Post by Ace on Jul 11, 2005 14:45:24 GMT -5
I adore Samantha Bond, so it's nice to know she has such great taste. 
I hope we get this show soon on PBS but then other of her recent shows haven't appeared yet.
From Belgrade girl to Bond girl
July 11, 2005 10:30am
Europe Intelligence Wire
MISS MONEYPENNY might still be waiting for James Bond to sweep her off her feet, but actress Samantha Bond is already licensed to thrill. TV writer MARION McMULLEN catches up with the one-time Belgrade Theatre star. THE Coventry stage was the first platform for 007 star Samantha Bond's acting talents.
She began her career back at the Belgrade Theatre in the early 80s and has fond memories of the Godiva city.
Productions like On Your Bike brought her to the attention of city audiences and she has gone on to carve out a successful career in theatre, television and films.
Her most famous role has been playing flirty secretary Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies like Die Another Day, The World is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies and Golden Eye.
She took over the role when Pierce Brosnan stepped into the shoes of super-spy 007 and quickly became a firm favourite with movie fans.
"Miss Moneypenny has a human relationship with James Bond in a way that no-one else does," says Samantha. "She's also the only one who is able to put him down. There is a genuine affection between me and Pierce - and that shows up on screen."
Samantha admires what Pierce has done with the role, and has already gone on record to say she will probably step down when a new Bond takes over.
"The Brosnan years have reinvented the franchise. It got lost for a few years when it all went PC.
"Pierce's qualities have helped a lot. He's very witty and intelligent. He also has a great warmth about him - all those personal qualities shine through in his performance. As if that wasn't enough, he is devilishly attractive too. He was voted the sexiest man alive in one paper, and who am I to argue with that?"
Samantha gets to ooze sex appeal in the Bond movies, but she'll be giving actor Tom Conti the cold shoulder tomorrow in new ITV crime series Donovan.
She plays his neglected wife, Kate Donovan, is the drama about a driven forensics expert.
"Kate comes across as a very cold person, but I think that's because she's so unhappy," points out 42-year-old Samantha.
"She has several layers to her personality and is an extremely intriguing lady to play.
Kate's quite glamorous, but I think she uses this guise to hide her inner feelings. She's had so many years of being side-lined by Donovan. She's truly miserable and longs for happiness in her life, so she uses her demeanour to over-compensate for her unhappiness."
Samantha says she has very little in common with Kate Donovan in her own life apart from their love for their kids. She and her actor husband Alexander Hanson have two children, Tom and Molly.
Playing Donovan's wife is certainly a change from some of the glamorous roles Samantha has played in the past, but she says the work has been a lot like a Bond film. "It's remarkably similar actually, particularly as Miss Moneypenny is based in an office so I wasn't involved in any of the action scenes.
"The major difference with Bond is the huge studio. They drive you around in little motorised buggy's to get you to the area of the studio you need to be in. It's so big you couldn't walk around it all day, you'd be exhausted.
"Once you're on the studio floor it makes no difference whether you're in Pinewood or in Hale, Cheshire, where we filmed Donovan. The process is the same and everyone is working as hard as possible to make sure they do as good a job as possible. The similarities are more striking than the differences."
The former Royal Shakespeare Company actress returned to Stratford this year for the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations and will be on TV screens again shortly.
She's currently filming a second series of Distant Shores with Peter Davison for ITV... and waiting to see if Miss Moneypenny will be taking dictation for James Bond in the future.
'The thinking woman's crumpet' TOM CONTI (left) has been called the "thinking woman's crumpet" and famously romanced Pauline Collins in the movie Shirley Valentine.
But there's little romance on the cards in new ITV series Donovan. "He's man confused by everything except science. Science is his obsession," says Tom of his new crime-busting TV character.
"The problem is everything else in his life has suffered, including his wife. He intellectualises about his relationship with her, but he can't stop his fixation with science."
Luckily, Tom says he is nothing like the forensic expert in real life. He says: "I love science and think it's important, but I love my wife a lot more, unlike Joe."
Tom has been married to actress Kara Wilson for 37 years and the 62-year-old star has just published his novel, The Doctor.
He says: "I'm currently working on a number of projects. I'm writing my second novel and I'm also writing a new television idea."
Copyright © 2005 Coventry Evening Telegraph Ltd
I hope we get this show soon on PBS but then other of her recent shows haven't appeared yet.
From Belgrade girl to Bond girl
July 11, 2005 10:30am
Europe Intelligence Wire
MISS MONEYPENNY might still be waiting for James Bond to sweep her off her feet, but actress Samantha Bond is already licensed to thrill. TV writer MARION McMULLEN catches up with the one-time Belgrade Theatre star. THE Coventry stage was the first platform for 007 star Samantha Bond's acting talents.
She began her career back at the Belgrade Theatre in the early 80s and has fond memories of the Godiva city.
Productions like On Your Bike brought her to the attention of city audiences and she has gone on to carve out a successful career in theatre, television and films.
Her most famous role has been playing flirty secretary Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies like Die Another Day, The World is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies and Golden Eye.
She took over the role when Pierce Brosnan stepped into the shoes of super-spy 007 and quickly became a firm favourite with movie fans.
"Miss Moneypenny has a human relationship with James Bond in a way that no-one else does," says Samantha. "She's also the only one who is able to put him down. There is a genuine affection between me and Pierce - and that shows up on screen."
Samantha admires what Pierce has done with the role, and has already gone on record to say she will probably step down when a new Bond takes over.
"The Brosnan years have reinvented the franchise. It got lost for a few years when it all went PC.
"Pierce's qualities have helped a lot. He's very witty and intelligent. He also has a great warmth about him - all those personal qualities shine through in his performance. As if that wasn't enough, he is devilishly attractive too. He was voted the sexiest man alive in one paper, and who am I to argue with that?"
Samantha gets to ooze sex appeal in the Bond movies, but she'll be giving actor Tom Conti the cold shoulder tomorrow in new ITV crime series Donovan.
She plays his neglected wife, Kate Donovan, is the drama about a driven forensics expert.
"Kate comes across as a very cold person, but I think that's because she's so unhappy," points out 42-year-old Samantha.
"She has several layers to her personality and is an extremely intriguing lady to play.
Kate's quite glamorous, but I think she uses this guise to hide her inner feelings. She's had so many years of being side-lined by Donovan. She's truly miserable and longs for happiness in her life, so she uses her demeanour to over-compensate for her unhappiness."
Samantha says she has very little in common with Kate Donovan in her own life apart from their love for their kids. She and her actor husband Alexander Hanson have two children, Tom and Molly.
Playing Donovan's wife is certainly a change from some of the glamorous roles Samantha has played in the past, but she says the work has been a lot like a Bond film. "It's remarkably similar actually, particularly as Miss Moneypenny is based in an office so I wasn't involved in any of the action scenes.
"The major difference with Bond is the huge studio. They drive you around in little motorised buggy's to get you to the area of the studio you need to be in. It's so big you couldn't walk around it all day, you'd be exhausted.
"Once you're on the studio floor it makes no difference whether you're in Pinewood or in Hale, Cheshire, where we filmed Donovan. The process is the same and everyone is working as hard as possible to make sure they do as good a job as possible. The similarities are more striking than the differences."
The former Royal Shakespeare Company actress returned to Stratford this year for the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations and will be on TV screens again shortly.
She's currently filming a second series of Distant Shores with Peter Davison for ITV... and waiting to see if Miss Moneypenny will be taking dictation for James Bond in the future.
'The thinking woman's crumpet' TOM CONTI (left) has been called the "thinking woman's crumpet" and famously romanced Pauline Collins in the movie Shirley Valentine.
But there's little romance on the cards in new ITV series Donovan. "He's man confused by everything except science. Science is his obsession," says Tom of his new crime-busting TV character.
"The problem is everything else in his life has suffered, including his wife. He intellectualises about his relationship with her, but he can't stop his fixation with science."
Luckily, Tom says he is nothing like the forensic expert in real life. He says: "I love science and think it's important, but I love my wife a lot more, unlike Joe."
Tom has been married to actress Kara Wilson for 37 years and the 62-year-old star has just published his novel, The Doctor.
He says: "I'm currently working on a number of projects. I'm writing my second novel and I'm also writing a new television idea."
Copyright © 2005 Coventry Evening Telegraph Ltd
) and a good actress. Thanks for posting her kind words!
