Margaret Nolan was one of the most recognizable faces of British entertainment in the 1960s and 1970s. Born in 1943, she built a career that moved between glamour modelling, film, television, and theatre. In the early 1960s, she worked briefly under the stage name Vicky Kennedy before establishing herself under her real name. She was striking, talented, and versatile — qualities that kept her in demand across very different corners of the entertainment world.
Nolan made her screen debut in 1964, playing Julie in the British drama “Saturday Night Out.” That same year, she landed the role that would follow her for the rest of her life. She appeared as Dink, the bikini-clad masseuse, in the James Bond film “Goldfinger” alongside Sean Connery. The role was small but unforgettable, and Nolan’s golden-painted body was used extensively in the film’s iconic title sequence — making her image one of the most seen in the entire Bond franchise.
While “Goldfinger” gave her international exposure, Nolan was already a well-established glamour model in Britain. Her look — bold, confident, and photogenic — made her a natural in front of the camera. She appeared regularly in photoshoots throughout the mid-1960s, showcasing a style that was very much of its era: playful, fashionable, and unapologetically glamorous.
Her work on stage added another dimension to her career. She performed striptease routines as part of live entertainment, which was a common and legitimate part of British club and theatre culture at the time.
Nolan also spent time with French actor Maurice Ronet in 1965, a meeting that reflected the kind of cross-Channel connections that were common among European film and entertainment circles during that period.
In 1967, Nolan married English playwright Tom Kempinski. That same year, she appeared in the television drama “Compensation Alice,” showing audiences that she was capable of serious dramatic work beyond glamour roles. The marriage to Kempinski lasted five years before ending in divorce.
In January 1968, Nolan took part in the television sketch show “The World of Beachcomber,” appearing alongside Leon Thau and Clive Dunn in the “Filthistan Trio” segment. It was a sign of her ease with comedy, a skill that would define much of her work in the decade to come.
The 1970s brought Nolan into the world of the Carry On films — Britain’s long-running series of slapstick comedies known for their cheeky humour and ensemble casts. She appeared in several entries in the series, most notably “Carry On at Your Convenience” (1971) and “Carry On Girls” (1973). The films gave her a platform to show genuine comic timing, and she held her own alongside seasoned performers like Bernard Bresslaw and Barbara Windsor.
“Carry On Girls” in 1973 featured one of Nolan’s most memorable runs in the series. The film followed a chaotic beauty pageant, and Nolan appeared in several scenes that allowed her physical comedy to shine. She shared the screen with Barbara Windsor and Valerie Leon, two other major names in the Carry On universe.
Throughout her career, Nolan remained a compelling subject for photographers. Whether in formal shoots, candid settings, or on set, she brought an effortless presence to every frame. The photos taken across the 1960s and 1970s document not just her career, but the look and feel of British popular culture during those decades.
After a gap of roughly thirty years away from screens, Nolan returned to acting in 2011. She took on the role of Dame Margaret in Yvonne Deutschman’s film “The Power of Three,” proving that her screen presence had not faded. By 1998, she had also made public appearances, as captured in photographs from that period.
Margaret Nolan died on 5 October 2020 at the age of 76. She is survived by her two children, Deeks and Luke O’Sullivan. Her career spanned modelling, film, television, and theatre across more than four decades, leaving behind a rich visual and dramatic record of one of British entertainment’s most distinctive figures.
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And the world collectively said god bless you
Tig Ole Bitties
Like Dolly Parton said “don’t try stuffing ten pounds of mud into five pound bags”