Daniel Craig wraps up a 15-year journey as 007 with 'No Time To Die' and the hunt for the next Bond is on. But Bond films are incomplete without the Bond girls.
Sultry, smart, and all-around badass, these are women who have captured 007's heart, or broken it, over and over again.
In 'No Time To Die' , Cuban actor Ana de Armas joins the ranks of Halle Berry and Ursula Andress.... but she's no damsel in distress, like some of her predecessors.
While some argue that the female characters in the Bond films were treated just as sexy window dressing, they were often independent women with unusual and gender-bending careers which included private investigators, astrophysicists, pilots, crime boss and sometimes even spies!
The no-nonsense Pussy Galore from the 1964 film 'Goldfinger' operated her own flight school. Who can forget Xenia Onatopp, GoldenEye's femme fatale, who crushed men to death between her powerful thighs?
As the film franchise moved on with the times, roles for women got more interesting, and importantly, more central to the plot. Here are our favourite Bond girls over the years.
Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder | Dr. No (1962)
There is no denying Ursula’s reign as the No. 1 Bond Girl of all time. Her role in 1962 bond film, Dr.No won her the Golden Globe award, making her the only Bond actress to have won the trophy. All it took was that one moment when she rose out of the sea in nothing but a knife and a white bikini. She set the bar very high for all other Bond girls that followed
Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore | Goldfinger (1964)
Honor Blackman played the role of Pussy Galore, a pilot and judo expert in the 1964 film 'Goldfinger'. Fun fact...the US censors at that name, almost banned the film due to the insanely suggestive name of her character! An iconic Bond girl, Pussy Galore operated her own flight school in the film. Already an established name on TV and movies at the time, the British actress left the hit BBC series 'The Avengers' to play Bond girl. She later starred in many films, including 'Columbo', 'Doctor Who' and 'Bridget Jones’ Diary'. She died in 2020 at the age of 94.
Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin | Tomorrow Never Dies, (1997)
Wai lin joined the 007 franchise as the first Asian Bond girl and the role was played by martial arts star Michelle Yeoh. The Malaysian actor was stellar in the role of the Chinese spy, who beats her opponents to a pulp and, during one unforgettable bike chase, becomes the ultimate backseat driver.
Eva Green as Vesper Lynd | Casino Royale (2006)
After M and Tracy, Moneypenny, Vesper Lynd played by Eva Green is the woman in Bond’s life. The French actress received a BAFTA Rising Star Award for her role as the mysterious, ill-fated Vesper Lynd, who captivates Bond, and then breaks his heart.
Halle Berry as Jinx Johnson | Die Another Day, (2002)
Halle Berry was the first African- American to play a Bond girl. She played the role of a rogue NSA agent Giacinta “Jinx” Johnson, drawing rave reviews as one of the top females of the franchise. With Jinx enjoying risking death and danger as much as Bond, it was a match made in heaven.