Eunice Gayson (17 March 1928 – 8 June 2018)^[1][3] was an English actress best known for playing Sylvia Trench, James Bond's girlfriend in the first two Bond films (Dr. No andFrom Russia with Love). Originally, Gayson was to be cast as Miss Moneypenny, but that part went to Lois Maxwell instead. She was the first official Bond girl.^[4][5]

Early life[edit]

Gayson was born in Purley, London, Surrey,^[6] to John Sargaison, a civil servant, and his wife Maria. She was a gifted soprano and trained as an opera singer.^[7]

Career[edit]

For a number of years Gayson played the part of Frau Schrader (The Baroness) in the London production of The Sound Of Music at the Palace Theatre.^[8] Gayson was originally to have been a regular in the Bond film series, but her character was dropped after the first two films. Gayson's voice in Dr. No and From Russia with Love was overdubbed by voice actress Nikki van der Zyl.^[7] In Dr. No, her character introduces herself as "Trench, Sylvia Trench", allowing Connery to reply in kind, which would become a Bond trademark.^[6]Gayson also played a major role in the Hammer horror film The Revenge of Frankensteinand was seen on TV in series such as The Saint and The Avengers.^[6]

Personal life[edit]

Gayson married the writer Leigh Vance in 1953, a marriage which featured as part of the television show Bride and Groom. They divorced in 1959, and in 1968 she married the film and stage actor Brian Jackson. That marriage also ended in divorce but produced a daughter, Kate, who later appeared in the casino scene in the 1995 Bond film GoldenEye.^[7]

Gayson died on 8 June 2018, aged 90.^[2][9]

Filmography^[10][edit]

References