Honor Blackman, the British-born actress and singer best known for playing Bond girl Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger” has died at the age of 94, her family said in a statement on Monday.
“She died peacefully of natural causes at her home in Lewes, Sussex, surrounded by her family,” Blackman’s family wrote on her official Twitter account. Sussex is a historic county located in South East England.
Blackman “was much loved and will be greatly missed by her two children Barnaby and Lottie, and grandchildren Daisy, Oscar, Olive and Toby,” her family wrote in another post along with a photo of the actress.
“As well as being a much-adored mother and grandmother, Honor was an actor of hugely prolific creative talent; with an extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical prowess, along with her unique voice and a dedicated work ethic,” they told the Guardian in a statement. “She achieved an unparalleled iconic status in the world of film and entertainment and with absolute commitment to her craft and total professionalism in all her endeavours she contributed to some of the great films and theatre productions of our times.”
The UK actress first became a household name playing Cathy Gale in “The Avengers,” a British espionage television program created in 1961.
Blackman’s most famous role was in the 1964 James Bond movie “Goldfinger” where she co-starred with “Agent 007” played by actor Sean Connery.
Honor Blackman was born on Aug. 22, 1925, in Plaistow, London. Her father, a civil servant, taught her how to box. As a birthday present on her 15th birthday, Blackman’s parents provided her with acting lessons and she later attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1940.
Following her graduation, Blackman’s first film debut was a nonspeaking part in 1947 film “Fame Is the Spur,” starring Michael Redgrave.
Blackman won notice in the comedy “The Square Peg” in 1958 and the 1961 British comedy thriller film “A Matter of WHO,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
She is survived by her two children, Barnaby and Lottie, and four grandchildren, Daisy, Oscar, Olive, and Toby.
Reuters contributed to this report.
