First James Bond girl Eunice Gayson dies aged 90

Gayson also appeared in TV series The Avengers and The Saint

The actor recalled she had to coach Sean Connery through his lines in 1962’s Dr No (Rex)

Eunice Gayson – the first Bond girl – has died at the age of 90.

The actress appeared in the 1962 film Dr No playing Sylvia Trench opposite Sean Connery’s 007.

Gayson famously appeared in the classic scene which saw the British spy deliver the line “Bond, James Bond” for the first time, having introduced herself as “Trench, Sylvia Trench”. in a 2012 interview, Gayson revealed she assisted Connery who struggled with delivering the line correctly.

“He had to say ‘Bond, James Bond,’ but he came out with other permutations like ‘Sean Bond, James Connery’,” she said, adding director Terence Young instructed her to take the Scottish actor for a drink to calm his nerves.

Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli released a statement in the wake of her passing, saying: ”We are so sad to learn that Eunice Gayson, our very first ‘Bond girl’, who played Sylvia Trench in Dr No and From Russia With Love, has passed away. Our sincere thoughts are with her family.”

Gayson – who died on 8 June – was set to be a recurring Bond character until Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton scrapped the idea. Despite appearing in the first two Bond films, Gayson’s lines were rerecorded by voiceover artist Nikki van der Zyt.

The actress’s post-Bond career saw her score roles in TV shows The Saint and The Avengers.

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