James Bond

Sean Connery, the first and widely-regarded best James Bond ever ... has died.

Sean's wife says he died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family. No cause of death was disclosed.

Connery became an enormous star in 1962 with the release of "Dr. No," but not without difficulty. James Bond creator Ian Fleming felt he was unrefined and wanted someone suave like Cary Grant. Fleming relented and ultimately said it was a great choice.

Sean starred in 7 Bond films between '62 and '83. Among the films -- "From Russia with Love," "Goldfinger," "Thunderball," "You Only Live Twice," "Diamonds are Forever," and "Never Say Never Again."

Connery had a hard time shaking the Bond character, but was ultimately successful .... branching out and ultimately winning an Oscar playing an Irish cop in "The Untouchables." He also won 2 Bafta awards and 3 Golden Globes. He was knighted by the Queen in 2000.

When Sean was shooting "Never Say Never Again," he took martial arts classes and got into it with the instructor who then broke his wrist. Sean didn't get it treated for years ... not knowing it was really broken. The instructor -- Steven Seagal.

Among Sean's other films ... "The Hunt for Red October," "Indiana Jones" "The Last Crusade" and "The Rock."

Most fans give Sean the title of best 007 ever ... at least in the polls. And, speaking of polls, he also holds a Sexiest Man Alive crown. He also once finished third in the Mr. Universe contest back in 1953.

Fun fact ... Sean wore a toupee in "Goldfinger" because his hair had started to thin.

Sean's survived by his second wife, Micheline Roquebrune, and his son, Jason Connery. There will be a private funeral, followed by a memorial once COVID ends.

Margaret Nolan -- who served as the iconic golden-plated babe portrayed in the opening sequence of "Goldfinger" -- has died.

The legendary British artist and glamour model passed away last week, according to her son, Oscar Deeks. The news wasn't broken, however, until Sunday when director Edgar Wright -- who'd cast Margaret in a film of his set to be released next year -- posted on Twitter.

He writes, "It's my sad duty to report that actress and artist, the magnificent Margaret Nolan has passed away. She was the middle of Venn diagram of everything cool in the 60's; having appeared with the Beatles, been beyond iconic in Bond and been part of the Carry On cast too." Edgar went on to attach several photos of Margaret from her different gigs, and detailed different on-camera projects she'd been a part of over her six-decade-plus career.

Margaret led a pretty storied life ... besides being the model featured in the opening to 'Goldfinger' -- not to mention all the merch from the film that followed -- she was actually in the movie as one of the Bond girls, albeit in a smaller (but still memorable) capacity.

She played Bond's poolside masseuse, Dink, who was rubbing him up before Sean Connery introduced her to a colleague and then quickly shooed her away with a nice swat on the tush ... telling it was time for "man talk." Pretty sexist when you look back, but it is what it is.

Margaret also starred in another mega '60s-era flick -- the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" ... which they made after their hit song of the same name. She played an unnamed woman at a casino, and while her time on camera was relatively brief ... it too was everlasting.

She has a long list of acting credits ... having made appearances in shows like "Crossroads," "Secret Agent," "199 Park Lane," "Hugh and I," "Take a Pair of Private Eyes," "The Newcomers," "The World of Beachcomber," "Brian Rix Presents ...," "Budgie," "Fox," "Crown Court" and countless others. Margaret also starred in several films throughout her career, including recurring and also alternating roles in the 1970's 'Carry On' comedy franchise.

Her modeling career was second to none, and she even tried her hand as a graphic visual artist -- to which she sometimes received criticism for her photo montages and displays. Nonetheless, the woman was a dynamo in showbiz and entertainment.

Margaret is survived by her two sons. She was 76.

Here's Harry Styles whipping around in a fancy sports car and a super cool speedboat in Italy for a music video shoot ... which could double as his audition to be the next 007.

The former "One Direction" singer is giving off serious James Bond vibes shooting the video for another song off his album, "Fine Line," and looks like he's loving his new toys. Harry's behind the wheel of a vintage Alfa Romeo, dropping the top and tearing through curves on a windy cliffside road. Take that, Daniel Craig!

He's also steering a pretty baller speedboat off Italy's famed Amalfi Coast, unbuttoning his shirt and doing his best "Titanic" pose ... or maybe "Live and Let Die."

Dame Diana Rigg -- the legendary actress with epic roles in "Game of Thrones" and the UK's 'Avengers' TV series -- has died.

The British actress rose to prominence in the 1961 TV series, "The Avengers," and became a worldwide phenomenon as a Bond girl in the 1969 Bond film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

For the younger generation ... Dame Diana, of course, earned critical acclaim for her role as Lady Olenna Tyrell in the HBO hit show, "Game of Thrones." Sad to say ... she admitted in 2019 she never watched the show, but that's neither here nor there. Rigg earned an Emmy nomination for her role in 2018.

BTW ... her Bond role was pretty historic. She played Tracey Bond ... James Bond's wife. She was the only Bond girl to ever get him to the altar, never mind the character was killed shortly after the wedding.

In "The Avengers," she played the incredibly desirable Emma Peel and earned an Emmy nomination in 1967 and 1968.

Rigg, who grew up in India after her father accepted a job there, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made her acting debut in "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" at the 1957 York Festival. She'd later join the Royal Shakespeare Company and earned several roles but perhaps none more important than as Cordelia in the touring production of "King Lear."

Dame Diana was a highly-respected stage actress ... earning a Tony Award nomination for her role in "Abelard and Heloise." She'd later join the National Theatre Company ... earning a second Tony nomination for her role as Celimene in "The Misanthrope."

She finally won a Tony Award in 1994 for Best Actress for her role in "Medea." That same year, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her work in drama at the 1994 Birthday Honours.

Rigg had already been made a Commander of the order of the British Empire at the 1988 New Year Honours.

For the real James Bond buffs, peep this -- the 1992 Lamborghini Diablo that Pierce Brosnan's nemesis owned in "Die Another Day" is for sale ... but it'll cost ya a small fortune.

The folks over at Beverly Hills Car Club -- the world's largest dealer of European classic cars -- is selling a rare 1992 Lambo ... most definitely a rare opportunity for someone to own a rare piece of James Bond history.

The Lambo's ticket price is a cool $119,500 ... but the history it's attached to is undoubtedly priceless. The film -- starring Brosnan, Halle Berry, Judi Dench and John Cleese -- features tons of sweet rides including this Lambo, which was one of the personal cars belonging to Bond's nemesis, Col. Tan-Sun Moon, later known as Sir Gustav Graves.

The classic car features a timeless signature color combination of Diablo Rosso and eye-catching Nero leather and red piping interior. The Lambo features a 5-speed manual transmission, 5.7-liter engine, power windows and OZ racing staggered wheels. The only downside ... the clutch may have to be replaced.

And, if you're a stickler for mileage when buying classic cars ... this one's only got around 45k miles on it.

If ya need a little convincing, perhaps Alex Manos, owner/president of the Beverly Hills Car Club, put it best: "James Bond has always been about fascinating cars, exotic locations, and of course, beautiful women. It's a great combination and this car is no exception."

'Nuff said.

Honor Blackman -- one of the first iconic, and perhaps most iconic Bond girls of the movie franchise -- has died.

The 1960s and '70s movie and TV star -- who was considered a bonafide bombshell in her day -- passed away peacefully at her home in Lewes, Sussex, surrounded by loved ones. Her family says she died of natural causes, unrelated to the coronavirus.

Her fam says, "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, 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."

Honor starred as Pussy Galore opposite Sean Connery in 1964's "Goldfinger," which was the first smash hit Bond film to emerge from the series at that point. Pussy was the leader of a group of acrobatic women who worked for the villain, but she falls in love with 007, naturally, and helps him defeat Goldfinger. They also memorably banged under a parachute.

The actress' other huge role was as Cathy Gale in 'The Avengers' -- not the Marvel series you know today, but the black and white show from the '60s. It was a British espionage show, and Honor played one of John Steed's bright and beautiful assistants.

Her acting career went way beyond those two projects, though ... Honor has 115 credits to her name dating back to the 1940s. She had prominent roles on shows like "Probation Officer," "The Four Just Men," "ITV Play of the Week," "The Lives of Benjamin Franklin," "Never the Twain," "Doctor Who," "The Upper Hand," "Coronation Street," and others.

Of course, she's also worked in countless films over the years.

Honor was 94.

RIP

One of James Bond's lovely ladies on-screen has come out in real-life to say she has coronavirus -- this just weeks after the latest flick was put on ice over it.

Actress Olga Kurylenko made the announcement Sunday, taking to Instagram to notify her fans of her current condition as well as the symptoms she's experiencing. She writes, "Locked up at home after having tested positive for Coronavirus."

Olga adds, "I’ve actually been ill for almost a week now. Fever and fatigue are my main symptoms. Take care of yourself and do take this seriously!" She went on to translate her message to Russian -- OK was born in the Ukraine, but has French citizenship as well.

In her IG post, you can see Olga snapped a pic from behind a glass window ... showing she's in isolation and presumed self-quarantine. Unclear where this was shot from, but her primary residence is said to be in France, which is under heavy restrictions right now as a nation -- very similar to much of the U.S. ... but not quite as bad as Italy yet.

If you've forgotten, Olga played Camille in 2008's "Quantum of Solace" opposite Daniel Craig -- the so-so sequel to 'Casino Royale' which rebooted the franchise in a big way. She was also in the 2013 film, “Oblivion,” with Tom Cruise ... and has been in several American flicks on top of those too.

Olga's announcement comes less than two weeks after MGM put the release of the new Bond movie, "No Time to Die," on hold as the world gets a grip on the coronavirus situation. It was originally slated to come out in April ... now, it's been pushed back to November. It's supposed to be Craig's last turn as Bond -- Lea Seydoux and Ana de Armas have been cast as the latest Bond girls.

Kurylenko is just the latest celebrity to announce a positive test for the novel coronavirus -- a handful of pro athletes have tested positive, and notably ... so has Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.

James Bond is back to handling his classic ride in classic 007 fashion -- which means somewhere an Aston Martin is getting driven fast and hard.

The next Bond flick -- "No Time to Die" -- is shooting right now in Matera, Italy, and on Sunday they tackled an intense car chase scene on the windy, narrow streets of Piazza San Pietro Caveoso.

What's rough about these stunts is how much rubber-to-the-road abuse this Aston Martin DB5 takes on set. Sure, it'll make for some great action sequences -- but the value of this gorgeous ride will be dwindled down to practically nothing after what it goes through here.

It's kinda funny ... the stuntman on set sorta looked like Daniel Craig at certain angles, but we HIGHLY doubt DC was behind the wheel for the kinda power steering you're seeing here. Unless he's gone full Tom Cruise, of course. Sometimes a guy's just gotta take the reins, but considering Daniel's already suffered an on-set injury ... pretty sure he tapped out for this stunt.

Aston Martin wasn't so lucky. If this car could speak, it would've bowed out of this scene, for sure!

Joe Jonas will take his 30th birthday celebration shaken, not stirred -- please and thanks.

The middle Jonas Bro rang in the big 3-0 in style this week by embracing the James Bond aesthetic with his wife, Sophie Turner, right there by his side to bring it to fruition. Joe walked out of their NYC apartment Friday night -- a day after his actual birthday -- wearing a very Bond-esq white tux, and hit the point home by hopping into an Aston Martin.

Yep, 007 would absolutely approve -- the Aston Martin is the character's signature car, and Bond has donned the white suit many times over the course of his movie spy career.

Joe and Sophie rolled up to Cipriani, where they were met with the James Bond theme song ... seems like everyone was in on the Bond shtick for the night. BTW, Nick and Kevin were there too with their respective wives ... so it was a Jonas family affair.

Sarunas Jackson is totally down with the James Bond franchise casting a black woman to take over the role of 007 ... no matter what the true motives are behind the monumental decision.

We got the "Insecure" actor at LAX and our photog asked about reports that Lashana Lynch is being cast as 007 in next year's Bond 25 movie. Sarunas says it's amazing, even if money is the driving force behind the change from a traditionally white male lead.

Sarunas says the shift is great for black girls and black women ... and he thinks decision makers are finally recognizing they've been leaving out a key demographic -- and it's spending power.

MI6 special agent 007 is getting a new face -- and, apparently, a new gender too ... because actress Lashana Lynch is reportedly set to take on the mantle in the upcoming Bond flick.

According to multiple outlets in the UK, the "Captain Marvel" star -- who played Brie Larson's best air force pal in the 2019 blockbuster -- will become the new 007 in what is being described as a "popcorn-dropping moment" in the franchise's 25th installment. 

The reports say that Daniel Craig -- who is still the same old James Bond we know and love -- is brought back from retirement at one point in the movie and introduced to Lashana's character, who's inherited his old code name. Supposedly, she keeps it too.

Per the reports, Craig tries to seduce Lashana on camera to no avail -- and it seems like her character might be the main protagonist in any Bond films going forward.

The move to get a fem 007 installed is reportedly thanks to one of the writers -- Phoebe Waller-Bridge ... who also had a hand in writing "Killing Eve" (a female-led spy thriller that airs on BBC). One movie insider is quoted as saying this about the new Bond movie ... "There are spectacular chase sequences and fights, and Bond is still Bond but he’s having to learn to deal with the world of #MeToo." Alrighty then!!!

Considering all the issues that have plagued the production thus far -- from this and this -- the pivot to a strong, black female lead has gotta be some refreshing news for fans.

Someone took the 007 title, "For Your Eyes Only," a little too seriously -- 'cause a guy got arrested on the set of the new James Bond movie for placing a hidden camera in a ladies' room toilet.

49-year-old Peter Hartley was reportedly arrested last week and booked over the weekend by Thames Valley Police in England. He's facing voyeurism charges in connection to a camera that was found in one of the women's restrooms on a Pinewood Studios set.

Specifically, it was found in a bathroom where 'Bond 25' is currently filming. The production that's been plagued with delays and issues ranging from explosions-gone wrong on set to the lead star, Daniel Craig, getting seriously injured and requiring minor ankle surgery.

Due to all the delays, there was already buzz the still untitled Bond project was cursed -- and that was before the alleged perv's arrest.

It's unclear what connection the guy might have to the production or the studio, if any, but Pinewood is cooperating with the investigation, saying ... "We take this issue very seriously ... We reported the incident to the police and are supporting them with their investigation."

Tania Mallet -- one of the original Bond girls and Helen Mirren's cousin -- has died.

Mallet's death was confirmed by the official 007 Twitter account Sunday, which broke the news by writing ... "We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in GOLDFINGER has passed away. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time."

No other details were released about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Tania's main claim to fame was starring alongside Sean Connery as Tilly Masterson -- one of the early Bond girls who didn't make it come the end credits.

Funny enough ... Tania actually auditioned for the role of another Bond girl in the 007 movie right before "Goldfinger" -- "From Russia with Love" -- but she didn't make the cut until 1964.

Her role in "Goldfinger" ended up being one of Tania's only acting credits in her career -- she went on to act in an episode of the '70s show "The New Avengers," but that's it. She did, however, have a prolific modeling career that got started in the '50s at age 16.

Like any good secret agent, Henry Golding isn't spilling the beans on his next move ... which, one could speculate, makes him the perfect choice to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.

We got the "Crazy Rich Asians" star at LAX, where we asked him about his chances to play 007 in the 26th Bond film. As if his 'CRA' success wasn't enough, the buzz is Henry is on a short list of stars being considered to play the ultimate spy.

When we brought it up ... Henry flashed a huge grin, and then went into coy mode.

As you know ... Daniel is reporting for duty again in "Bond 25," but the race to find a new Bond is wide open -- with Idris Elba and Tom Hardy joining Henry as some of the best bets.

Read what you will from this, but Henry definitely puts the secret in secret agent.

Well, whadya know? Daniel Craig is on set, in the role he swore he'd rather slash his wrists than play again -- Bond. James Bond.

Daniel was in Cardona, Spain Tuesday for what appears to be the start of filming for his fifth 007 flick ... and a production assistant clearly wanted to keep it under wraps. This will be the 25th installment in the franchise, and the working title is "Bond 25."

DC's looking suave as ever in the black tux during the shoot in a castle ... especially considering how staunchly he vowed he'd never put it on again.

You'll recall, back in 2015, Daniel said he was totally "over" the James Bond role, but left himself an out, saying he'd only do it again "for the money."

Word is he got plenty of it. There are all kinds of crazy numbers being reported for Daniel's salary -- some as high as $66 million!

Jane Seymour remembers Roger Moore less as a kick-ass 007, and more as the funny, thoughtful guy who helped her through her first leading role, as a Bond girl.

Hours after the iconic James Bond died ... Seymour said, "Roger taught me what a movie star really was and should be." Jane played Solitaire in 1973's "Live and Let Die," which was also Roger's first Bond movie.

Although a handful of other actors ordered martinis shaken, not stirred ... Jane said of Roger in her moving Instagram post, "He was my Bond."

Moore was 89.