Maryam d'Abo
Encyclopedia
Maryam d'Abo is an English film and television actress, best known as Bond girl
Kara Milovy
in the 1987 James Bond
film The Living Daylights
.
to a Georgian mother Nino Kvinitadze (born in 1920) and Peter Claude Holland d'Abo (born on 7 October 1917 and married in 1956), d'Abo was raised in Paris
and Geneva
.
She decided to be an actress at the age of 11. She studied at Drama Centre London, while working as a model
in commercials.
horror film
Xtro
, playing Analise Mercier, a French
au pair
, who becomes a human incubator for an alien. Xtro was briefly vilified as a so-called video nasty
, but in fact it was granted an uncut video certificate by the BBFC
.
In 1985, she made a brief appearance as 'French girlfriend' in White Nights.
In 1987, she starred in The Living Daylights
as Kara Milovy
, the sweet and vulnerable Czechoslovakian cellist and sniper
who falls for James Bond
. As a tie-in with the film, she also appeared in a Bond themed Playboy
cover and multi-page pictorial in the September 1987 edition, but later said "I wouldn't do those pictures now... I've learned a lot since then" in an interview with People
.
In 1988, she had a well-received role as Ta'Ra, an alien medical officer in the science fiction TV miniseries Something is Out There
, which was followed by a six episode NBC
mini-series by the same name.
In 1992, she had a supporting role as a pretentious stained-glass artist in the quirky, low-budget British comedy Leon the Pig Farmer, which enjoyed a positive reception at film festivals in Venice
, London, Edinburgh
, and Palm Springs, California
. In 1994
, she appeared in The Browning Version
, directed by Mike Figgis
.
Since then, she has had roles in various low-budget, straight-to-video
action, horror and fantasy films such as Tomcat: Dangerous Desires
(1992), as well as guest roles on television shows Tales From the Crypt
(1993
), Red Shoe Diaries
(1992), Murder, She Wrote
(1992).
She reunited with her James Bond director John Glen for a guest-starring role on the television series Space Precinct
and for the feature film The Point Men
(2001). Glen later claimed that the reason he cast her in three different projects was because she was one of his favorite actresses. She played the mother of Lara (played by Keira Knightley
) in the 2002 TV miniseries version of Doctor Zhivago
, and she was Queen Hecuba
in the Emmy-nominated miniseries Helen of Troy
(2003). In 2005, she had a small role in the well-received French film L’Enfer (Hell), co-written by the late Krzysztof Kieslowski
and starring Emmanuelle Béart
and Carole Bouquet
(also a Bond girl).
In 2002, d'Abo co-wrote the book Bond Girls Are Forever
, a tribute to the women who have played the role of a Bond Girl
. The book formed the basis for a documentary
, featuring d'Abo and other famed Bond girls, including Ursula Andress
. The documentary appeared on the American AMC
network in 2002, timed to coincide with the theatrical release of Die Another Day
. It was later included as a gift with the purchase of Die Another Day on DVD
by some retailers. In 2006, a new version of the documentary, updated to include interviews with cast from Casino Royale
(2006
) was again aired on the AMC network and later released as a bonus feature on the March 2007 Blu-ray Disc
and DVD release.
In 2007, she had surgery for a brain hemorrhage from which she recovered. It inspired her to meet other people who had similar experiences. In 2009, she worked on a documentary on this topic.
Maryam d'Abo is signed to Models 1.
, thus a first cousin once removed of his daughter, actress Olivia d'Abo
. She is also granddaughter of the anti-communist Georgian
General Giorgi Kvinitadze
.
In November 2003, d'Abo married Hugh Hudson
, the Oscar
-nominated British director of Chariots of Fire
(1981), Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
(1984
), and Revolution
(1985).
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
Kara Milovy
Kara Milovy
Kara Milovy, played by Maryam d'Abo, is a fictional character in the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights.-Film biography:Bond has been informed that General Georgi Koskov is willing to defect from the Russians. As Koskov runs across the road to meet Bond, 007 spots a sniper, whom he...
in the 1987 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights is the fifteenth entry in the James Bond series and the first to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent 007. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story, "The Living Daylights"...
.
Early life
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to a Georgian mother Nino Kvinitadze (born in 1920) and Peter Claude Holland d'Abo (born on 7 October 1917 and married in 1956), d'Abo was raised in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
.
She decided to be an actress at the age of 11. She studied at Drama Centre London, while working as a model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
in commercials.
Career
In 1983, she made her screen debut in the successful low-budget science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Xtro
Xtro
Xtro is a low-budget British science fiction horror film made in 1982 and directed by Harry Bromley Davenport and co-produced by Bob Shaye.-Plot:...
, playing Analise Mercier, a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
au pair
Au pair
An au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use...
, who becomes a human incubator for an alien. Xtro was briefly vilified as a so-called video nasty
Video nasty
"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
, but in fact it was granted an uncut video certificate by the BBFC
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
.
In 1985, she made a brief appearance as 'French girlfriend' in White Nights.
In 1987, she starred in The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights is the fifteenth entry in the James Bond series and the first to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent 007. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story, "The Living Daylights"...
as Kara Milovy
Kara Milovy
Kara Milovy, played by Maryam d'Abo, is a fictional character in the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights.-Film biography:Bond has been informed that General Georgi Koskov is willing to defect from the Russians. As Koskov runs across the road to meet Bond, 007 spots a sniper, whom he...
, the sweet and vulnerable Czechoslovakian cellist and sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
who falls for James Bond
James Bond (character)
Royal Navy Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. He is the main protagonist of the James Bond series of novels, films, comics and video games...
. As a tie-in with the film, she also appeared in a Bond themed Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
cover and multi-page pictorial in the September 1987 edition, but later said "I wouldn't do those pictures now... I've learned a lot since then" in an interview with People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
.
In 1988, she had a well-received role as Ta'Ra, an alien medical officer in the science fiction TV miniseries Something is Out There
Something is Out There
Something Is Out There is the title of a 1988 American science fiction television miniseries that aired on NBC, and a short-lived weekly series that followed in the fall of 1988....
, which was followed by a six episode NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
mini-series by the same name.
In 1992, she had a supporting role as a pretentious stained-glass artist in the quirky, low-budget British comedy Leon the Pig Farmer, which enjoyed a positive reception at film festivals in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, London, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. In 1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
, she appeared in The Browning Version
The Browning Version (1994 film)
The Browning Version is a 1994 film directed by Mike Figgis and starring Albert Finney. The film is based on the 1948 play by Terence Rattigan, which was previously adapted for film under the same name in 1951.-Plot:...
, directed by Mike Figgis
Mike Figgis
Michael "Mike" Figgis is an English film director, writer, and composer.-Personal life:Figgis was born in Carlisle, England and grew up in Africa. Figgis for several years had a relationship with the actress Saffron Burrows and cast her in several films...
.
Since then, she has had roles in various low-budget, straight-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
action, horror and fantasy films such as Tomcat: Dangerous Desires
Tomcat: Dangerous Desires
Tomcat: Dangerous Desires is a direct-to-video 1993 erotic thriller movie featuring Richard Grieco and Maryam D'Abo.-Plot:Tom , who suffers from a rare DNA degenerative condition, becomes the subject of a secretive, inter-species experiment. To treat his disease, his doctor decides to inject him a...
(1992), as well as guest roles on television shows Tales From the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
(1993
1993 in television
The year 1993 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1993.For the American TV schedule, see: 1993-94 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
), Red Shoe Diaries
Red Shoe Diaries
Red Shoe Diaries is an erotic drama series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas...
(1992), Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
(1992).
She reunited with her James Bond director John Glen for a guest-starring role on the television series Space Precinct
Space Precinct
Space Precinct is a British television series that aired from 1994 to 1995 on Sky One and later on BBC Two in Britain, and in syndication in North America on the SyFy Channel....
and for the feature film The Point Men
The Point Men
The Point Men is a 2001 film by John Glen, the director of all the James Bond films in the 1980s, about a team of Israeli agents getting killed off one-by-one after a botched anti-terrorist operation...
(2001). Glen later claimed that the reason he cast her in three different projects was because she was one of his favorite actresses. She played the mother of Lara (played by Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
) in the 2002 TV miniseries version of Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago (TV serial)
Doctor Zhivago is a 2002 British television serial directed by Giacomo Campiotti and starring Keira Knightley and Sam Neill. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the 1957 novel of the same title by Boris Pasternak....
, and she was Queen Hecuba
Hecuba
Hecuba was a queen in Greek mythology, the wife of King Priam of Troy during the Trojan War, with whom she had 19 children. These children included several major characters of Homer's Iliad such as the warriors Hector and Paris, and the prophetess Cassandra...
in the Emmy-nominated miniseries Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy (TV miniseries)
Helen of Troy is a 2003 television miniseries based upon Homer's story of the Trojan War, as recounted in the epic poem, Iliad. This TV miniseries also shares the name with a 1956 movie starring Stanley Baker...
(2003). In 2005, she had a small role in the well-received French film L’Enfer (Hell), co-written by the late Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieślowski was an Academy Award nominated influential Polish film director and screenwriter, known internationally for The Double Life of Veronique and his film cycles The Decalogue and Three Colors.-Early life:...
and starring Emmanuelle Béart
Emmanuelle Béart
Emmanuelle Béart is a French film actress, who has appeared in over 50 film and television productions since 1972. Béart won a César Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film Manon des Sources . She has been nominated a further seven times for Most Promising Actress and Best Actress.- Early...
and Carole Bouquet
Carole Bouquet
Carole Bouquet is a French actress and fashion model, who has appeared in more than 40 films since 1977. Bouquet was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
(also a Bond girl).
In 2002, d'Abo co-wrote the book Bond Girls Are Forever
Bond Girls Are Forever
Bond Girls Are Forever is a 2002 James Bond documentary film hosted by actress Maryam d'Abo, who had played the role of Kara Milovy in the 15th James Bond film The Living Daylights. It was accompanied by a 2003 book written by John Cork and d'Abo. The book is subtitled The Women of James Bond...
, a tribute to the women who have played the role of a Bond Girl
Bond girl
A Bond girl is a character or actress portraying a love interest, of James Bond in a film, novel, or video game. They occasionally have names that are double entendres or puns, such as "Pussy Galore", "Plenty O'Toole", "Xenia Onatopp", or "Holly Goodhead"...
. The book formed the basis for a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, featuring d'Abo and other famed Bond girls, including Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress is a Swiss actress and a sex symbol of the 1960s. She is known for her roles as Bond girl Honey Ryder in Dr...
. The documentary appeared on the American AMC
AMC (TV network)
AMC is a cable television specialty channel that primarily airs movies, along with a limited amount of original programming. The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics; however since 2002, the full name has been deemphasized as a result of a major shift in programming...
network in 2002, timed to coincide with the theatrical release of Die Another Day
Die Another Day
Die Another Day is the 20th spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth and last film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond; it is also the last Bond film of the original timeline with the series being rebooted with Casino Royale...
. It was later included as a gift with the purchase of Die Another Day on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by some retailers. In 2006, a new version of the documentary, updated to include interviews with cast from Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
(2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
) was again aired on the AMC network and later released as a bonus feature on the March 2007 Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
and DVD release.
In 2007, she had surgery for a brain hemorrhage from which she recovered. It inspired her to meet other people who had similar experiences. In 2009, she worked on a documentary on this topic.
Maryam d'Abo is signed to Models 1.
Personal life
She is a first cousin of the singer Mike d'AboMike d'Abo
Michael David "Mike" d'Abo is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of Manfred Mann.-Biography:...
, thus a first cousin once removed of his daughter, actress Olivia d'Abo
Olivia d'Abo
Olivia d'Abo is an English actress and singer-songwriter, best known for portraying Karen Arnold in The Wonder Years and Nicole Wallace, the recurring villain in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Acting career:...
. She is also granddaughter of the anti-communist Georgian
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
General Giorgi Kvinitadze
Giorgi Kvinitadze
Giorgi Kvinitadze was a Georgian military commander who rose from an officer in the Imperial Russian army to commander-in-chief of the Democratic Republic of Georgia...
.
In November 2003, d'Abo married Hugh Hudson
Hugh Hudson
Hugh Hudson is an English film director. His best-known international success is the 1981 multiple Academy Award-winning film, Chariots of Fire.- Early life :...
, the Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-nominated British director of Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice....
(1981), Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes is a 1984 British film directed by Hugh Hudson and based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel Tarzan of the Apes...
(1984
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
), and Revolution
Revolution (1985 film)
Revolution is a 1985 film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Robert Dillon and starring Al Pacino, Helen Porter, Donald Sutherland, Nastassja Kinski, Joan Plowright, Dave King, Annie Lennox, Danny Turner, Steven Berkoff, Graham Greene, and Robbie Coltrane....
(1985).