Tania Mallet Explained

Tania Mallet
Birth Date:19 May 1941
Birth Place:Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Occupation:Actress, model
Yearsactive:1961–1976
Relatives:Helen Mirren (cousin)

Tania Mallet (19 May 1941 – 30 March 2019)[1] was an English actress and model, best known for playing Tilly Masterson in the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964).

Early life and ancestry

Mallet was born on 19 May 1941 in Blackpool, the daughter of Russian noblewoman and former chorus girl Olga Mironoff and English millionaire car salesman Henry Mallet. Her maternal grandfather Pyotr, who owned a family estate near Gzhatsk (now Gagarin, Smolensk Oblast), was a member of the Russian aristocracy. His mother was Countess Lydia Andreevna Kamenskaya, aristocrat and a descendant of Count Mikhail Fedotovich Kamensky, a prominent Russian general in the Napoleonic Wars.[2] [3] Tania Mallett signed her name with the double "-tt" when giving autographs and her modelling card as a Lucie Clayton model in 1968 was as "Tania Mallett". Her half-brothers Paul and Peter both spell their names as 'Mallett'. She was a cousin of actress Helen Mirren; her mother and Mirren's father were siblings. Her maternal grandfather, Pyotr Mironov, was an aristocratic colonel in the Imperial Russian army, who was serving as a diplomat in London as the Russian Revolution was unfolding and decided to stay in the UK.[4] Mallet was educated in both England and France. Her parents divorced and her mother later married conman George Dawson, who served three years in prison for committing fraud.

Career

Mallet worked as a model before becoming an actress, appearing four times on the cover of the British edition of Vogue between 1961 and 1964.[5] She also played a model[6] in Michael Winner's short film Girls Girls Girls, released in 1961.[7]

Mallet reportedly auditioned for the part of Tatiana Romanova in From Russia with Love (1963); although half-Russian, she was unsuccessful due to her English accent.[8] According to Mallet, she was given the part of "Bond girl" Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger (1964) when someone sent a photo of her wearing a bikini to producer Albert Broccoli.Despite the film's commercial and critical success, Goldfinger was Mallet's only major film role. Cast as the revenge-seeking sister of the murdered Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton), her own character was killed by the steel-rimmed hat of Goldfinger's henchman Oddjob. Her only other acting role was in 1976, an uncredited appearance as Sara in the New Avengers episode "The Midas Touch".[9]

Mallet cited two reasons for returning to modelling and turning down all further film offers. She did not like the restrictions imposed on her personal freedom when she was under contract during the filming of Goldfinger, including being unable to travel abroad or ride horses. She also said the money was "dreadful". She was initially offered £50 a week and managed to increase her fee to £150 a week after tough negotiations, but was still dismayed as she had been earning this kind of money daily as a model.

Personal life

Mallet married Simon Radcliffe in 1976, and became stepmother to his children. They remained married until his death in 2016.[10] It was Mallet's second marriage.[9]

Mallet's cousin Helen Mirren described Mallet in her autobiography as "impossibly beautiful and kind" and "a loyal and generous person" who used her earnings from modelling to pay for her brother's education and financially support her mother.[7] [11]

Death

Mallet died on 30 March 2019, aged 77.[8] [12] [13]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964Goldfinger Tilly Masterson
1976The New Avengers Sara Episode: "The Midas Touch"

Notes and References

  1. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007
  2. Command Performance: The reign of Helen Mirren . Lahr . John . 2 October 2006 . . 24 October 2010.
  3. News: Behind the Scene:God Save The Queen . 28 September 2006 . . 12 February 2020 . Susan E. . James.
  4. News: Pendreigh. Brian. Obituary: Tania Mallet, actress and model who was a Bond girl in Goldfinger. The Herald. Glasgow. 5 April 2019. 7 May 2019.
  5. https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/tania-mallet-remembered
  6. https://houseofmirelle.uk/2020/01/31/fashion-history-girls-girls-girls-shows-life-as-a-model-in-the-early-1960s/
  7. News: Pulver. Andrew. Tania Mallet, Tilly Masterson in James Bond film Goldfinger, dies aged 77. The Guardian. 1 April 2019. 1 April 2019.
  8. News: Goldfinger actress dies aged 77. BBC News. 1 April 2019. 1 April 2019.
  9. News: Manby. Christine. Tania Mallet: The Blackpool Bond girl who shunned Hollywood. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tania-mallet-bond-girl-james-bond-goldfinger-model-hollywood-a8894951.html . 26 May 2022 . subscription . live. The Independent. 6 May 2019. 7 May 2019.
  10. News: Tania Mallet, model and actress best known as Tilly Masterson in 'Goldfinger' – obituary. Telegraph. Obituaries. The Telegraph. 3 April 2019. www.telegraph.co.uk.
  11. Book: Mirren, Helen. In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures. New York. Atria Books. 2007.
  12. News: Tania Mallet Dies: Model And 'Goldfinger' Actress Was 77. Deadline Hollywood. 31 March 2019. 1 April 2019. Ramos, Dino-Ray.
  13. Web site: We are very sorry to hear that Tania Mallet who played Tilly Masterson in GOLDFINGER has passed away. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.pic.twitter.com/gMkqqheGJ7. James. Bond. 31 March 2019.