Honor Blackman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Honor Blackman
Blackman in 2000
Born	(1925-08-22)22 August 1925 Plaistow, Essex, England
Died	5 April 2020(2020-04-05) (aged 94) Lewes, East Sussex, England
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1947–2015
Spouse(s)	Bill Sankey ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1956)​ Maurice Kaufmann ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1975)​
Children	2

Honor Blackman (born August 22, 1925 – died April 5, 2020) was a famous English actress and singer. She was known for many exciting roles. These included Cathy Gale in the TV show The Avengers from 1962 to 1964. She also played the Bond girl Pussy Galore in the James Bond movie Goldfinger (1964). Other well-known roles were Julia Daggett in Shalako (1968) and Hera in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Later, she starred as Laura West in the TV comedy The Upper Hand from 1990 to 1996.

Early Life and Training

Honor Blackman was born in Plaistow, England, on August 22, 1925. Her father, Frederick Blackman, worked as a statistician for the government. This meant he collected and analyzed numbers. Honor went to North Ealing Primary School and Ealing County Grammar School for Girls.

When she turned 15, her parents gave her acting lessons. She began training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1940. While studying, she also worked as an office assistant for the Home Office. After finishing her training, she started her acting career. She was an understudy in a play called The Guinea Pig. In 1947, she appeared in the play The Blind Goddess.

Acting Career

Honor Blackman had a long and successful career in films, TV, and theatre.

Films

Honor Blackman's first movie role was a small part in Fame Is the Spur (1947). She appeared in many other films. These included Quartet (1948) and Diamond City (1949). She also starred in So Long at the Fair (1950) and Green Grow the Rushes (1951).

She was in A Night to Remember (1958), which was about the Titanic disaster. She also appeared in the comedy The Square Peg (1958). Later films included Life at the Top (1965) and The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970). She also acted in Western movies like Shalako (1968) and Something Big (1971).

Blackman as the goddess Hera in Jason and the Argonauts

One of her famous roles was Hera in Jason and the Argonauts (1963). This movie was known for its amazing stop-motion animation by Ray Harryhausen. In the 2000s, she appeared in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001).

James Bond Films

In the 1960s, Honor Blackman learned judo, a Japanese martial art. This skill helped her play strong characters. She used her judo training for her roles as Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Pussy Galore in the James Bond movie Goldfinger (1964).

The producer of the Bond films, Albert R. Broccoli, chose her for Goldfinger. He had seen her success in The Avengers. He thought she would be perfect for the role. He knew that American audiences would enjoy her performance.

Theatre Work

Honor Blackman also had a busy career in theatre. In 1968, she starred in the musical play Mr & Mrs. In the late 1970s, she toured Australia and New Zealand in the comedy Move Over, Mrs Markham. In 1979, she appeared in Tom Stoppard's play Night and Day.

In 1981, she was in a London show of The Sound of Music. This production was very popular and sold many tickets. In 1987, she played the Mother Superior in Nunsense in London's West End.

She returned to the stage in 2005 for My Fair Lady, playing Mrs. Higgins. She also created her own one-woman show called Word of Honor. From 2007, she played Fraulein Schneider in the musical Cabaret in London.

Television Roles

Blackman and Maurice Evans on The Name of the Game (1975)

Honor Blackman began acting on television in 1959. She had a recurring role as Nicole in The Four Just Men.

From 1962 to 1964, she played Dr. Cathy Gale in The Avengers. Cathy Gale was a smart anthropologist who was skilled in judo. She often wore leather clothes. This character was very new and different for British TV at the time. Blackman left The Avengers to star in the James Bond film Goldfinger.

In a later episode of The Avengers, her character Cathy Gale was mentioned. This was a fun inside joke about Honor Blackman filming Goldfinger at the time.

Blackman was also featured on the show This Is Your Life twice. In 1972, she was a guest star in an episode of the American crime show Columbo. She also appeared in a TV movie based on Agatha Christie's novel The Secret Adversary in 1983.

In 1986, she had a role in the science fiction show Doctor Who. From 1990 to 1996, she was Laura West in the popular comedy The Upper Hand. She also appeared in Midsomer Murders (2003) and Casualty (2013).

Singing Career

After her role in Goldfinger, Honor Blackman recorded an album of songs called Everything I've Got.

In 1968, she released a single with two songs, "Before Today" and "I'll Always Be Loving You". She also sang as Juno in a TV production of an opera in 1983. In 2009, she released a new song called "The Star Who Fell from Grace". She also hosted a James Bond concert.

Other Work

In 2011, Honor Blackman lent her voice to a Doctor Who audio drama called The Children of Seth.

Personal Life

Honor Blackman was married twice. Her first marriage was to Bill Sankey from 1948 to 1956. Later, she married British actor Maurice Kaufmann in 1961. They appeared together in the movie Fright (1971). They adopted two children, Lottie and Barnaby. They divorced in 1975.

After her second divorce, she chose not to remarry. She enjoyed being single. She was also a fan of football. Honor Blackman passed away at her home in Lewes, England, on April 5, 2020, at the age of 94. She died of natural causes.

Filmography

Film

Television

• African Patrol (1958-1959, TV Series) as Pat Murray / Grace Bowler / Isobel Thorne
• The Saint (1962, TV Series) as Pauline Stone
• The Avengers (1962–1964, TV Series) as Cathy Gale
• Boney: Boney In Venom House (1972, TV Series) as Mary Answorth
• Columbo: Dagger of the Mind (1972, TV Series) as Lillian Stanhope
• Orpheus in the Underworld (BBC TV, 1983) as Juno / Empress Eugénie
• The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (1984, TV Mini-Series) as Ursula Schumann
• Minder on the Orient Express (1985, TV Series) as Helen Speeder
• Doctor Who (1986, Episode: "Terror of the Vervoids") as Professor Lasky
• The Upper Hand (1990–1996, TV Series) as Laura West
• Midsomer Murders (2003, TV Series) as Isobel Hewitt
• Summer Solstice (2005, TV Movie) as Countess Lucinda Reeves
• New Tricks (2005, TV Series) as Kitty Campbell
• Hotel Babylon (2009, TV Series) as Constance Evergreen
• Casualty (2013, TV Series) as Agatha Kirkpatrick
• By Any Means (2013, TV Series) as Celia Butler
• You, Me & Them (2015, TV Series) as Rose Walker
• Silent Witness as uncredited resident of old people's home (final appearance)

See also

In Spanish: Honor Blackman para niños