‘ Cultured’ 007 baddie Lonsdale dies at 89
TRIBUTES have been paid to Bond villain Michael Lonsdale who has died aged 89.
He starred opposite Sir Roger Moore in 1979’ s Moonraker as Hugo Drax, a genocidal space shuttle tycoon. 007 bosses Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said: “He was an extraordinarily talented actor and a very dear friend.”
The late Sir Roger’s Twitter account said Lonsdale’s character was “a smooth- tongued and cultured adversary”.
In 2012, Lonsdale was asked whether he worried that his Bond villain role might damage his career.
He said: “On the contrary, because I made so many films that were not really very popular or didn’t make much money. I only made poor films, so I thought I might like to be in a rich film.”
The Paris- born star was raised on Guernsey but returned to the French capital to study painting before turning to acting.
Lonsdale’s career spanned six decades. He starred in the 1973 film The Day Of The Jackal as police chief Claude Lebel.