Honor Blackman dead: James Bond’s Pussy Galore and Avengers star has passed away aged 94
- The actress has died of natural causes unrelated to coronavirus
Honor Blackman, the actor best-known for playing Bond girl Pussy Galore, has died aged 94 from natural causes unrelated to coronavirus.
In a statement to the Guardian, her family said: ‘It’s with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Honor Blackman aged 94.
‘She died peacefully of natural causes at her home in Lewes, Sussex, surrounded by her family.
Honor Blackman has died: James Bond’s Pussy Galore and Avengers star has passed away aged 94 due to natural causes (pictured in the James Bond movie in 1964)
‘She was much loved and will be greatly missed by her two children Barnaby and Lottie, and grandchildren Daisy, Oscar, Olive and Toby.’
The statement continued: ‘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 of our times.’
In 2014, Honor spoke to MailOnline about why Sean Connery is a hypocrite and why she turned down a CBE.
She said: ‘They ring you beforehand to ask if you’d like to accept, and I think they were quite shocked when I declined,’ she says. ‘But since I’m a republican I thought it would be somewhat hypocritical to pop up to the Palace.
‘Not like Sean (Connery), who accepts a knighthood but never comes here, doesn’t pay tax here and supported a yes vote in the referendum.’ A sigh. ‘But I don’t think he thinks deeply about politics.’
Honor has nothing but praise for Connery’s Bond, however. ‘He is, I think, the sexiest creature I have ever met. And he was fun, too. If you’re going to mess about with somebody, he was a good person to mess about with.’ Not that there was any question of ‘messing about’ off-set however. Dalliances with leading men, married or otherwise, were never Honor’s style.
Honor was born in August 1925, in Plaistow, East London, as were her parents and their parents before them.
A proper East Ender, her father was a World War I veteran and a minor civil servant, who was passed over repeatedly for promotion because, he thought, of his Cockney accent.
For Honor’s 16th birthday, he offered her the choice between a bicycle and elocution lessons. She once laughed at the memory and said: ‘God help me if I’d chosen the bicycle.’.
More to follow…
