Datastream
Actress: Maud Adams
Character: Octopussy / Andrea Anders
Movie: Octopussy / The Man With The Golden Gun
Date of Birth: 12th February 1945
Place of Birth: Lulea, Sweden
Trivia: The only actress to play two different major Bond Girl roles

Octopussy

Pleased To Meet You
James Bond hears rumours of the lavish Octopussy prior to being ushered onto her exclusive island paradise. When 007 is finally granted a rare audience with Octopussy the encounter is not what he expects. Instead of a cold, harsh jewel smuggler Bond faces up to a charming and sophisticated lady and one that remembers Bond from her past.

"Oh James, we're two of a kind. There are vast rewards for a man of your talents willing to take risks."

Profile
A resourceful and feisty young businesswoman, Octopussy is caught up with the smuggling game and hoping to make a fair fortune. As the ringleader of an all-feminine circus, the illusive Octopussy trains her girls to do more than perform in the big top. The troupe is nimble enough to put themselves to use when raiding Kahn's Monsoon Palace, silent and undetected. The daughter of an ex-military officer in British pay, Octopussy recalls 007 from a previous mission that involved her father and a fraud case. Bond tracked Major Smythe, her father, to his remote hiding place and gave him a chance to put his affairs in order before his arrest - for this Octopussy expresses her gratitude. The resourceful Octopussy has since made the best of life, seeing herself rise to great fame and a circus performer and gain fortunes in illicit jewellery smuggling.

"I hoped fate would bring us together one day."

Octopussy: Mr. Bond, smuggling is of no concern of the British Secret Service. I have violated no British law. You are free to leave, but I'd much prefer if you stayed as my guest for a dew days.

Kahn: Bond has escaped!
Octopussy: How careless of you.
Kahn: I apologise.
Octopussy: By the way Kamal, I'd like you to meet my new house guest.
Bond: An old friend of the family you might say.

I don't have to answer to you, a trained assassin, for what I am.

Caught in the Act
When Bond discovers more about Anders, this time in his hotel room. After a romantic dinner with Mary Goodnight, the pair retire to 007's room for a nightcap only to be rudely interrupted by Anders. Shoving Goodnight in a wardrobe, Bond turns his charms to the lovely yet fragile Andrea Anders. She reveals that Scaramanga was not after Bond as he was lead to believe and it was she who left the death threat with MI6. Bashfully she offers herself as a prize for the assassination of The Man With The Golden Gun. 007 does not refrain from trying the merchandise...

"You can have me too, if you like. I'm not unattractive."

Profile
Andrea Anders is the doomed mistress of the hot-shot marksman Francisco Scaramanga who has a watchful eye over his prize at all times. If she is not on his remote island in the Phuket region, she is aboard his Junk or running errands. Onlookers will get the sense that she was once a bold and independent woman, only to have fallen under the spell and subsequent imprisonment that went hand in hand with romancing a psychotic assassin.

Her first shoot was for the cover of Swedish magazine, "Allers", before pursuing her newfound career in Paris. From there she took her work to the States - landing a prestigious job with the illustrious Ellen Ford. As one of the best known modeling agencies in the world, Maud was lucky to be taken on by Ellen, but her charm and delicate looks stood her in good stead and the model rose to become one of the agency's highest paid employees. In 1966 and a new face in NYC, Adams married photographer Roy Adams. However, the relations were not to last and the pair separated in 1975.

She played a small role in the 1970 film "Boys in the Band" for where she played an uncredited model. Adams further went on to appear in more prominent roles such as Miriam in "Mahoney's Estate" (1972) and the co-star Paulua in "U-Turn" (1973) - a steamy 'youth flick'.

It was the mistress of the title character in James Bond film "The Man With The Golden Gun" that sought Adams international recognition. Her role alongside Roger Moore and Christopher Lee as the assassin's doomed mistress saw Maud's career blossom.

Adams ended up in films such as "Rollerball" and popular TV series such as "Kojak" and "Starsky and Hutch". A few alternate films later saw her return to the Bond series - becoming the first and only Bond girl to date to reappear in the series in major roles - as the stunning Octopussy. The title role was far 'meatier' than her previous encounter with 007 and Maud demonstrates some of the classic Bond-girl traits, with her own unique spin on the character.

"I thought, 'Surely they're kidding', but it was a little bit of a spoof, and part of the fun was being coy with the name." - Maud Adams on the 'Octopussy' title.