Three Birthday Ladies: Mallet, Jones and Marlohe…Day 139 of Bond 365

Tania Mallet, 1963

Tania Mallet

Born this day in 1941

Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger

English girl Tania Mallet was born in Blackpool as the country was plunged head long into the Second World War. Mallet attended the Lucy Clayton’s School of Modelling and began working as a model when she was just 16 years old.

At the age of 22, she was considered for the role of Tatiana in From Russia With Love that ultimately went to Daniela Bianchi. The following year, she was cast as Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger. Apparently, the role was an experiment for her. However, she earned a fraction of what she was earning as a model. IMDB states that she played in a couple of small roles in other films (they are not listed), but she stayed working as a model where she could make more money. She quoted as having said, “If you’re only going to make one movie in life, then why not Goldfinger? Why not indeed?

I met Ms. Mallet at one of the Hollywood Collector’s Shows when they hosted a Bond Reunion and it was lovely to meet her. She was still just as beautiful, a little bit reserved, but in a completely charming way, and quite the proper English lady.

 Grace Jones

Born this day in 1948

May Day in A View to a Kill

She was born Beverly Grace Jones in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica, but she and her family moved to New York in 1961. Jones got her start as a model working with leading designers, appearing on a number of fashion magazine covers as well as posing for well-known photographers, such as Helmut Newton.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Jones’ musical career took off. She had hits occupying the Top 40 charts. In addition, she juggled a foray into acting with Conan the Destroyer (1984) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and the following year, with Roger Moore in A View to a Kill. Thanks to her unique style of dress, she has influenced Annie Lennox, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and others.

Jones was instrumental in getting her then boyfriend Dolph Lundgren a part in A View to a Kill where she played May Day, the main henchwoman to Christopher Walken’s Max Zorin. For her performance in the film, she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress category for Saturn Awards.

Berenice Lim Marlohe

Born this day in 1979

Severin in Skyfall

Berenice Lim Marlohe was born in Paris to her Parisian mother who is a teacher and her father, a doctor, of Chinese and Cambodian ancestry. She originally wanted to become a pianist and artist. She studied at the Conservatoire de Paris for ten years, but her path led her towards acting at some point.

Miss Marlohe got her start in French cinema in 2007, and made guest appearances on French television. Her break out role was in Skyfall (2012) when she played the mysterious Severin, which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 2013 from the National Film Society Awards.

Fortunately, if you enjoyed seeing Miss Marlohe, albeit briefly in Skyfall, she stars in 5 to 7 (2014) alongside Anton Yelchin, Glen Close, and Frank Langella. And, she is set to star in Weightless (Terrence Malick) with a who’s who cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Val Kilmer, Michael Fassbender, Benicio del Toro (a Bond alum), and Clifton Collins Jr.

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