Men are raised to love certain things, women, action movies and countdowns are three of those things. So when I was given the opportunity to put all three together, how could I resist?
I was tasked with the almost impossible job of ranking the Top 10 Bond girls, it’s a rough job, but someone’s gotta do it.
The question quickly became, what would the criteria be on how I judged them? Was it based on just how beautiful they were? Or did it have to include their badassness as well? How about, how integral they are to the story? Or dare I dig even deeper than that for this list, and base it on how being a Bond Girl affected their career?
So I had the arduous task of pouring over all the incredibly beautiful and talented women who played a “Bond Girl” and devised a list of the 10 best. The reasoning behind them being chosen kind of morphed as I delved deeper. The Top 10 made the list based on attractiveness, importance of the role, what they have done since being a Bond Girl and how well known they are. So without further rambling, here is my Top 10 which I am sure will spark debate:
#10: Barbara Bach – (The Spy who Loved Me; Anya Amasova) Sister of the “original” Daisy Duke, Bach really made an impression on me because she was the FIRST Bond girl I saw when women started meaning something to me. She joined forces with my favorite Bond (Roger Moore) against one of the most evil Bond villainous henchmen of all time in “Jaws”. Bach will never go down as the most memorable or best looking of the Bond girls, but because of the timing of the movie, she will always hold a special place in my heart, and #10 on my list.
#9: Honor Blackman – (Goldfinger; Pussy Galore) There is no Bond girl whose name is more memorable that Blackman as Pussy Galore. Goldfinger is widely considered one of the best Bond films of all time, and although her acting career is more about the work she did on British television, she gets mega bonus points for playing Pussy Galore. I am sorry, but it is such fun to type and say Pussy Galore that I have to continue to type Pussy Galore.
#8:Izabella Scorupco – (Goldeneye; Natlya Simonova) This is where the “honorary” Bond girls disappear, and the really incredible ones begin. She had the handicap of having to work with Piece Brosnan as Bond, but she alone made Goldeneye watchable, over and over again. She was both beautiful and deadly, a wicked combo in a Bond film.
#7: Caterina Murino – (Casino Royale; Solange) In Daniel Craig’s first foray into the role of 007, he gets not one but two Bond girls (Eva Green being the other, she checks in at #12, so just misses the list). But it is Murino’s sultry good looks and exotic Italian look and accent that pushes her over the top.
#6: Denise Richards – (The World is Not Enough; Dr Christmas Jones) Now it begins in earnest, as you know the Top 5 has to be great if Denise Richards can only be #6. She would be ranked a bit higher if she could make us believe she was a nuclear scientist. As beautiful as she is, she just cannot pull it off believably. So Richards will ALWAYS make our Top 10 list of most beautiful anything, just not in the upper half.
#5 Teri Hatcher – (Tomorrow Never Dies; Paris Carver) They’re real, and they’re spectacular. I realize that it is a reference that has nothing to do with 007, but it has everything to do with our #5 entrant. Although her screen time is minimal in this one, as one of Bond’s old girlfriends, Hatcher excels and the chemistry between her and Pierce Brosnan may be some of the greatest fireworks between Bond and one of his “Bond Girls”.
#4 Carey Lowell – (License to Kill; Pam Bouvier) I will admit that this one is a personal choice, as Lowell was always fantastic as ADA Jamie Ross in Law and Order. But that still should not take away from her performance in this flick. After all, she has Bonds back in a bar fight, she can pilot a helicopter, she is willing to get a makeover to keep in character and she is even willing to seduce the slimy bad guy in order to save the day at the end.
#3 Jane Seymour – (Live and Let Die; Solitaire) Quite possibly my favorite of all the Bond girls in what is my favorite Bond film. Even today at 64 Jane Seymour is incredibly gorgeous. In this film, she is totally off-limits and she is a virgin and it will rob her of her psychic powers. This may be the toughest challenge that Bond has to face in any of his films, but he passes this test in flying colors, and Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman continues to be one of the sexiest women on the planet.
#2 Halle Berry – (Die Another Day; Jinx) There are just two words that need be said about this spot, Halle Berry!!! Let me repeat that, but this time it’s three words, Halle Freaking Berry. Her entrance in a bikini may be the greatest entrance of any Bond girl, eclipsing even our #1. But she proves in this Bond chapter that she is more than just a pretty face, as Berry is an ass kicker as well. There was even talk of a spin-off series based on Jinx, but it never came to fruition. But still, coming in at #2 is a solid consolation.
#1 Ursula Andress – (Dr. No; Honey Ryder) The original Bond girl, and to be quite honest, still the best is Ursual Andress in Dr. No. The iconic intro to Honey Ryder, in that sexy white bikini with the bad ass knife strapped to her belt, set off a chain of events that still are relevant today. I mean, it is because of this Swiss beauty, that Bond girls even exist. Putting her ANYWHERE but #1 would be a total travesty.
There you have it, the Top 10 Bond girls of all time. I am sure that tastes are different from every locale and every age group, but one thing cannot be denied, Bond girls are ALL sexy, dangerous and as important to the films as 007 himself.