It's a truly sad day for the cinema as legendary actress Honor Blackman, best known for playing Bond girl Pussy Galore in 1964's Goldfinger, has passed away at the age of 94. Born in London, England in 1925, Ms. Blackman made a name for herself as a busty, brash, and beautiful femme fatale who excelled at playing tough cookies. Whether it was Dr. Cathy Gale on the hit UK series The Avengers or Hera in the seminal fantasy classic Jason and the Argonauts, she always managed to bring plenty of her first-name-sake to every role she played.
Honor began her career in the late 1940s, working mostly in the world of low budget films, before branching out into television in the mid-to-late 50s. By the 1960s, she was a familiar face to most UK residents, hitting the big time starting with her role on The Avengers in 1962, continuing with Jason and the Argonauts the following year, and then exploding in Goldfinger one more year later. She went on to rack up well over 100 credits in her career, her most recent coming in 2015.
Honor made her nude debut a scant four years after appearing in Goldfinger, starring alongside Orson Welles in The Last Roman—akaKampf um Rom I—and going topless in the baths...
Two years later, we'd get a nice look at her plump rump when she went skinny dipping in The Virgin and the Gypsy...
But her best nude scene would come when she was in her early 50s, doffing her top in the 1977 chamber-drama Age of Innocence...
Her family released the following statement via The Guardian...
“As well as being a much-adored mother and grandmother, Honor was an actor of hugely prolific creative talent; with an extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical prowess, along with her unique voice and a dedicated work ethic, she achieved an unparalleled iconic status in the world of film and entertainment and with absolute commitment to her craft and total professionalism in all her endeavours she contributed to some of the great films and theatre productions of our times.”
The Official James Bond Twitter account also posted this touching tribute to the late actress...
“Today we mark the passing of a film icon, Honor Blackman who shall forever be remembered as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. She was an extraordinary talent and a beloved member of the Bond family. Our thoughts are with her family at this time.” Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli pic.twitter.com/pXnidipKLJ
— James Bond (@007) April 6, 2020
Honor Blackman may be gone, but she'll never be forgotten thanks in no small part to the huge impression she made on the cinema landscape in her near-century on this earth. May she rest in peace.
**Header image via IMDb
