I'm a bit late in acknowledging the passing of Lois Maxwell, the Canadian actress best known for her charming portrayal of Miss Moneypenny, secretary to "M," James Bond's superior and head of the British Secret Service in the long-running 007 series, but I wanted to make note of it here, as she was such an integral part of the success of my favorite film franchise.She played the role in 14 movies, from 1962's Dr. No to 1985's A View To A Kill, shamelessly flirting with 007 – in the shape of Sean Connery, George Lazenby or Roger Moore – as the intrepid agent passed through her office to and from briefings with the boss.
Maxwell passed away on September 29th, in Australia. She was 80 years old.
The attractive actress was a familiar guest star on British television, with appearances on The Saint, The Persuaders (both with Roger Moore), and UFO, among many others. She also had memorable roles in both Robert Wise's classic, The Haunting, and Stanley Kubrick's Lolita.
Reportedly, she risked Sean Connery's wrath by appearing in the Italian spy spoof Operation Kid Brother, playing a thinly-disguised Moneypenny to Sean's brother Neil Connery... but then, a paycheck is a paycheck, right?
Rest in Peace, Miss Moneypenny.
2 comments:
Hmmn, first I heard that Sean Connery had a brother. Sorry to hear of MOneypenny's death.
She was the ONLY Moneypenny. Maxwell played her as Fleming wrote her, a woman of the fifties...flirtatious, efficient, waiting for the right man to come along and sweep her off her feet, even if that meant waiting for a lifetime.
Here's to you Lois...
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