Honor Blackman "The Brits would love her because they knew her as Mrs. Gale, the Yanks would like her because she was so good, it was a perfect combination". During the 1960s, Blackman practised judo at the famous Budokwai dojo. This helped her prepare for her roles as Cathy Gale in "The Avengers" and Pussy Galore in "Goldfinger." At 38, she was one of the oldest actresses to play a Bond girl,five years older than Sean Connery. In 1968 Blackman appeared opposite John Neville and Hylda Baker in the musical play "Mr & Mrs", based on the plays of Noël Coward. In
Honor Blackman publicly supported changing the British electoral system from first-past-the-post to alternative vote for electing members to the House of Commons in the Alternative Vote referendum in 2011. In 2012 Blackman publicly criticised actor Sean Connery, her Bond co-star in the 1960s, for his status as a tax exile. She said, "I disapprove of him strongly now. Because I don't think you should accept a title from a country and then pay absolutely no tax towards it. He wants it both ways. I don't think his principles are very high." Following the death of Margaret Thatcher in April 2013, when asked