong vs. Godzilla. She then landed a minor role in You Only Live Twice. However, producers were surprised that her acting skills were better than they had anticipated and offered her a larger role. Wakabayashi became the first Bond girl who is non-European. She played Aki, a successful role, but the actress retired after her big role.
Akiko Wakabayashi
Diana Rigg
The James Bond series has another connection with the original TV version of The Avengers – Diana Rigg. She played one of the leads, Emma Peel, from the years 1965 to 1968. Aside from that role, Rigg’s career in film before her James Bond role was wildly successful. In 1969, she played Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, James Bond’s wife, in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. If you are wondering what keeps her busy these days, she is still acting and she was recently on the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, where she played Olenna Tyrell.
Diana Rigg
Lana Wood
Lana Wood is the sister of famous film actress Natalie Wood, whose death remains a mystery. Lana Wood followed her older sister’s footsteps to Hollywood’s bright lights and landed several TV and film roles. In 1971, Lana got the chance to be in the Bond series with Diamonds are Forever, where she portrayed Plenty O’Toole. She still works in film not only as an actress but also as a producer.
Lana Wood
Jill St. John
In the 1971 film Diamonds are Forever, Jill St. John starred alongside Lana Wood and played Bond girl Tiffany Cas. A California native, St. John started her career in acting in the ‘60s and continued to act through the ‘90s. However, she never did find another role that was as big-time as the one she had in Diamonds is Forever. While diamonds are forever, an acting career is not…
Jill St. John
Jane Seymour
Many fanboys fell in love with Jane Seymour in Live and Let Die, where she played Bond’s sultry flame-of-the-moment Solitaire. The actress is among the most recognizable faces of the James Bond franchise, and she has gone on to have a highly successful career both in movies and television. She was on the show Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and in the film Wedding Crashers, among many others. Seymour has won Golden Globe and Emmy Awards for her acting.
Jane Seymour
Gloria Hendry
Gloria Hendry is the first African-American to have played a Bond girl, making waves in the massive franchise. She starred in Live and Let Die, alongside Jane Seymour. Hendry played the kickass CIA agent Rosie Carver. Unfortunately, her role in the Bond film didn’t lead to Hollywood stardom. Outside of the franchise, she failed to get cast in other roles.
Gloria Hendry
Maud Adams
There were years when European models and actresses were cast in Bond films. Then, things were switched up and American-born leading ladies were seen in several films. However, Swedish-born Maud Adams brought back a European flair to the Bond series once again. She played a minor character in the 1974 Bond classic, The Man with the Golden Gun. Then in 1983, Adams played the title role, Octopussy, in another James Bond film.
Maud Adams
Britt Ekland
It seems like The Man with the Golden Gun needed many Swedes since aside from Maud Adams being in the cast, Swedish-born actress, Britt Ekland is also in the movie. Before Ekland landed the role of Mary Goodnight, James Bond’s assistant, she had already established a prominent acting career. Her turn in the film only helped her reach newer heights. She continued to act in the 1990s and appeared in over 40 movies.
Britt Ekland
Barbara Bach
We don’t think she is related to the famous musician. Barbara Bach was raised in Queens, New York. At the age of 16, she dropped out of school due to her promising modeling career. She first appeared in many European films before she finally caught the eye of one of the Bond films’ producers. She landed the role of Anya Amasova in the 1977 Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. Her role probably caught the eye of Beatles member Ringo Starr, whom she married in 1981.
Barbara Bach
Lois Chiles
Lois Chiles was raised in Texas and attended university there. Her good looks captured the attention of modeling agents, and she had a successful modeling career that started in the early ‘70s. This led her to land small parts in films… and then BIG ones! Chiles got cast in The Great Gatsby, starring Robert Redford, and later in Death on the Nile. These films helped her get the part in the 1979 film Moonraker. She portrayed Dr. Holly Goodhead… Doesn’t that name sound like it belongs in Austin Powers?
Lois Chiles
Corinne CléryAccording to IMDB,
Corinne Cléry has had an incredibly successful career in Europe, having starred in more than 50 films and TV shows. However, she became famous on this side of the “pond” for portraying Corinne Dufour in the James Bond film, Moonraker (1979). She played the assistant to the film’s antagonist, Hugo Drax. After her turn in the film, she appeared in several Italian language films.
Corinne Cléry
Denise Richards
These days, Denise Richards is perhaps known more for being the ex-wife of Charlie Sheen, but she did enjoy several years as one of the most iconic actresses in Hollywood. Through the years, she starred in several big-name films, such as Wild Things, Starship Troopers, and even famous TV series, including Melrose Place and Seinfeld. Everybody probably remembers her for playing Christmas Jones in The World is Not Enough.
Denise Richards
Lynn-Holly Johnson
Lynn-Holly Johnson aspired to become a figure skater when she was growing up. She was perfect and even earned the Silver Medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in 1974, which helped her transition to act. In 1978, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the film Ice Castles. This put Johnson on the radar to play a Bond girl three years later. In For Your Eyes Only, she is Bibi Dahl. However, her career unfortunately never took off after her time in the Bond film.
Lynn-Holly Johnson
Carole Bouquet
Born in France, Carole Bouquet pursued modeling and acting at a young age. Her film career has been quite long, having appeared in over 60 movies and acting today. Bouquet made her debut as a Bond girl alongside Roger Moore and Lynn-Holly Johnson in For Your Eyes Only, playing the deadly Melina Havelock. From the 1980s to the 1990s, Bouquet was the face of the popular fragrance Chanel No. 5.
Carole Bouquet
Alison Doody
Alison Doody is a model and actress who grew up in Dublin. She studied at a convent and became interested in the arts. She eventually went into acting. She made her feature film debut in none other than the Bond movie A View To Kill, where she played Jenny Flex. She also portrayed Elsa Schneider in 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Doody continues to act to this day and does not seem to have aged at all. Wowza.
Alison Doody
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is one of the Bond girls who has had the most success. Her remarkable career in the U.S. started after she moved here from Jamaica. She was only 13 years old at the time. Jones became a wildly successful model at a young age, landing cover shoots for Vogue, Elle, and many other brands. She then transitioned to music and then to film. She starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1984 film Conan the Destroyer before she became a Bond girl in A View to a Kill.
Grace Jones
Tanya Roberts
Born and raised in New York, Tanya Roberts lived briefly in Toronto, Canada. However, she moved back to New York to pursue a career in fashion and modeling. She starred in several small-budget films, but her huge break came when she landed a lead role on the famous TV show Charlie’s Angels. Her role in the series led to her getting cast as a Bond girl back in 1985. She portrayed Stacey Sutton in A View to a Kill. She went on to have a successful career in film and TV, most recently playing Midge on the popular series That 70’s Show.
Tanya Roberts
Maryam d’Abo
English-born actress Maryam d’Abo grew up dreaming of being on the big screen, so she went to the Drama Center London to study acting. She modeled on the side as well. D’Abo made a splash when she got cast as Kara Milovy in The Living Daylights. She later co-wrote a book titled “Bond Girls are Forever.” The book is a tribute to all the women that have portrayed Bond girls in the massive film franchise.
Maryam d’Abo
Carey Lowell
Before her Bond days, Carey Lowell and her family traveled often, but they eventually settled in Colorado. She attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she studied Literature. After that, she pursued a career in modeling in New York City. She had her big break when she landed Pam Bouvier’s role, the CIA agent who works with James Bond in License to Kill. Lowell later starred as Jamie Ross on the popular TV series Law & Order.
Carey Lowell
Talisa Soto
Former model and actress Talisa Soto was raised in Brooklyn, New York. Like others included in this list, she became instantly famous after landing a role in the James Bond film License to Kill (1989). She also starred in the 1995 film Mortal Kombat and its sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Before she started acting, Soto did some modeling work and appeared in magazines like Mademoiselle, Elle, and Glamour. She tied the knot with Benjamin Bratt.
Talisa Soto
Famke Janssen
Famke Janssen needs little introduction. After her breakthrough role in Goldeneye, where she played Xenia Onatopp, the Dutch-born actress, has gone on to have an unbelievable career in acting and modeling. She has been on the cover of many magazines and portrayed roles in huge film franchises, including the X-Men and Taken movies. Looking at these photos, it seems like this woman doesn’t age at all. It’s hard to believe the picture on the left is from almost three decades ago.
Famke Janssen
Izabella Scorupco
European model, singer, and actress Izabella Scorupco is of mixed Polish and Swedish descent. She started her career as a fashion model in the ‘80s, and she eventually landed on the cover of Vogue magazine. Scorupco pursued her dream of becoming a singer and formed a pop group that would release a record that became gold-certified in Sweden. Her popularity helped her land a role in the box-office hit Goldeneye, alongside Famke Janssen and Pierce Brosnan. Scorupco played the character Natalya Simonova.
Izabella Scorupco
Teri Hatcher
Another Bond girl that has had tremendous success outside the Bond franchise. Teri Hatcher played Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies, which starred Pierce Brosnan. Hatcher has been in the spotlight the last several decades, including her days on the hit series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, her unforgettable “They’re real, and they’re spectacular” role on Seinfeld, and her award-winning performance on Desperate Housewives, where she portrayed Susan Mayer.
Teri Hatcher
Michelle Yeoh
Throughout most of the ‘90s, Michelle Yeoh was a big hit in Asia, starring in some of the biggest box office movies in China at the time. Her kick-ass style in different martial arts action films helped her land a role as a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). However, Yeoh wasn’t done just yet. She would eventually play the lead role in the 2000 Academy Award-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She also received a nomination for Best Actress at the BAFTA Awards.
Michelle Yeoh
Cecilie Thomsen
Cecilie Thomsen is from the Netherlands and started acting when she was young. Needless to say, there is nothing like a Bond film to open doors for any aspiring actress. It is easy to overlook anyone starring alongside Teri Hatcher or Michelle Yeoh, but Thomsen deserves some credit as well. In Tomorrow Never Dies, she played the sexy Professor Inga Bergstrom. After her turn in the Bond film, she appeared in some foreign films.
Cecilie Thomsen
Serena Scott Thomas
Born in England, Serena Scott Thomas spent her early years playing several small roles overseas. Then, she managed to get the attention of a Bond film’s casting director. That film was The World is Not Enough (1999), where she played Dr. Molly Warmflash. Thomas continued to act, and one of her most recent acting credits is for the 2014 crime film Inherent Vice, which had an all-star cast.
Serena Scott Thomas
Sophie Marceau
French-born actress Sophie Marceau enjoyed huge success doing various acting projects in Europe for more than thirty decades. When she was younger, she quickly became popular and got cast in The World is Not Enough as Elektra King. She continued to land big roles, most notably in Braveheart, the Oscar-winning film by Mel Gibson, and in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, alongside Robin Williams. Still, Marceau would rather do French films than American ones.
Sophie Marceau
Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Even though we thought that three Bond girls from a single movie were a bit overkill, there was no way that we would let you miss “Cigar Girl” from 1999’s The World Is Not Enough. Since the early 1990s, Maria Grazia Cucinotta has worked steadily in the Italian film industry. It’s not hard to see why people would go to the movies to lay eyes on the actress. Aside from acting, however, she has worked as a model, screenwriter, and film producer.
Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Rosamund Pike
Many people are probably familiar with Rosamund Pike now, but before Die Another Day was released in 2002, she had been a little-known star. However, her appearance in the Bond film was just the start of her long career in Hollywood. She earned rave reviews for her performance in the 2014 psychological thriller Gone Girl, and she was also nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards because of it.
Rosamund Pike
Halle Berry
The most anticipated on this list, Halle Berry definitely has one of the most memorable entrances of all the Bond girls. Do you remember that moment she came out of the ocean? If you have been living under a rock and have no idea who Halle Berry is, she is a multi-awarded actress who has won an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy, and a Golden Globe, among many others. She has also starred in many blockbuster films.
Halle Berry
Eva Green
Casino Royale became the fourth major role of this French actress and model. She started her acting career in theater and made her film debut in the 2003 movie The Dreamers. Her role as a Bond girl helped her career reach the stratosphere. Eva Green starred on the short-lived series Camelot in 2011, but she became a household name when she appeared on the 2014 cult show Penny Dreadful.
Eva Green