Margaret Nolan, Goldfinger and A Hard Day's Night actress, dies at 76
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Actress Margaret Nolan, who appeared onscreen alongside James Bond and the Beatles, died Oct. 5. She was 76.
The English performer was best known for playing Bond's masseuse Dink in Goldfinger and for appearing as the gold-painted model in the 1964 film's title sequence. That same year, she appeared in the Beatles' musical comedy film A Hard Day's Night. She was also in a number of movies from the Carry On franchise, the long-running British comedy film series. While most of her acting work was between the 1960s and 1980s, Nolan returned to the screen for 2011's The Power of Three as Dame Margaret.
Edgar Wright, who cast Nolan in his upcoming film Last Night in Soho, wrote a tribute to the actress on Twitter.
"It's my sad duty to report that actress and artist, the magnificent Margaret Nolan has passed away," Wright tweeted on Sunday. "She was the middle of Venn diagram of everything cool in the 60's; having appeared with the Beatles, been beyond iconic in Bond and been part of the Carry On cast too."
He continued, "She was so funny, sharp and, as you might imagine, full of the most amazing stories. I’m so glad I got to know her. My heart goes out to her family and all that loved her. She will be much missed."
She also appeared in five Spike Milligan Q series, Steptoe & Son, The Likely Lads, Morecambe & Wise and The Sweeney. She became deeply involved in political theatre and more recently created visual art; deconstructed her own glamour modelling in a series of photomontages. 3/4 pic.twitter.com/T0Q9qn8LIl
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 11, 2020
NB. She's also the lone bright and funny spot in the very strange rock comedy 'Toomorrow'. I told her earlier in the year that I had tracked down a copy and she was very bemused that I had bothered to watch it.
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 11, 2020
Born in Somerset, England, in 1943, Nolan began her career as a glamour model under the name Vicky Kennedy. Aside from acting, she was also a visual artist who often used images of herself in her work as commentary.
Nolan was previously married to cinematographer and actor Tom Kempinski. She is survived by her two sons.
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