Rod Stewart discusses his relationship with Britt Ekland
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Britt Ekland starred alongside Roger Moore in the 1974 James Bond installation The Man with the Golden Gun. The then-32-year-old spent much of her time on-camera in a bikini and still holds herself to Bond girl beauty standards half a century later.
Upon turning 80, the celebrated actress reflected on her life as a Bond girl long after she left the set in 1974.
Ekland has now revealed that she still gets recognised for her role “like I made the film yesterday” but candidly admitted “007 is almost as old as me now”.
While some may see ageing as a negative, the actress has maintained her Bond girl beauty standards throughout her life and is determined to keep “dyeing my hair till the day I die”.
She added: “Vanity is my best friend.”
Her youthful appearance does not come easy. Ekland stays incredibly active with daily walks and still does weightlifting, but noted to The Mirror the best way to avoid looking older “is not to stress too much”.
Ekland claimed that in 1974 her enviable good looks got her into trouble with James Bond producer Albert Broccoli, who believed she was too thin and implored her to eat more during filming.
She claimed: “There was a great Italian restaurant in Hong Kong where we were filming, and we always went there for dinner after shooting.
“Cubby would insist I ate two plates of spaghetti every time we went there. And I would sit there mortified, thinking about how I had to be in a bikini the next day.”
Despite her stunning looks, the Get Carter star is still humble nonetheless and “very thankful” that she still has her health and happiness in her eighth decade.
When she took on the life-changing role of Mary Goodnight, Ekland was already an established actress having starred in over two dozen films by 1974.
Even though it’s been 48 years since she played Goodnight, the actress has endeavoured to maintain Bond girl beauty and fitness standards and takes great pride in knowing “I am part of film history”.
She said: “Bond is an icon that will never die and, as a Bond Girl, I’m part of that legacy.
“Now they are Bond women and we have to move with the times but I very much represented the Bond Girl of old and I’m very happy with that.”
Despite sensational on-screen chemistry between the Bond girl and the spy himself, Ekland admitted “there were no flirtations of any kind” and recalled Moore being the perfect gentleman on set.
Moore ensured the Bond girls, Ekland and her colleague Maude Adams, felt comfortable even when they were dressed just in bikinis, which the actress described as “the Bond Girl uniform back then”.
She also heartwarmingly recalled the celebrated actor nicknamed her “Bert”.
Although Ekland is admittedly not one for celebrating birthdays, this milestone was different, and not just for coinciding with the 60th anniversary of James Bond’s first appearance on-screen.
She shared: “Usually it’s just another day for me. But this year definitely called for champagne.”
The actress celebrated her big day in Paris last Thursday, surrounded by friends at a champagne birthday lunch.
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