Nadja Regin, Bond girl in From Russia with Love and Goldfinger, dies at 87

Nadja Regin, a Serbian actress known for her starring roles in two early James Bond films of the Sean Connery era, has passed away at the age of 87, the official 007 Twitter account confirmed today.

"We are very sorry to learn that Nadja Regin has passed away at the age of 87. Nadja appeared in two Bond films, From Russia with Love [1963] and Goldfinger [1964]. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time," reads the post, which was accompanied by a still of Regin as a lover of Bond's Istanbul-based ally, Kerim Bey (Pedro Armendariz), in From Russia with Love.

When it comes to Goldfinger, Regin played femme fatale Bonita in the pre-title sequence, attempting to seduce Bond, so that he can be subdued by an enemy. The superspy realizes her intentions at the last second, pivoting her into the way of the assailant's blunt object.

Goldfinger was the first Bond movie to feature an original song played during its opening titles — in this case, it was sung by Shirley Bassey, in the first of three collaborations with the franchise. The film also marks the franchise's first reliance on spy-fi gadgets and the debut of 007's iconic silver Aston Martin.

Born in Serbia in the early 1930s as Nadezda Poderegin, Regin kicked off her acting career at home and in Germany before moving to the U.K. in the 1950s. Having also appeared in genre TV shows like The Saint, she'll always be best-known for her turns in back-to-back Bond films. Talking about why she appeared in both movies during an interview with Double-O Seven Magazine, Regin said:

“I think it was maybe given to me as compensation because I was meant to have more scenes in From Russia With Love. I think that’s why they also gave me a part in Goldfinger.”

In the '70s, her career expanded into a role behind-the-scenes, working with production companies to find scripts that would make viable movies. In 1980, she co-founded a publishing house, Honeyglen Publishing Ltd. More recently, in 2016, she published a novel, The Victims and The Fools, a post-World War II love story set in England and Yugoslavia.

Sadly, Regin is the second Bond girl in a week to have passed away. Last Monday, it was reported that another Goldfinger star, Tania Mallet, had died at the age of 77.

(Certain bio information via the BBC)