Fabulous Patsy’s start as Bond girl
SHE is now known around the world as the Absolutely Fabulous Patsy Stone.
But Joanna Lumley has revealed her acting career began as a Bond girl – in such a small part she had no name.
The 70-year-old actress was the guest speaker at an annual Inverurie Loco Works FC event in Aberdeen.
She said that, although it was not widely known, she played ‘the English one’ in the 1969 George Lazenby Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
She said: ‘I didn’t even have to have a character name. I was one of Blofeld’s angels of death.
‘My part was mostly crocheting. But you have something no one can take away – I am a Bond girl.’
Miss Lumley, who married conductor Stephen Barlow in Fort William in 1986, also talked about working on The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio. She said: ‘In the script I saw the line “he leans over to kiss you” and I signed right up. DiCaprio is a proper man and a proper actor.’
She became a global star for her role as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous in the 1990s. This year’s movie of the show was also a worldwide hit.
The actress also spoke of her work seeking justice for Gurkhas settling in Britain. Her father served in the 6th Gurkha Rifles, and she became the face of the bid to give all veterans the right to settle in the UK in 2008.
She recalled the day the Gurkhas
‘My part was mostly crocheting’
were victorious: ‘The bells at Westminster Abbey began to peal. They were ringing for the Gurkhas.’
Miss Lumley has deep Scottish roots. Her ancestor William McCombie developed Aberdeen Angus beef in the early 19th century in the hamlet of Tillyfour, Alford.
She also has a holiday home in Dumfriesshire.