Birthday of Swedish Bond Girl Britt Ekland

By: Anders Frejdh

Published:
2017-10-06

75th birthday of Britt Ekland, Swedish actress who co-starred in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) opposite Sir Roger Moore. In June 2008, FSWL made an interview with Britt about her work on TMWTGG for Sir Roger's official website.

About Britt Ekland:
Britt Ekland was born in 1942 as Britt-Marie Eklund in Stockholm where she attended a drama school (Calle Flygares teaterskola) before joining a travelling theatre group.

Following small parts in a few Swedish TV shows and films, Britt was cast in more substantial roles in Italian cinema, and soon became a star in the country.

When Peter Sellers met Britt in a hotel, he fell head over heels in love and they soon married. Due to the success that Sellers was having in films and her natural beauty, Britt became internationally famous. She appeared in two films with her husband After the Fox (1966), written by Neil Simon and The Bobo (1967). The following year she starred, with Jason Robards and Norman Wisdom in The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968).

Britt continued to work in film and TV, making three or four films a year. Some of the most memorable being Get Carter (1971) and the cult classic, The Wicker Man (1973), which was released as a 40th Anniversary special edition DVD and Blu-ray on 13th October 2013.

However, the high point in her career would be her role as Bond girl Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun 1974.

Following Bond, Britt juggled a career on stage, tv and film; the latter including King Soloman's Treasure (1979), The Monster Club (1981) and Scandal (1989). It is however, perhaps for her part as Mary Goodnight that she remains most popular.

In 2007, Britt appeared on Swedish TV in SVT's portrait series, Stjärnorna på slottet. (Maud Adams appeared in the same series a year before.)

Over the years, Britt has worked on several books: her autobiography True Britt (1980) which was published in America in 1982, the fitness and health book Sensual Beauty (1984), and the novel Det ljuva livet (1993) which she co-wrote with her manager, Johan Pråmell.

In 2013, Britt Ekland appeared in Season 6 of Swedish Hollywood Wives on TV3 alongside Maria Montazami, Gunilla Persson and Siv Cotton.

Editor's note:
The Swedish Bond girls, Britt and Maud, also acted together in another film apart from TMWTGG, The Hostage Tower, in 1980.

A selection of Britt Ekland's other films:
1990: The Children (Lady Zinnia Wrench)
1989: Cold Heat (Jackie Mallon)
1989: Beverly Hills Vamp (Madame Cassandra)
1987: Moon In Scorpio (Linda)
1986: Az aranyifjú
1985: Marbella, un golpe de cinco estrellas (Deborah)
1985: Fraternity Vacation (Eyvette)
1984: Love Scenes (Annie)
1983: Entrapment (Penny Lancaster)
1983: Erotic Images (Julie Todd)
1983: Dr. Yes: Hyannis Affair (Susannah)
1982: Satan's Mistress (Ann-Marie)
1981: Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (Françoise)
1978: Slavers (Anna von Erken)
1978: The Great Wallendas (Jenny Wallenda)
1978: Ring of Passion (Amy Ondra Schmeling)
1976: High Velocity (Mrs. Andersen)
1975: Royal Flash (Dutchess Irma)
1975: A Time For Loving (Josette Papillon)
1974: The Ultimate Thrill (Michele)
1973: The Six Million Dollar Man (Wine, Women and War (Katrina Volana)
1973: Baxter! (Chris Bentley)
1972: Night Hair Child (Elise)
1972: Endless Night (Greta)
1972: Asylum (Lucy Comes To Stay (Lucy)
1971: The Stronger (Woman 1)
1971: Percy (Dorothy Chiltern-Barlow)
1970: Tintomara (Adolfine)
1970: I Cannibali (Antigone)
1969: Stiletto (Illeana)
1969: Machine Gun McCain (Irene Tucker)
1969: The Conspirators (Princess Spada)
1967: Too Many Thieves (Claudia)
1967: The Double Man (Gina)
1965: Do Not Disturb (Party girl)
1964: Carol For Another Christmas (The Mother)
1964: Company Of Cowards (Greta)
1964: The Prize (Nudist)
1963: Il Diavolo)
1963: Det är hos mig han har varit (Li's Work Mate)
1963: The Commandant (Iris)
1962: Kort är sommaren (Edvarda's Friend)
1962: Handen på hjärtat)
1961: Once a Thief (Mrs. Pickett)
1960: G.I. Blues (Redhead)

Britt Ekland's television roles:
2002: Lexx (Dulcibella Sternflanks)
1997: Brass Eye (Herself)
1994: Absolutely Fabulous (Herself)
1990: Grand (Viveca)
1990: Superboy (Lara)
1985: Simon & Simon (Samantha Blake)
1980-1983: Fantasy Island (Aphrodite/Berniece Williams/Cathy/Linda)
1982: Matt Houston (Vera Martin)
1980-1982: The Love Boat (Alice Robbins / Karen Ellison)
1979: Skeppsredaren
1979 Return of the Saint (Laura)
1978: Battlestar Galactica (Tenna)
1972-1977: McCloud (Tatiana Krasnavian / Vicki Erickson)
1966: The Trials of O'Brien (Claudia)
1965: Armchair Theatre (Karen)

Photo above:
Anders Frejdh and Britt Ekland at the opening of the Bond in Motion exhibition at Beaulieu on 15th January 2012. (FSWL and Britt Ekland was the only Swedes invited to the event.) Photo by George Martin. © 2012 From Sweden with Love.

For more information about Britt Ekland's film career, check out her IMDB profile.

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