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Background:
“This bikini made me a success.” Ursula Andress
An international star of German and Swiss descent, Ursula Andress became famous
for being the first Bond girl, Honey Ryder, in Dr. No (1962), opposite Sean
Connery. Andress’ glowing presentation in the first Bond movie won her two
Golden Globe Awards. The smoldering blonde player is also known for playing
roles in such films as What’s New, Pussycat? (1965), Casino Royale (1967) and
The Clash of the Titans (1981). Her TV credits include Man Against the Mob: The
Chinatown Murders (1989).
A major sex symbol of the 1960s, Andress, whose measurements are 35-21-35 as
starlet in 1955; 37 1/2-22-35 on set of Dr. No 1962 and 38C-25-36 on 55th
birthday 1991 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine), was named one of Empire
magazine’s “100 Sexiest Stars in film history” (1995), and her entrance in the
1962 Dr. No was ranked the first of Channel 4’s “100 Greatest Sexy Moments”
(2003). Off the camera, Andress’ personal life is as interesting as her career.
At age 17, she ran away with an Italian actor and did not return home until her
parents got involved. She married director/actor John Derek from 1957 until
1966, and had a son with the attractive actor Harry Hamlin, who lived with her
from1978 to 1982. Her romantic life has also been linked to Marlon Brando, Sean
Connery , James Dean, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Ryan O’Neal and Warren Beatty, Lorenzo
Rispoli (lived together from 1983-1988) and Fausto Fagone (together 1988-1991).
Diplomat’s Daughter
Childhood and Family:
Ursula Andress was born on March 19, 1936, in Ostermundigen, Bern, Switzerland,
to Rolf and Anna Andress. Her father was a German diplomat who vanished during
World War II. Ursula’s mother was a Swiss woman. She was raised in a German
Protestant family, along with her six siblings.
Four years after running away with an Italian actor, Ursula married
director-actor John Derek in 1957, but they divorce in 1966. After the split,
the two remained friends up until Derek’s death in 1998. When she was 44 years
old, Ursula welcomed a son named Dimitri Alexandre Hamlin (born on May 19,
1980), with American actor Harry Hamlin.
Casino Royale
Career:
Switzerland-born, German-raised Ursula Andress got her start as an art model in
Rome, before breaking into acting in Italian cinematic industry. Her first roles
arrived when she landed parts in 1954’s Americano a Roma, Un, a comedy starring
Alberto Sordi and Maria-Pia Casilio, Catena dell’odio, La (1955), and Avventure
di Giacomo Casanova, Le/ Sins of Casanova (1955). With the help of her lover,
actor Marlon Brando, Andress then scored a deal with Columbia Pictures and came
to the USA, but putting the career on the backburner after marrying a rising
star John Derek.
Returning to filmmaking after a seven year hiatus, the relatively nameless
Andress attracted the attention of public when she was cast as a shell dive and
a love interest, Honey Ryder, in the first movie version of Ian Fleming’s
fantastic James Bond espionage novels, Dr. No (1962), opposite Sean Connery as
007. Her phenomenal performance, emerging from the sea with a white bikini, was
so iconic that she subsequently became one of the most desired in the world.
Additionally, her burning-yet-cold screen charisma helped to begin the James
Bond series that continues to this day, and set the “Bond Girl” standard.
Andress reached the zenith of her fame when she was handed two Golden Globes for
New Star of the Year and Most Promising Newcomer.
Dr. No torpedoed Andress’ career. She then was cast opposite such bankable stars
as Elvis Presley in Fun in Acapulco (1963), Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in 4
for Texas (1963) as well as Sammy Davis Jr. in Nightmare in the Sun (1965), a
crime film directed by actor-director husband John Derek. She also starred with
her husband in his war movie Once Before I Die (1965), had a supporting role
opposite Woody Allen and Peter Sellers in What’s New, Pussycat (1965) written by
Allen, and costarred in Italy-France production Decima vittima, La/The 10th
Victim (1965). The Swiss beauty further increased her profile by appearing nude
for a pictorial in Playboy, that same year.
Still an in demand actress, Andress made many more films in Europe and America
in the following years, including the English film The Blue Max (1966, played
James Mason’s sticky and sexually greedy wife Countess Kaeti von Klugermann),
the James Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967, as Vesper Lynd, an occasional spy who
convinces Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers) to do a mission) and the minor Italian
sex comedy Infermiera, L’/ The Secrets of a Sensuous Nurse (1975).
After giving birth, Andress lessened her career, and worked mostly on TV. After
roles in Clash of the Titans (1981), an adventure saga based on Greek myths
starring lover Harry Hamlin, and Krasnye kolokola, film pervyy - Meksika v ogne
(1982), she appeared in television films Manimal (1983), Professore - Diva, Il
(1989) and Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders (1989), as well as the
miniseries “Peter the Great” (1986). Besides, she landed guest spots in such
series as “The Love Boat” (1983), “Falcon Crest” (1988) and “The Dame Edna
Experience” (1989).
A 50s Andress gradually withdrew from the showbiz in 1990s. After vanishing from
the public eye for two years, she revisited television in 1992 by making guest
performances in “Primero izquierda” and “Hola Raffaella!”. She then took on the
lead of Xellesia in fantasy-made-for-television films Fantaghirò 3 (1993) and
its continuation Fantaghirò 4 (1994), before returning to big screen movies with
roles in the Swiss film Alles gelogen (1996) and the musical-drama Cremaster 5
(1997), a Hungarian language motion picture helmed by Matthew Barney.
69-year-old Andress resurfaced eight year later as Madonna in Vogelpredigt, Die
(2005), a lovely satire starring Max Rüdlinger who earned a Swiss Film Prize
Best Performance in a Leading Role nomination.
Awards:
- Golden Globe: Most Promising Newcomer – Female, 1964
- Golden Globe: New Star of the Year- Female, DR. NO, 1963
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