Martine Beswick facts for kids

Martine Beswick, whose full name is Mary Rose Penso Beswick, is an actress and model. She was born in Jamaica on September 26, 1941. Martine is famous for her roles in two exciting James Bond movies. These were From Russia with Love (1963) and Thunderball (1965). She also appeared in many other well-known films during the 1960s. In 2019, she was honored by being added to the Monster Kid Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Moving to London

Martine Beswick was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica. Her father was British, and her mother was Portuguese-Jamaican. In 1954, when Martine was 13, she moved to London with her mother and sister. This happened after her parents separated. The next year, in 1955, she left high school. She started working to help support her family.

Martine's Film Adventures

Martine Beswick is most famous for her two appearances in the James Bond film series. She first tried out for the very first Bond film, Dr. No (1962). However, she was chosen for the second movie, From Russia with Love (1963). In this film, she played a lively gypsy girl named Zora. She had a memorable fight scene with another character, Vida. Martine later shared that the director encouraged her to make the fight look very real.

She was also in Thunderball (1965) as Paula Caplan. Because she had lived away from the Caribbean for a long time, she had to spend two weeks sunbathing. This was to make her look like someone from the local area.

Other Notable Movies

Martine Beswick appeared in One Million Years B.C. (1966) alongside Raquel Welch. They also had an exciting fight scene in that movie. She played Adelita in a well-liked Western film called A Bullet for the General (1966). She also took on a villain role in the thriller The Penthouse (1967).

Martine Beswick with Franco Franchi in The Last Italian Tango (1973)

Martine also acted in several films from Hammer Studio. These included Prehistoric Women (1967). She also starred in the horror film Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971). In this movie, she played the main villain. She had a supporting role in the Italian comedy The Last Italian Tango (1973). Later, she played the Queen of Evil in Oliver Stone's first movie, Seizure (1974).

Moving to Hollywood and TV Roles

In the 1970s, Martine Beswick moved to Hollywood. She started appearing regularly in both movies and television shows. She was a guest star on many TV series. Some of these included Sledge Hammer!, Fantasy Island, and The Six Million Dollar Man. In 1980, she had the main role in the comedy film The Happy ... Goes Hollywood.

Martine continued acting into the 1990s. After that, she mostly took part in film documentaries. She would share her experiences and memories from the many films she had been in. She used to own a moving business in London. Now, she is mostly retired but still makes special appearances at James Bond fan events around the world. In 2018, after not acting for 24 years, Martine returned to the screen. She appeared in House of the Gorgon with other actors from Hammer films.

Filmography

Here are some of the films Martine Beswick appeared in:

Television Appearances

Martine Beswick also appeared in many television shows:

See also

In Spanish: Martine Beswick para niños