Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss actress and former model who has appeared in American, British, and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, Dr. No (1962). She later starred as Vesper Lynd in the 1967 Bond parody Casino Royale. Other credits include Fun in Acapulco (1963), 4 for Texas (1963), She (1965), The 10th Victim (1965), The Blue Max (1966), The Southern Star (1969), Perfect Friday (1970), Red Sun (1971), The Sensuous Nurse (1975), Slave of the Cannibal God (1978), The Fifth Musketeer (1979), Clash of the Titans (1981), and Peter the Great (1986).
Ursula Andress, the third of six children, was born on 19 March 1936 in Ostermundigen, Canton of Bern, to a Swiss mother, Anna, and Rolf Andress, a German diplomat. Her father was expelled from Switzerland for political reasons and her grandfather, a garden designer, became her guardian. She has a brother, Heinz, and four sisters, Erika, Charlotte, Gisela, and Kàtey.
Andress went to school in Bern until she was 16 and learned several languages, including English, French, German, and Italian. She studied art in Paris for a year, then went to Rome, where she worked various jobs including being a children's nanny.
Andress was at a party when she met a film producer who offered her a screen test for a role in an Italian film. She was successful and was cast in walk-on parts in An American in Rome (1954) (starring Alberto Sordi), Sins of Casanova (1955) (starring later Bond ally Gabriele Ferzetti), and La catena dell'odio (1955). She was seen by a Hollywood executive who persuaded her to try her luck in Hollywood.
Andress arrived in Hollywood in late 1955. That spring she was signed to a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures, starting at $287 a week. The contract brought no acting roles, owing to her reluctance to learn English. "I spent most of my time watching old Marlene Dietrich movies", she said. Andress received some publicity for dating James Dean shortly before the actor's death. She bought herself out of her contract and in 1956 signed with Columbia Pictures. She made no films for them either. She stayed in Hollywood when she married John Derek in 1957. In 1959, it was announced she and Derek would star in a film, High Variety, but no film resulted. Source: Article "Ursula Andress" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Photos
Movies (69)
Ares Gate: La fabbrica delle illusioni
2023 · Self (archive footage)
Belmondo: The Incorrigible
2022
Famous T&A 2
2022 · Susan Stevenson (archive footage) (uncredited)
Deneuve, la reine Catherine
2022 · Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
2022 · Self (archive footage)
Hollywood-Diven von ihrer erotischen Seite
2017 · Self (archive footage)
Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops
2016 · Self
Belmondo by Belmondo
2016 · Self (uncredited)
The Importance of Being Uncomfortable: Gualtiero Jacopetti
2012 · Self
Celebrity Nude Revue: The Saucy 70's Volume 1
2010 · Self
Masterpiece or Forgery? The Story of Elmyr De Hory
2008 · Self
Marcello, una vita dolce
2006 · Self (archive footage)
Elio Petri: Notes About a Filmmaker
2005 · Self
St. Francis Birds Tour
2005 · Madonna
The Best of So Graham Norton
2004 · Self (archive footage)
100 Greatest Sexy Moments
2003 · Self
The Cremaster Cycle
2003 · Queen of Chain ('Cremaster 5')
Bond Girls Are Forever
2002 · Herself
Inside 'Diamonds Are Forever'
2000 · Self
Terence Young: Bond Vivant
2000 · Self
Inside 'Dr. No'
2000 · Self
Harry Saltzman: Showman
2000 · Self
Cremaster 5
1997 · Queen of Chain
Almost True: The Noble Art of Forgery
1997 · Self
The Cave of the Golden Rose 4
1994 · Xellesia
The Cave of the Golden Rose 3
1993 · Xellesia
Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders
1989 · Betty Starr
Hollywood on Horses
1989 · Self
Broken Silence
1988 · Agnes
Happy Anniversary 007: 25 Years of James Bond
1987 · Self (archive footage)
Liberté, égalité, choucroute
1985 · Marie-Antoinette
James Bond: The First 21 Years
1983 · Self
Party in Rio
1983 · Self
Red Bells Part I: Mexico in Flames
1982 · Mabel Dodge
Famous T & A
1982 · Susan Stevenson (archive footage)
Electric Blue 007
1982 · Self (archive footage)
Clash of the Titans
1981 · Aphrodite
Reporters
1981 · Self
The Fifth Musketeer
1979 · Louise de La Vallière
Tigers in Lipstick
1979 · The Stroller / The Widow
Slave of the Cannibal God
1978 · Susan Stevenson
Double Murder
1977 · Princess Anna Dell'Orso
Love in 4 Easy Lessons
1976 · Marina (segment "La visita")
The Loves and Times of Scaramouche
1976 · Josephine De Beauharnais
Safari Express
1976 · Miriam
The Sensuous Nurse
1975 · Anna
Africa Express
1975 · Madeleine Cooper
Two hearts, a Chapel
1975 · Ursula Andress (uncredited)
Loaded Guns
1975 · Nora Green
Stateline Motel
1973 · Michelle Nolton
Red Sun
1971 · Cristina
The Bob Hope Christmas Special
1971 · Self
Perfect Friday
1970 · Lady Britt Dorset
The Southern Star
1969 · Erica Kramer
Anyone Can Play
1967 · Norma
Casino Royale
1967 · Vesper Lynd
Once Before I Die
1966 · Alex
The Blue Max
1966 · Countess Kaeti von Klugermann
Up to His Ears
1965 · Alexandrine Pinardel
The 10th Victim
1965 · Caroline Meredith
The Incredible World of James Bond
1965 · Self (archive footage)
What's New Pussycat?
1965 · Rita
She
1965 · Ayesha
Nightmare in the Sun
1965 · Marsha Wilson
4 for Texas
1963 · Maxine Richter
Fun in Acapulco
1963 · Marguerita Dauphin
Dr. No
1962 · Honey Ryder
Sins of Casanova
1954 · viaggiatrice in carrozza
An American in Rome
1954 · Astrid Sjöström
TV shows (27)
G&G - Gesichter und Geschichten
2005 · Self
V Graham Norton
2002 · Self
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001 · Self - Guest
Aeschbacher
2001 · Self
Beckmann
1999 · Self
So Graham Norton
1998 · Self - Guest
E! True Hollywood Story
1996 · Self
Willemsens Woche
1995 · Self
The World of Hammer
1994 · Self (archive footage)
The Cave of the Golden Rose
1991 · Xellesia
Big Man
1988 · Susy Kaminski
Sacrée soirée
1987 · Self
Peter the Great
1986 · Athalie
Wedden, dat..?
1986 · Self
Manimal
1983 · Karen Jade
Menschen
1982 · Self
Falcon Crest
1981 · Madame Malec
Wetten, dass..?
1981 · Self
The Love Boat
1977 · Carole Stanton
Numéro un
1975 · Self
The Dick Cavett Show
1968 · Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
The Merv Griffin Show
1962 · Self
Thriller
1960 · Luana
Cinépanorama
1956 · Self
The Bob Hope Show
1950 · Self
What's My Line?
1950 · Self