Then And Now Photos Of Classic Bond Girls

When Dr. No hit cinema screens in 1962, it launched one of the most recognizable franchises in film history. James Bond — Agent 007 — has been a box office staple for over six decades, and a huge part of that appeal has always been the women who share the screen with him. Known collectively as “Bond girls,” these characters range from sharp-witted allies to deadly villains, and the actresses who played them became icons in their own right.

The role itself has changed dramatically over the years. Early Bond girls were often defined by glamour and sex appeal alone. By the 1970s and 1980s, the characters gained more depth — double agents, skilled fighters, scientists, and even a spy equal to Bond himself. One Bond girl, Teresa Draco, even became Mrs. Bond. Below is a look at the women who defined the franchise, from the early 1960s all the way through the end of the century — then and now.

The very first Bond girl to make a lasting impression was Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress in the franchise’s debut film. Her entrance from the sea in a white bikini became one of the most referenced moments in movie history.

Also appearing in Dr. No was Sylvia Trench, played by Eunice Gayson. She holds a unique distinction as the only Bond girl to appear in two consecutive films, returning in From Russia with Love the following year.

From Russia with Love introduced Tatiana Romanova, a Soviet cipher clerk used as bait against Bond. Daniela Bianchi played the role, bringing a mix of innocence and danger to the character.

Goldfinger in 1964 gave audiences two of the most memorable Bond girls of the decade. Jill Masterson, played by Shirley Eaton, met one of the most iconic fates in the series — suffocated by gold paint, her gilded body becoming a chilling image burned into pop culture.

Honor Blackman played Pussy Galore in the same film — a skilled pilot and judo expert who initially works for Goldfinger before switching sides. Blackman was already well known from The Avengers TV series before taking the role.

Thunderball in 1965 featured Domino Derval, played by Claudine Auger. Domino is the mistress of SPECTRE operative Emilio Largo, and ultimately helps Bond defeat him — landing the killing blow herself.

You Only Live Twice took Bond to Japan in 1967, where Japanese secret service agent Aki, played by Akiko Wakabayashi, became one of the first Bond girls to be portrayed as a fully capable field agent rather than a supporting romantic interest.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service marked a major turning point in the franchise. Teresa “Tracy” Bond, played by Diana Rigg, became the one woman James Bond actually married. Her death at the end of the film remains one of the most emotionally impactful moments in the entire series.

Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 featured two notable Bond girls. Plenty O’Toole, played by Lana Wood, appeared briefly but memorably — her character is later found drowned, a victim of the film’s villains.

Jill St. John played Tiffany Case in the same film, a diamond smuggler who eventually teams up with Bond. She was the first American actress to play the lead Bond girl.

Live and Let Die brought Bond into a world of tarot cards and Caribbean crime lords. Jane Seymour played Solitaire, a psychic who loses her powers — and her loyalty to villain Mr. Big — after becoming involved with Bond.

Gloria Hendry played Rosie Carver in the same film — a double agent working for the CIA on the surface, but secretly reporting to the enemy. She was the first Black Bond girl to appear in the franchise.

The Man with the Golden Gun featured two Bond girls with very different fates. Maud Adams played Andrea Anders, the mistress of assassin Francisco Scaramanga, who secretly reaches out to Bond for help and is ultimately killed by Scaramanga before Bond can act.

Britt Ekland played Mary Goodnight, Bond’s official contact in the Far East — cheerful and well-meaning, though the film often played her role for comic effect.

The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977 introduced Major Anya Amasova — Bond’s Soviet counterpart and arguably one of the strongest Bond girls of the Roger Moore era. Barbara Bach played the KGB agent who matches Bond step for step throughout the film.

Moonraker sent Bond into space in 1979. Lois Chiles played Dr. Holly Goodhead, a CIA operative and trained astronaut — one of the most professionally accomplished Bond girls to that point in the franchise.

Corinne Clery played Corinne Dufour in the same film — Drax’s personal helicopter pilot whose fate after helping Bond access her employer’s safe is particularly grim. She is hunted down and killed by Drax’s trained Dobermans in the forest.

For Your Eyes Only in 1981 featured Lynn-Holly Johnson as Bibi Dahl, a young figure skater with an aggressive interest in Bond — a storyline the film handles by having Bond repeatedly and firmly rebuff her advances.

Carole Bouquet played Melina Havelock in the same film — a woman driven by revenge after her parents are murdered. Armed with a crossbow and a clear personal mission, Melina is one of the more self-directed Bond girls of the era.

Maud Adams returned to the Bond franchise in 1983 — this time in the title role. As Octopussy, she leads a troupe of female acrobat smugglers and ultimately proves to be an ally rather than an enemy. Adams remains the only actress to play two different Bond girls in the main series.

A View to a Kill in 1985 featured Grace Jones as May Day — a physically imposing assassin and henchwoman to villain Max Zorin. May Day is one of the most physically threatening characters in the franchise, used as both an adversary and eventual reluctant ally.

Tanya Roberts played Stacey Sutton in the same film, an heiress and geologist targeted by Zorin for her oil fields. Roberts brought a different energy to the role — more of a classic damsel under threat compared to the fierce May Day.

The Living Daylights in 1987 introduced Kara Milovy, a Czechoslovak cellist played by Maryam d’Abo. She is one of the more grounded Bond girls — not a spy or a villain, but an ordinary musician caught up in a much larger Cold War plot.

Licence to Kill in 1989 featured Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier — a tough, no-nonsense CIA contract pilot who functions more as a genuine partner to Bond than a typical Bond girl. She holds her own throughout the film with very little backup.

GoldenEye in 1995 marked a new era for the franchise after a six-year gap. Famke Janssen played Xenia Onatopp, a lethal assassin who kills her victims during intimate encounters. She is widely considered one of the most memorable femme fatales in the entire series.

Izabella Scorupco played Natalya Simonova in the same film — a Russian computer programmer and the film’s primary Bond girl. Natalya is resourceful and courageous, playing a key role in stopping the GoldenEye weapon from being fired.

Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997 revisited Bond’s past with Paris Carver, played by Teri Hatcher — a former lover now married to the film’s media mogul villain, Elliot Carver. Her reappearance in Bond’s life ends in her death, ordered by her own husband.

Michelle Yeoh played Wai Lin in the same film — a Chinese People’s External Security Force agent who partners with Bond to stop Carver. Wai Lin is one of the franchise’s most capable Bond girls, a trained fighter who never needs rescuing.

The World Is Not Enough in 1999 featured three notable Bond girls. Serena Scott Thomas played Dr. Molly Warmflash, Bond’s MI6 physician — a smaller role but a fan-remembered one.

Sophie Marceau played Elektra King — a wealthy oil heiress who appears at first to be a victim but is revealed to be the film’s true villain. Elektra is one of the very few Bond girls to actually be the primary antagonist of the story.

Denise Richards rounded out the film as Dr. Christmas Jones, a nuclear physicist working at a weapons decommissioning site. Her casting drew significant attention at the time, and the character remains one of the most talked-about Bond girls from the Brosnan era.