Britt Ekland is Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun

Britt Ekland and Roger Moore star in
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Britt Ekland is a Swedish actress who is famous for playing the James Bond girl Mary Goodnight in the 1974 movie The Man with the Golden Gun. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 6th 1942.

Britt Ekland is also known for her various relationships and love affairs with well-known men after her early marriage to actress and comedian, Peter Sellers. This illustrious list includes Lou Adler, Warren Beatty, Ascanio Cicogna, Lord Lichfield, Ryan O’Neal, and Rod Stewart.

Britt Ekland is Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

“Oh darling, I'm tempted ... but killing a few hours as
one of your passing fancies isn't quite my scene.”

Ekland has appeared in many roles in television and cinema over the years. Her most notable performance was in the 1968 musical comedy The Night They Raided Minsky’s where she portrayed Rachel Schpitendavel.

At the age of 20 in Rome, Italy, Ekland’s career took off after she was found by an agent from 20th Century Fox and then signed up to a seven year contract.

In 1964, at the tender age of 21, Britt Ekland married Peter Sellers after meeting him just ten days earlier. Together they would have a daughter before their high profile marriage ended in divorce in 1968.

In the musical thriller/horror film The Wicker Man (1973), Ekland played the character of Willow. The film would become a cult classic and one of the most admired movies in British cinema.

Her highly publicised association with Rod Stewart began in 1975, after she met him at a social gathering following one of his performances. As Ekland states, they were the “Posh and Becks of the Seventies”. However, their relationship ended tragically three years later.

Britt Ekland’s highly popular autobiography titled True Britt was published in 1980. The book was a sensation and described in detail her many affairs and relationships.

In 1984, at the age of 42, Britt Ekland married Slim Jim Phantom of the rockabilly band Stray Cats. They had a son together before their marriage ended in 1992.

At the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ekland took audiences on a waltz through her remarkable and tumultuous life in her own show entitled Britt on Britt.

Ekland is an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society and in recent years has made regular pantomime appearances in Swindon, Wiltshire, England.

Mary Goodnight

Based in Hong Kong, Mary Goodnight is James Bond’s intelligence officer in The Man with the Golden Gun. She is portrayed by Swedish beauty Britt Ekland.

Agent 007 is assisted by Goodnight in tracking down Francisco Scaramanga’s girlfriend, Andrea Anders. However, Scaramanga and his loyal assistant, Nick Nack, soon get their hands on the precious Solex Agitator after Goodnight neglects to inform Lieutenant Hip of James Bond’s existence.

Later, Mary Goodnight endures an uncomfortable night in 007’s hotel room wardrobe, after Andrea Anders had arrived unannounced. Supporting Bond and Hip in obtaining the Solex Agitator, Goodnight receives the device from 007 who has cunningly stolen it from Scaramanga at a boxing competition.

Mary Goodnight then attempts to place a homing device on Scaramanga’s vehicle, but is pushed into the car’s boot. In dramatic fashion, Sheriff J W Pepper meets up with Bond and together they pursue Scaramanga across Bangkok.

However, Scaramanga makes an amazing escape when his vehicle sprouts wings and flies off to a secluded island with Goodnight taken prisoner. Luckily, Bond is able to track the homing device and discovers the villain’s Thailand hideaway.

Scaramanga and 007 battle in a duel that leads to the island’s Fun House. Meanwhile Goodnight hits the island technician, Kra, with a spanner sending him into a liquid helium pool inside the solar energy plant.

This leaves the plant in a dangerously unstable condition. Bond takes care of Scaramanga by outsmarting the evil villain. Mary Goodnight and Agent 007 are then able to take the valuable Solex device before escaping the exploding island in a Chinese junk.

However, just when they set the craft on autopilot and begin to relax in the cabin, Nick Nack arrives out of the blue and attacks Bond. In a vicious battle, 007 prevails by trapping Nick Nack in a suitcase and hoisting him high on the vessel’s mast.

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