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
Bond girl for all of Fleming's Bond girls may be his onetime lover Muriel Wright, who according to "The Times" Wright was 26 and "exceptionally beautiful" when she and Fleming met in 1935. A talented rider, skier, and polo player, Wright was independently wealthy and a model. She was devoted to Fleming, despite his repeated unfaithfulness. She died in an air raid in 1944, devastating Fleming, who called Wright "too good to be true". Ursula Andress (as Honey Ryder) in "Dr. No" (1962) is widely regarded as the first Bond girl, although she was preceded by both Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench