Tania Mallet dies at 77: Tributes paid to the Bond girl from Blackpool

Tributes have been paid to Blackpool-born actress Tania Mallet following her death at the age of 77.
Tania Mallet as Tilly Masterson during the shooting of Goldfinger in Andermatt, Switzerland (Picture: Wikipedia/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tania_Mallet_-_ETH-Bibliothek_Com_C13-035-016.tif)Tania Mallet as Tilly Masterson during the shooting of Goldfinger in Andermatt, Switzerland (Picture: Wikipedia/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tania_Mallet_-_ETH-Bibliothek_Com_C13-035-016.tif)
Tania Mallet as Tilly Masterson during the shooting of Goldfinger in Andermatt, Switzerland (Picture: Wikipedia/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tania_Mallet_-_ETH-Bibliothek_Com_C13-035-016.tif)

A cousin of Dame Helen Mirror, Ms Mallet famously played Tilly Masterson alongside Sir Sean Connery’s James Bond in the 1964 classic Goldfinger.

Her death was announced on the official 007 Twitter account late yesterday.

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“We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in GOLDFINGER has passed away,” a tweet said. “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.”

Blackpool-born Mallet, the daughter of Englishman Henry Mallet and Russian Olga Mironoff, was working as a model when she was cast as Masterson by Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, her Imdb biography said.

However, instead of pursuing a career in acting after her blockbuster turn, she returned to modelling.

“Filming had been an interesting experience but I was always more comfortable in a small studio with just the photographer and his assistant,” she said once.

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“Besides which, the restrictions placed on me for the duration of the filming grated were dreadful and I could not anticipate living my life like that.”

Morgan Jeffery, TV editor at Digital Spy, said he “had the pleasure of interviewing” Ms Mallet “a few years ago” and said: “She was delightful and knitted throughout our chat.”

Reuben Wakeman, who collects James Bond memorabilia, said: “I was lucky enough to meet her in 2016 – such a lovely lady.”

And film columnist Tim Graves, who writes for the Mid-Hampshire Observer & Hampshire Independent, added: “In the late ‘90s I was fortunate to speak with her at length about her part in Goldfinger, arguably the Bondiest Bond of all the Bonds.

“She was incredibly generous with her time. RIP.”

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