Eunice Gayson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eunice Gayson
Gayson as Margaret in The Revenge of Frankenstein
Born	Eunice Elizabeth Sargaison (1928-03-17)17 March 1928 Streatham, London, England
Died	8 June 2018(2018-06-08) (aged 90) London, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1948–2018
Notable credit(s)	Bond girl Sylvia Trench in Dr. No and From Russia with Love
Spouse(s)	Leigh Vance ​ ​ (m. 1953; div. 1959)​ Brian Jackson ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1977)​

Eunice Gayson (born Eunice Elizabeth Sargaison; 17 March 1928 – 8 June 2018) was an English actress. She is famous for playing Sylvia Trench, who was James Bond's love interest in the first two Bond movies. These films were Dr. No and From Russia with Love. Because of this, she is known as the very first "Bond girl". She was the only Bond girl to appear in two movies until Lea Seydoux played Madeleine Swann.

Early Life and Education

Eunice Gayson and her twin sister, Patricia, were born in 1928 in Croydon, England. Their parents were John and Maria Sargaison. Eunice's father worked for the government. Her family lived in Streatham, then moved to Purley, and later to Glasgow. They finally settled in Edinburgh, Scotland. In Edinburgh, Eunice went to the Edinburgh Academy and studied how to sing opera.

Her Acting Career

Eunice Gayson had many roles in her acting career. She appeared in the Hammer horror film The Revenge of Frankenstein. She also acted in popular TV shows like The Saint, which starred future James Bond actor Roger Moore. She was also in The Avengers.

In 1962, she played Baroness Elsa Schraeder in the London stage show of The Sound of Music. Around the same time, she filmed her scenes for the first two James Bond movies. She continued to act in London theatre, including the comedy The Grass Is Greener in 1971. In the early 1990s, Gayson also appeared in the musical Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim.

Playing Sylvia Trench in Bond Films

In the first two James Bond films, Dr. No and From Russia with Love, Eunice Gayson played Sylvia Trench. Sylvia was James Bond's love interest in London. In these movies, Bond tries to meet up with her, but he always gets called away on a mission before they can spend much time together. This was planned to be a recurring part of the Bond films, but the character was only in two movies.

Sylvia Trench is important because she helped create Bond's famous line, "Bond, James Bond." In Dr. No, Sylvia introduces herself as "Trench, Sylvia Trench" during a card game. When she asks Bond his name, he replies by copying her style, saying, "Bond, James Bond."

Originally, Eunice Gayson was going to play Miss Moneypenny, who is M's secretary. The actress who played Moneypenny, Lois Maxwell, was first cast as Sylvia Trench. However, Lois Maxwell felt the Sylvia Trench character was too bold, so they switched roles. This is why Eunice Gayson is known as the very first "Bond girl."

Her Personal Life

Eunice Gayson married writer Leigh Vance in 1953. Their wedding was even shown on an American TV show called Bride and Groom. They divorced in 1959. In 1968, she married Brian Jackson, who was a film and stage actor. Eunice and Brian had a daughter named Kate. They divorced after ten years of marriage. Their daughter Kate later appeared in the casino scene of the 1995 Bond film GoldenEye. Eunice Gayson passed away on 8 June 2018, at the age of 90.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Eunice Gayson in 1960

See also

In Spanish: Eunice Gayson para niños