Bond girls may come and go, but one has been there for almost all of the spy’s adventures: Miss Moneypenny, secretary to “M” who has always had a flirtatious, but unconsummated, relationship with James Bond. Alas, the original (and most enduring) Moneypenny, Lois Maxwell, passed away this weekend at 80 years old.
Maxwell originated the role of Miss Moneypenny in the original Bond picture, Dr. No. She then went on to play the role thirteen more times, through both the Sean Connery and Roger Moore eras of Bond, before her last appearance in A View To A Kill. With Timothy Dalton’s Bond came a new Moneypenny, but Maxwell was always the iconic version of the character to fans.
Roger Moore told the Associated Press that the actress had been battling cancer in recent years. "It's rather a shock," Moore, told the press. "She was always fun and she was wonderful to be with.” As well as playing Moneypenny to Moore’s bond, the two were also students together at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Maxwell appeared in Moore’s series, The Saint and The Persuaders.
The most recent Bond picture, Casino Royale didn’t include the secretarial character, so the character’s reign may have come to an end. Regardless of the character’s fate, Lois Maxwell will always be the definitive Moneypenny in my mind.
