Claudine Auger, First French Actress to Star as a Bond Girl, Dies at 78
Claudine Auger, who played Domino opposite Sean Connery in Thunderball has died.
The actress died in Paris on Thursday, according to her agent, reports AFP. She was 78.
Before Léa Seydoux, Eva Green and Carole Bouquet, Auger was the first French actress to star opposite 007 appearing in the Bond series’ fourth entry in 1965.
Born Claudine Oger in Paris, she began her career as a model before representing France and becoming runner-up in the 1958 Miss World competition.
Turning to acting, she appeared on stage and in films including Jean Cocteau’s The Testament of Orpheus in 1960 before winning the part in Thunderball over several other better-known actresses including Rachel Welch, Faye Dunaway and Julie Christie.
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For her role in the Bond film, Auger — a particularly strong athlete — performed all her own stunts including the underwater swimming scenes.
Following her international breakthrough, Auger continued to act, appearing in films, mostly French and Italian productions and on British television as well. Several of the movies she appeared in were directed by Jacques Deray with whom she had a long term relationship.
Whether it was playing in a 007 or playing Moliere it “was the same thing,”‘ she once told an interviewer. “It was a game.”
