See First Bond Girl Ursula Andress Now at 85
"I accepted the film even though I thought no one would ever see it."
Once a Bond girl, always a Bond girl. In 1962, Ursula Andress became the first Bond girl ever thanks to her role as Honey Ryder opposite Sean Connery in Dr. No. "I think it is quite funny, too, that although I am older now, I am still asked about Dr. No," Andress told The Sunday Post in 2018. "And that must mean that, even at my age, I am still a Bond girl."
Andress, now 85, went on to have a lengthy career following her role in Dr. No, and her last film role was in 2005. These days, she lives a quieter life outside of the hustle and bustle of Hollywood and is expressing herself artistically in other ways. Read on to learn more about her life today.
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She kept acting for decades.
Andress might be best known as Honey Ryder, but she starred in other popular movies, as well. She acted alongside Elvis Presley in Fun in Acapulco and Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in 4 for Texas. She also appeared in the James Bond satire Casino Royale and the fantasy movie Clash of the Titans.
Andress' career slowed down significantly in the 1990s, and she starred in her most recent movie, St. Francis' Bird Tour, in 2005. "I have retired, really, but do you ever retire?" she told The Sunday Post. "I still get offers and sometimes I am tempted but I have to recognize I am not a young girl any more—although I am in spirit."
She's still very artistic.
Andress now lives in Rome and Switzerland, where she is from. She explained to The Sunday Post that she spends some of her time making art. "I am much more into art these days, it has always been a first love," she said. "I like photography too and my photographs have been published in a number of international magazines. I am very proud of that because I have always liked to be creative."
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She has a son with a famous ex.
Andress has one child, a son named Dimitri, with her ex Harry Hamlin. The couple dated for four years, from 1979 to 1983, after meeting while working on Clash of the Titans. As reported by The Sun, when she and Hamlin split up, Andress told People, "Love affairs and husbands can end, but a child is forever. Dimitri is my love now." Prior to dating Hamlin, Andress had been married to actor John Derek from 1957 to 1966.
She remained close with Connery.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera in 2020, Andress said that she was surprised by the success of Dr. No, which was the first James Bond movie. "It was actually a small production, I accepted the film even though I thought no one would ever see it, I didn't like the screenplay at all … But then the film took off, the chemistry between us worked, it was the right combination."
She also shared that she and Connery stayed friends until his death in 2020. "He had the ability to quickly understand people, those full of themselves, the superficial," Andress said of Connery. "Besides, he had a sense of humor that I liked very much. Last time we met in Switzerland, Sean had taken up a house in Gstaad near me. We had many evenings together, he always invited me, Monte Carlo, London, New York … Since we met until now we have remained friends." She added, "For me Sean is not dead, he will always stay alive with me."
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