Ursula Andress facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ursula Andress
Andress in 1974
Born	(1936-03-19) 19 March 1936 (age 89) Ostermundigen, Switzerland
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1954–2005
Spouse(s)	John Derek ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1966)​
Partner(s)	Jean-Paul Belmondo (1965–1972) Fabio Testi (1973–1977) Harry Hamlin (1979–1983) Fausto Fagone (1986–1991)
Children	1

Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss actress and former model. She has acted in American, British, and Italian movies. She became very famous for her role as Honey Ryder in the first James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962).

She also played Vesper Lynd in the 1967 Bond comedy Casino Royale. Some of her other movies include Fun in Acapulco (1963), She (1965), The Blue Max (1966), and Clash of the Titans (1981).

Early Life and Education

Ursula Andress was born in Ostermundigen, Switzerland. She was the third of six children. Her mother was Swiss, and her father, Rolf Andress, was a German diplomat. Her grandfather helped raise her. She has one brother and four sisters.

She went to school in Bern until she was 16 years old. Ursula speaks several languages, including English, French, German, and Italian. She studied art in Paris for a year. After that, she moved to Rome, where she worked different jobs, including being a children’s nanny.

Becoming an Actress

Ursula Andress met a film producer at a party in Rome. He offered her a chance to try out for a role in an Italian movie. She got the part and appeared in small roles in films like An American in Rome (1954) and The Sins of Casanova (1955).

A Hollywood executive saw her and encouraged her to try acting in Hollywood. She moved to Hollywood in 1955. She signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, but she did not make any movies for them. In 1956, she signed with Columbia Pictures, but still did not make films. She married John Derek in 1957.

Breakthrough Role: Dr. No

Ursula Andress returned to acting in 1962. She appeared in an episode of the TV show Thriller. Later that year, she became famous around the world as Honey Ryder in Dr. No. This was the very first James Bond movie.

In a famous movie scene, she walked out of the Caribbean Sea wearing a white bikini. She also had a large diving knife on her hip. This scene made her a "quintessential" Bond girl. Ursula later said that this white bikini helped her career. She won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year in 1964 for her role in Dr. No. The bikini she wore in the film was sold at an auction in 2001 for over £41,000.

Other Notable Films

After Dr. No, Ursula Andress starred with Elvis Presley in the musical Fun in Acapulco (1963). She also appeared in 4 for Texas (1963) with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Andress around 1971

In 1965, she played an immortal queen in the movie She. This movie was very successful. She also had a role in the comedy What's New Pussycat? (1965), which was a big hit. She then went to France to star with Jean-Paul Belmondo in Up to His Ears (1965). They became romantically involved, and she moved to Paris.

Ursula also starred with Marcello Mastroianni in the science fiction movie The 10th Victim (1965). She returned to Hollywood for the World War One film The Blue Max (1966), which was also a success.

In 1967, she appeared in the Bond comedy Casino Royale. She played Vesper Lynd, a spy. This movie was a big box office hit. She then made The Southern Star (1969) in Africa.

Andress in Loaded Guns (1975)

In England, she was in the heist film Perfect Friday (1970). In Spain, she appeared in the Western Red Sun (1971) with Charles Bronson. She also acted in action films like Loaded Guns (1975) and Africa Express (1975).

In 1981, Ursula Andress played Aphrodite in Clash of the Titans. She starred alongside Laurence Olivier. During the filming, she began a relationship with her co-star Harry Hamlin. They later had a son together.

She also appeared on television shows like Manimal and The Love Boat in 1983. In 1986, she was in the Emmy-winning miniseries Peter the Great. Her acting appearances became less frequent in the 1990s. Her last role was in a Swiss film in 2005.

Personal Life

Ursula Andress moved to the United States in 1955. She married actor John Derek in Las Vegas in 1957. They later divorced in 1966.

From 1965 to 1972, Ursula lived with her co-star Jean-Paul Belmondo. She has said he was the love of her life. Her next long-term relationship was with actor Fabio Testi from 1973 to 1977.

Andress at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival

Ursula Andress lived with actor Harry Hamlin after they met on the set of Clash of the Titans in 1979. Their son, Dimitri Alexander Hamlin, was born on 19 May 1980. Although they were engaged, they never married. Their relationship ended in 1983.

In the mid-1980s, she dated Fausto Fagone, who was a university student. Their relationship lasted until 1991.

In 2017, Ursula Andress sold her home in Beverly Hills. She has also lived in Florida, Virginia, and Spain. As of 2022, she divides her time between an apartment in Rome and a house in Gstaad, Switzerland, near her siblings. Her favorite language is Italian.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Ursula Andress para niños