Maud Solveig Christina Adams (née Wikström; born 12 February 1945) is a Swedish actress and model, best known for her roles as two different Bond girls, first in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and then as the title character in Octopussy (1983).

She made many other appearances in both films and television including The Christian Licorice Store (1971), Rollerball (1975), Killer Force (1976), Merciless Man (1976), Hell Hunters (1986) and The Kill Reflex (1989).

Early life

Adams was born as Maud Solveig Christina Wikström in Luleå, Sweden, the daughter of Thyra, a government tax inspector, and Gustav Wikström, a comptroller. She is fluent in five languages, and at one time wanted to work as an interpreter.

Adams was discovered in 1963 in a shop by a photographer who asked to take her picture, which he then submitted to the Miss Sweden contest arranged by the magazine Allers; from there her modelling career took off.

Career

Adams moved to Paris and later to New York City to work for Eileen Ford. Her acting career started when she was asked to appear in the 1970 movie The Boys in the Band, in which she played a photo-shoot model in the opening credits. During the 1970s she guest-starred in such American TV series as Hawaii Five-O and Kojak.

Adams was catapulted to international fame when she appeared as the mistress of the villain Franciso Scaramanga in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. In short order she appeared in Norman Jewison's futuristic Rollerball (1975) and several European films, and in 1981 she starred in the thriller Tattoo. She was so well regarded by Albert Broccoli, the producer of the James Bond films, that she was asked to return to the series in 1983 for Octopussy. In this film, she plays the mysterious smuggler Octopussy, again opposite Roger Moore. Looking back on her two roles in Bond films, Adams said, "How can you not really enjoy the fact that you were a Bond Girl? It's pop culture and to be part of that is very nice."

She also was the president of a cosmetics company called Scandinavian Biocosmetics.

Filmography

thumb|upright|Adams in 2008

Films

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

|-

|1970 || The Boys in the Band || Photo Model || Uncredited

|-

|1971 || The Christian Licorice Store || Cynthia ||

|-

|1972 || Mahoney's Last Stand || Miriam ||

|-

|1973 || U-Turn || Paula/Tracy ||

|-

|1974 || The Man with the Golden Gun || Andrea Anders ||

|-

|1975 || Rollerball || Ella ||

|-

| rowspan="2" |1976 || Killer Force || Clare Chambers ||

|-

| Merciless Man || Marta Mayer ||

|-

|1979 || Laura || Sarah ||

|-

| rowspan="2" |1980 || The Hostage Tower || Sabrina Carver ||

|-

| Playing for Time || Mala ||

|-

|1981 || Tattoo || Maddy ||

|-

|1982 || Hit Man || Carmen ||

|-

|1983 || Octopussy || Octopussy ||

|-

|1984 || Nairobi Affair || Anne Malone ||

|-

| rowspan="3" |1987 || The Women's Club || Angie ||

|-

| Jane and the Lost City || Lola Pagola ||

|-

| Hell Hunters || Amanda ||

|-

| rowspan="2" |1988 || Angel III: The Final Chapter || Nadine ||

|-

| Deadly Intent || Elise Marlowe ||

|-

| rowspan="3" |1989 || A Man of Passion || Susana ||

|-

| The Favorite || Sineperver ||

|-

| The Kill Reflex || Crystal Tarver ||

|-

|1990 || Initiation: Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 || Fima ||

|-

|1996 || Ringer || Leslie Polokoff ||

|-

|2008 || The Seekers || Ella Swanson ||

|}

Television

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

|-

|1971 || Love, American Style || Melba Wilde || Episode: "Love and the Anniversary Crisis"

|-

| rowspan="2" |1977 || Kojak || Elenor Martinson || 2 episodes

|-

| Hawaii Five-O || Maria Noble || Episode: "Deep Cover"

|-

| rowspan="3" |1978 || Switch || Ava || Episode: "Stolen Island"

|-

| Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus || Vikki Lee Sanchez || TV film

|-

| Starsky and Hutch || Kate Larrabee || Episode: "Cover Girl"

|-

|1982 || Chicago Story || Dr. Judith Bergstrom || All 13 episodes

|-

|1983–84 || Emerald Point N.A.S. || Maggie Farrell || All 22 episodes

|-

| rowspan="2" |1986 || Blacke's Magic || Andrea Starr || Episode: "Breathing Room"

|-

| Hotel || Kay Radcliff || Episode: "Recriminations"

|-

|1988 || The Mysterious Death of Nina Chéreau || Ariel Dubois || TV film

|-

|1989 || Mission: Impossible || Catherine Balzac || Episode: "The Plague"

|-

|1993 || A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives || Shelly Talbot Morrison || TV film

|-

|1995–97 || Radio Shadow || Sister Katarina || 6 episodes

|-

|1996 || Walker, Texas Ranger || Simone Deschamps || Episode: "The Deadliest Man Alive"

|-

|1998 || White Lies || Ellinor Malm || 20 episodes

|-

|2000 || That '70s Show || Holly || Episode: "The First Time"

|-

|2010 || The Rooneys || Unknown || TV film

|-

|2024

|Blood Legacy

|Msizi

|3 episodes

|}

As director

  • Kafé Luleå (1994) (TV series)

As herself

  • Food, Wine & Friends (1979)
  • Miss USA Pageant (1979) (judge)
  • Women Who Rate a 10 (1981)
  • Battle of the Network Stars XI (1981)
  • Så ska det låta (1997) (TV episode)
  • The James Bond Story (1999)
  • The Men Behind the Mayhem: The Special Effects of James Bond (2000)
  • Inside 'The Man with the Golden Gun' (2000)
  • Inside 'Octopussy' (2000)
  • Inside 'A View to a Kill' (2000)
  • Bond Girls are Forever (2002) (TV)
  • Premiere Bond: Die Another Day (2002)
  • James Bond: A BAFTA Tribute (2002)
  • Stjärnorna på slottet (2006) (5 TV episodes)
  • Ann-Margret: Från Valsjöbyn till Hollywood (2014)
  • From Rollerball to Rome (2020)
  • For Our Eyes Only: John Glenn (2021)

References

  • Maud Adams on Bond Stars
  • Maud Adams at From Sweden with Love