Born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Nadja Regin (pre-actress name Nadezda Poderegin) abandoned her original plans for a career in journalism after starting at Belgrade’s Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduating, she made several locally made films, gaining exposure from the German-Yugoslav co-production of Das Haus an der Kuste (1954), which lead to offers for film roles in Germany. The starlet spent most of the 50s in a string of romantic dramas and comedies, until she married and moved to Britain. The sexy seductress put her exotic accent and sex appeal to good use in her new country, appearing in 1963 episodes of Benny Hill, Zero One and Man of the World, as well as in films like The Man Without a Body(1957), Don’t Panic Chaps (1959), and Solo for Sparrow (1962). In 1963, Nadja landed the pivotal role of her career in the James Bond classic From Russia With Love, a bit part as Kerim’s Girl. In a form-fitting tangerine gown that allows a gorgeous down-dress view of her generous globes from the perfect camera angle, she stole the scene. So much so, that she was cast in the next Bond film Goldfinger (1964) as Bonita. Dressed in a bikini disguised with ruffles and a half-skirt, she shakes her cha-chas as the dancing entertainment in a club—the perfect distraction before a huge explosion (that of course, Bond is not in the least bothered by). She also pops up in the bathtub, showing all kinds of skin, but strategically covered by a sponge and suds. After her skincandescent 007 scenes, the star did a series of guest spots on television, then slowly retired to behind the camera as a script reader and consultant before her death in 1993.
