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"Bond girl" is a term for a female character who is a love interest, ally or adversary of the characterJames Bond in a novel, film, or video game. According to Lisa Funnell, an editor of multiple books about theJames Bond series, the "Bond girl" is a staple of the franchise and has been a powerful contributor to its worldwide success. Funnell believes the term is overused in popular discourse, as it is applied to almost every female character who appears in aBond film.[1] In recent years, some actresses in the franchise have stated that they prefer the term "Bond woman" over "Bond girl".[a]
James Bond was created by the authorIan Fleming, who wrote a series of novels featuring the character. Ben Macintyre ofThe Times has speculated that Fleming's lover Muriel Wright may have been a powerful inspiration for his female characters. Macintyre describes both Wright and Bond girls as "pliant and undemanding, beautiful but innocent, outdoorsy, physically tough, implicitly vulnerable and uncomplaining, and then tragically dead, before or soon after marriage." Wright was a wealthy model, a skilled skier and a talented polo player. After her death in 1944, a devastated Fleming called her "too good to be true".[7]
According toFox News Magazine,Ursula Andress (as Honey Ryder) inDr. No (1962) is widely regarded as the first Bond girl, althoughEunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench andZena Marshall as Miss Taro appeared onscreen before Andress in the same film.[8][9]Goldfinger (1964), the third film, established the Bond girl as regularly appearing in Bond films.[10]
There is no set rule on what kind of person a Bond girl will be or what role she will play. She may be an ally or an enemy of Bond, pivotal to the mission or simply there for her looks. There are female characters such asJudi Dench'sM,Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko), a Bolivian intelligence agent who teams up with Bond inQuantum of Solace, and Bibi Dahl (Lynn-Holly Johnson) inFor Your Eyes Only, who are not romantic interests of Bond, and hence may not be considered Bond girls.[11][12][13] It has been argued that M's pivotal role in the plot ofSkyfall qualifies her as a Bond girl or Bond woman.[14][15][16]
There have been many attempts to break down the numerous Bond girls into a top 10 list for the entire series; characters who often appear in these lists includeAnya Amasova (fromThe Spy Who Loved Me, portrayed byBarbara Bach); Pussy Galore (fromGoldfinger, portrayed byHonor Blackman); Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo (fromOn Her Majesty's Secret Service, portrayed byDiana Rigg); and often ranked Number 1 on the list, Honey Ryder (fromDr. No, portrayed by Ursula Andress).[17][18]Entertainment Weekly put "Bond bathing suits" on its 2009 end-of-the-decade "best-of" list.[19]
Roald Dahl said that when writing the script forYou Only Live Twice, he was advised to use three Bond girls: The first should die "preferably in Bond's arms" early, the second a villain whom Bond seduces before she dies in an unusual and gory way midway, and the third survives to the end of the film.[10] In several, the Bond girl is revealed, after her tryst with Bond, to be a villainess. Examples areFatima Blush (Barbara Carrera) inNever Say Never Again (1983),Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) inThe World Is Not Enough (1999), and Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) inDie Another Day (2002). TheTimothy Dalton films of the 1980s introduced the "Bond woman", who is equal to and challenges Bond, but he remains the heterosexual hero; they are depicted with Dalton and later Bonds and their cars and gadgets, implying that all are possessions that Bond can use and dispose.[10]
As of 2013, there had been only two films in which James Bond falls in love with the Bond girl. The first wasOn Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), in which Countess Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) marries Bond but is shot dead by Irma Bunt and Ernst Stavro Blofeld at the story's end. The second was Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) inCasino Royale (2006). Bond confesses his love to her and resigns fromMI6 so that they can have a normal life together. He later learns that she had been a double agent working for his enemies. The enemy organisationQuantum had kidnapped her former lover and had been blackmailing her to secure her co-operation. She ends up actually falling in love with Bond, but dies, as Quantum is closing in on her, by drowning in a lift in a building under renovation inVenice.[20][21]
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The role of a Bond girl, as it has evolved in the films, is typically a high-profile part that can sometimes give a major boost to the career of unestablished actresses, although a number of Bond girls were well-established beforehand. For instance, Diana Rigg and Honor Blackman were both cast as Bond girls after they had already become stars in the United Kingdom for their roles in the television seriesThe Avengers.Teri Hatcher was already known for her role asLois Lane in the television seriesLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman before she was cast inTomorrow Never Dies. A few years after playing a Bond girl, she became one of the most highly paid actresses on television, starring inDesperate Housewives.[citation needed]
Albert R. Broccoli's original choice for the role of Domino Derval wasJulie Christie following her performance inBilly Liar in 1963. It seems he was disappointed when he met her so instead he consideredRaquel Welch after seeing her on the cover of the October 1964 issue ofLife magazine. Welch, however, was hired byRichard Zanuck of20th Century Fox to appear in the filmFantastic Voyage the same year instead.[22] French actressClaudine Auger was ultimately cast in the role.Thunderball launched Auger into a successful European film career but did little for her in the United States.[23]
The producers encountered difficulty in casting the female lead inCasino Royale (2006), due to the perception among many leading actresses that appearing in aBond film could hinder their careers.Catherine Zeta Jones was one of several actresses who turned down a role in the film. However, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary, with several former Bond girls going on to have very high profile acting careers.[24] Of the earlier actresses, Ursula Andress and Honor Blackman both had well regarded careers, andJane Seymour—who was an unknown when she was cast inLive and Let Die—later won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the40th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1988 for playingMaria Callas in the TV movieOnassis: The Richest Man in the World and then became a household name playing the title role of Dr.Michaela Quinn in her TV seriesDr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.[25] SinceMichael G. Wilson andBarbara Broccoli took over producing the films in the mid-1990s, several actresses have also won or been nominated for anOscar:Kim Basinger in1998 (Best Supporting Actress forL.A. Confidential), Halle Berry in2002 (who wonBest Actress forMonster's Ball while she was filmingDie Another Day),Rosamund Pike (nominated for Best Actress forGone Girl in2015), andMichelle Yeoh in2023 (Best Actress forEverything Everywhere All at Once). Ultimately, the up-and-coming actress Eva Green was cast as Vesper Lynd, and wonBAFTA'sRising Star Award for her performance at the60th British Academy Film Awards.[citation needed]
Prior to the series being rebooted in 2006 withCasino Royale, Sylvia Trench was the only Bond girl character to appear in more than one film (Dr. No in 1962 andFrom Russia with Love in 1963). She was meant to be Bond's regular girlfriend, but was dropped after her appearance in the second film.Léa Seydoux, who playedMadeleine Swann inSpectre, reprised her role inNo Time to Die (2021).[citation needed]
In the Eon series, three actresses have made reappearances as different Bond girls:Martine Beswick andNadja Regin both first appeared inFrom Russia with Love, and then appeared inThunderball andGoldfinger, respectively.Maud Adams played Andrea Anders inThe Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and the eponymous character inOctopussy (1983).
If the non-Eon produced films,Casino Royale (1967) andNever Say Never Again (1983), are included, several other actresses have also been a Bond girl more than once: Ursula Andress inDr. No (1962) andCasino Royale (1967);Angela Scoular inOn Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) andCasino Royale (1967);Valerie Leon inThe Spy Who Loved Me (1977) andNever Say Never Again.[26]
Naomie Harris, who playsEve Moneypenny in threeBond films, has criticised the term "Bond girl". In 2015, she called it demeaning and suggested that it be replaced with "Bond woman".[27]Monica Belluci, who became the oldest "Bond girl" at the age of 50, when she was cast inSpectre, stated, "I can’t say I’m a Bond girl because I’m too mature to be a Bond girl. I say Bond lady; Bond woman."[28][29]
| Title (publication date) | Bond girl |
|---|---|
| Casino Royale (1953) | Vesper Lynd |
| Live and Let Die (1954) | Simone "Solitaire" Latrelle |
| Moonraker (1955) | Gala Brand |
| Diamonds Are Forever (1956) | Tiffany Case |
| From Russia, with Love (1957) | Corporal Tatiana Romanova |
| Dr. No (1958) | Honeychile Rider |
| Goldfinger (1959) |
|
| "From a View to a Kill" (1960) | Mary Ann Russell |
| "For Your Eyes Only" (1960) | Judy Havelock |
| "Quantum of Solace" (1960) | N/a |
| "Risico" (1960) | Lisl Baum |
| "The Hildebrand Rarity" (1960) | Liz Krest |
| Thunderball (1961) |
|
| The Spy Who Loved Me (1962) | Vivienne Michel |
| On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963) |
|
| You Only Live Twice (1964) |
|
| The Man with the Golden Gun (1965,posthumously) | Mary Goodnight |
| "The Living Daylights" (1966, posth.) | Trigger |
| "The Property of a Lady" (1966, posth.) | Maria Freudenstein |
| "Octopussy" (1966, posth.) | N/a |
| "007 in New York" (1966, posth.) | Solange |
Mary Goodnight was a supporting character in several Bond novels before graduating to full Bond girl inThe Man with the Golden Gun. Several short stories, such as "Quantum of Solace", "The Hildebrand Rarity", "The Living Daylights", and "The Property of a Lady", feature female characters in prominent roles, but none of these women interact with Bond in a romantic way.[citation needed]
| Title (publication date) | Author | Bond girl |
|---|---|---|
| Colonel Sun (1968) | Kingsley Amis, asRobert Markham | Ariadne Alexandrou |
| Licence Renewed (1981) | John Gardner | Lavender Peacock |
| For Special Services (1982) | John Gardner |
|
| Icebreaker (1983) | John Gardner |
|
| Role of Honour (1984) | John Gardner | Persephone "Percy" Proud |
| Nobody Lives for Ever (1986) | John Gardner | Sukie Tempesta |
| No Deals, Mr. Bond (1987) | John Gardner | Ebbie Heritage |
| Scorpius (1988) | John Gardner | Harriett Horner |
| Win, Lose or Die (1989) | John Gardner |
|
| Brokenclaw (1990) | John Gardner | Sue Chi-Ho |
| The Man from Barbarossa (1991) | John Gardner |
|
| Death is Forever (1992) | John Gardner | Elizabeth "Easy" St. John |
| Never Send Flowers (1993) | John Gardner | Fredericka "Flicka" von Grüsse |
| SeaFire (1994) | John Gardner | Fredericka "Flicka" von Grüsse |
| COLD (1996) | John Gardner |
|
| "Blast From the Past" (1997) | Raymond Benson | N/a |
| Zero Minus Ten (1997) | Raymond Benson | Sunni Pei |
| The Facts of Death (1998) | Raymond Benson |
|
| "Midsummer Night's Doom" (1999) | Raymond Benson | |
| High Time to Kill (1999) | Raymond Benson |
|
| "Live at Five" (1999) | Raymond Benson | Janet Davies |
| DoubleShot (2000) | Raymond Benson |
|
| Never Dream of Dying (2001) | Raymond Benson | Tylyn Mignonne |
| The Man with the Red Tattoo (2002) | Raymond Benson |
|
| Devil May Care (2008) | Sebastian Faulks | Scarlett Papava |
| Carte Blanche (2011) | Jeffery Deaver |
|
| Solo (2013) | William Boyd |
|
| Trigger Mortis (2015) | Anthony Horowitz |
|
| Forever and a Day (2018) | Anthony Horowitz | Joanne "Sixtine / Madame 16" Brochet |
| With a Mind to Kill (2022) | Anthony Horowitz | Katya Leonova |
| On His Majesty's Secret Service (2023) | Charlie Higson | Ragneiður Radnarsdóttir |
There are several different archetypes for Bond girls: romantic interests, those who assist him,femmes fatales (who make an attempt on Bond's life), andsacrificial lambs (female allies or associates of Bond who wind up dead).[30] Since it is debatable whether certain female characters fulfil certain tropes, the following criteria are used for determining inclusion: romantic interests have (implied) sexual encounters with Bond; those women who have a principal role in assisting Bond; femmes fatales attempt to kill Bond; sacrificial lambs have an allegiance to or affiliation with Bond, and their deaths are instigated by the main villain or his henchmen.[citation needed]
In addition to the Eon Productions films, there have been two Bond films produced by other studios and one television production.
The women featured in the 1967 filmCasino Royale are somewhat difficult to categorise due to its nature as a spoof and its plot involving multiple "James Bonds." In this table, "romantic interests" are women to whom the original Sir James Bond shows a romantic or sexual attraction; "main sidekicks" are those who are part of Sir James' team combating SMERSH; and "femmes fatales" are those who attempt to murder any of the Bonds.[citation needed]
| Film | Romantic interest(s) | Main sidekick(s) | Femme(s) fatale(s) | Sacrificial lamb(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Royale (1954 television production) | Valerie Mathis (Linda Christian) | Valerie Mathis | N/a | N/a |
| Casino Royale (1967 film) |
|
|
| N/a |
| Never Say Never Again |
| Domino Petachi | Fatima Blush | Nicole (Saskia Cohen Tanugi) |
| Game | Bond girl | Actress |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Under Fire | Zoe Nightshade | Caron Pascoe (voice) |
| Adrian Malprave | Eve Karpf (voice) | |
| Dr. Natalya Damescu | Beatie Edney (voice) | |
| Nightfire | Dominique Paradis | Lena Reno (voice) |
| Zoe Nightshade | Jeanne Mori (voice) | |
| Alura McCall | Kimberley Davies (voice) | |
| Makiko Hayashi | Tamlyn Tomita (voice) | |
| Everything or Nothing | Serena St. Germaine | Shannon Elizabeth |
| Dr. Katya Nadanova | Heidi Klum | |
| Miss Nagai | Misaki Ito | |
| Mya Starling | Mýa | |
| GoldenEye: Rogue Agent | Pussy Galore | Jeannie Elias (voice) |
| Xenia Onatopp | Jenya Lano (voice) | |
| From Russia with Love | Tatiana Romanova | Daniela Bianchi (likeness),Kari Wahlgren (voice) |
| Eva Adara | Maria Menounos | |
| Elizabeth Stark | Natasha Bedingfield | |
| Blood Stone | Nicole Hunter | Joss Stone (likeness and voice) |
| GoldenEye 007 | Xenia Onatopp | Kate Magowan (likeness and voice) |
| Natalya Simonova | Kirsty Mitchell (likeness and voice) | |
| 007 Legends | Holly Goodhead | Jane Perry |
| Tracy Draco | Diana Rigg (likeness),Nicola Walker (voice) | |
| Pam Bouvier | Carey Lowell | |
| Jinx | Gabriela Montaraz (likeness),Madalena Alberto (voice) | |
| Pussy Galore | Honor Blackman (likeness),Natasha Little (voice) |
In 2002, former Bond girlMaryam d'Abo co-wrote the bookBond Girls Are Forever: The Women of James Bond. This book later became a DVD exclusive documentary featuring d'Abo and other Bond girls, including Ursula Andress. In some locations, the documentary was released as a gift with the purchase ofDie Another Day on DVD. The featurette was included on the DVD release ofCasino Royale (2006).[citation needed]
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