This Gorgeous Woman Inspired Every Bond Girl – But There’s A Reason We Haven't Heard Of Her

Who would’ve thought that a single person inspired the formation of an entire gallery of memorable female characters? It wasn’t all Ian Fleming! Anyway, since the author’s first James Bond story dropped in 1953, those women have become integral to the famous franchise over the years.

In fact, it’d be fair to say that 007’s adventures just wouldn’t be the same without these female roles. Sure, we love Bond, but he’d definitely lose something if those other characters didn’t exist. Each of them add to their respective stories in different ways. So, here’s a question for you: do you have a favorite?

Don’t worry: we wouldn’t blame you if you needed a minute or two to think about that! After all, 007’s film franchise is made up of 24 movies at present. There are plenty of characters to consider, right? Yet certain Bond girls do stand out from the rest of the pack, and that’s no mean feat.

Take Vesper Lynd as an example. She holds the honor of being the very first Bond girl – appearing in the opening book Casino Royale. Lynd plays a huge role in setting up 007 for the following adventures, as she inspires him to become a better spy. But that’s not the only reason why the character is a fan favorite.

You see, Eva Green was tasked to play Lynd when Casino Royale was adapted for the big screen in 2006. And she did a remarkable job – her impact on Daniel Craig’s Bond can’t be overstated. He falls in love, suffers betrayal and then ultimately heartbreak over the course of the movie.

Mind you, Lynd does have some competition in the best Bond girl rankings. Alongside the other characters that we mentioned earlier, there’s women like Wai Lin, Xenia Onatopp, Melina Havelock and Kara Milovy all vying for the top spots. Plus, we can’t forget about Tracy Draco from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, either.

Much like Lynd, Draco was perfectly portrayed on the big screen – with Diana Rigg taking the honors. She’s a fascinating character, and more than capable of keeping up with Bond as the action escalates. You couldn’t blame him for falling in love with her! And by extension, so did the audience.

That’s what makes the story’s finale so devastating. After Bond ties the knot with Draco – spoiler alert – she’s killed by a hail of gunfire. It is a tragic way to say goodbye to her, but overall she’s firmly cemented as one of the franchise’s greatest characters. And given her competition, that’s some going!

Broadly speaking, though, what actually makes a Bond girl? How do you break down those characters? Well, Hollywood actress Olga Kurylenko offered her views on this subject in the past. In case you didn’t know, she took on the lead female role in 2008’s Quantum of Solace – playing Camille Montes.

Kurylenko was quoted as saying, “A Bond girl must be a strong and independent woman, but at the same time charming and sensual. Those opposite qualities combined together make her interesting. She must be strong but at the same time feminine.” That’s a fair assessment, wouldn’t you agree? “Strong but feminine” certainly fits.

Yet if we move away from the movies and focus on Fleming’s books, the Bond girls on the page aren’t exact copies. For one thing, a lot of the characters have incredibly dark backgrounds that the film adaptations wouldn’t dare touch. To give you an example, Diamonds Are Forever’s Tiffany Case has a particularly shocking backstory.

That’s not the only difference when it comes to the Bond girls, though. Let’s go back to the 1964 classic Goldfinger. In the movie, Pussy Galore is played by British actress Honor Blackman, and one of her key characteristics is that she’s an acrobat. But that isn’t quite the case in the novel.

Yep, on the page Galore comes from the United States and heads up a band of thieves called the “Cement Mixers,” who also happen to be lesbians. Very different from the film, right?! And another big example can be found in You Only Live Twice, where the character Kissy Suzuki takes on the Bond girl role.

During the film, Suzuki pretends to play Bond’s spouse when he heads to Japan. In the printed story, though, things take a very bizarre turn. Not only does she tell 007 that they’re actually married after he loses his memory, but she also has his baby and never tells him. Hey, we said it was odd!

Yet despite the various changes, the Bond girls in the books do share the elegance and poise of their beloved movie counterparts. And to be brutally honest, that’s pretty surprising given Fleming’s alleged feelings about the opposite sex. Apparently, the famous author wasn’t too fond of them when he was alive.

A pal of of the 007 author was quoted in the 2020 publication Ian Fleming’s Inspiration: The Truth Behind the Books. Robert Harling said, “[Fleming] doesn’t really like women. I think he even resents them because of his sexual dependence on them. He resents the way they complicate his life.”

On top of that, the book’s author Edward Abel Smith claimed that Fleming compared ladies to “pets” in the past as well. So yes, we know what you’re thinking – how could a guy with those opinions on women create the popular Bond girls? In truth, the answer is quite simple.

Like we mentioned earlier, one lady played a huge role in the formation of the characters. Her name was Muriel Wright, and she hailed from Ashbourne, England. Wright grew up in luxury following her birth in 1909, and her dad Henry Fitzherbert was actually a Member of Parliament.

Anyway, before Wright was introduced to Fleming, her life went down a rather fascinating path. You see, the young woman defied the expectations that were usually set for women who came from rich families, as she had a day job. In the end, the English lady eventually made it as a professional clothes model.

Everything changed, though, when Fleming and Wright entered each other’s orbit. The big moment occurred back in the summer of 1935, as they both stayed at a skiing retreat in Kitzbühel, Austria. It didn’t take long for the pair to fall in love, so a romance soon blossomed between them.

Wright wasn’t only beautiful and independent, but she was reportedly pretty active as well – taking an interest in a couple of different sports. No wonder Fleming fell for her! Plus, don’t those attributes sound awfully familiar? We could be describing one of 007’s famous ladies from the books or film series here.

Mind you, their romance wasn’t exactly plain-sailing. According to Smith’s book, Fleming grew tired of his girlfriend after a while and cheated on her with numerous ladies. Ouch. Wright’s reaction to this was apparently a bit of a mystery, yet the same couldn’t be said about her relatives. No, they were furious.

As per Smith’s book, Wright’s sibling was so enraged by Fleming’s actions that he decided to confront the author. The man wasn’t alone, though – he brought a whip with him to the house, too. We can only imagine how he intended to use it! Apparently, the 007 creator only avoided harm as he was out at the time.

Ironically, it’s believed that Fleming and Wright were away together on a short break when her angry brother arrived at the house. It’s fair to say, then, that their romance definitely had its ups and downs! But why isn’t her name remembered among Bond fans today? Well, there’s actually a sad answer to that question.

The pivotal moment took place in March 1944 during World War II. At that time, Wright was living in London, England. During this spell, the city was under attack as part of Operation Steinbeck – Nazi Germany’s final aerial bombing campaign over Britain which lasted until that May. Tragically, Wright was killed by one of the many bombs dropped on the British capital.

Fleming was hit incredibly hard by the loss, not least because of the way their relationship turned out. According to the website Books Tell You Why, his archivist Andrew Lycett recalled, “[Fleming] was immediately consumed with grief and guilt with the cavalier way he had treated [Wright].” Due to that, he started to avoid the places where they spent time together.

And before long, Smith revealed that Fleming stopped mentioning Wright altogether as a result of that grief. That’s why you’ve probably never heard her name up to now. Then again, the legacy that she ultimately left behind is something that we’re all aware of today. Yep, we’re referring to the Bond girls.

Now we know what you’re thinking – how can we be sure that Wright is the influence behind those figures? Well, just look at the archetypal women in Bond stories. They’re gorgeous, physically fit and sometimes have a heartbreaking ending waiting for them. Plus, there’s the other similarities that we mentioned earlier.

Andrew Bailey – who owned the home that Wright used to live in – also drew comparisons during an interview with the Derby Telegraph newspaper. Speaking in December 2017, he said, “She was a well-bred English rose who was both aristocratic and sporty. [Wright] was an accomplished skier, polo player and even modeled lingerie, so she really did fit the bill of the archetypal Bond girl.”

To add to that, Smith noted in his book that Wright’s “kind heart” was another key building block for Fleming when assembling the characters. Fascinating stuff, wouldn’t you agree? We wonder how the model might’ve felt knowing that she influenced a huge chunk of a globally popular franchise? It’s quite an honor, after all.

As for Fleming, he eventually found love again with a woman named Ann O’Neill. But their time together wasn’t straightforward, either. For one thing, the latter already had a husband when she started seeing the author. O’Neill went on to break that off, though, before tying the knot with her new partner.

According to Smith, the marriage proved to be incredibly bumpy after that. Mind you, that didn’t stop Fleming from using his wife as inspiration. Much like with Wright, he built a Bond girl from O’Neill’s appearance and personality. And the character in question was The Spy Who Loved Me’s Vivienne Michel.

That’s one to remember for your next 007 trivia night. And the women in Fleming’s life weren’t the only figures who influenced part of his Bond stories. For instance, have you ever asked yourself where some of the names came from? As it turns out, the author didn’t just make them up off the top of his head.

As per Smith, one trip to Jamaica was particularly rewarding in the past. Yes, while Fleming was there, he overheard someone saying, “Vespers are served.” In case you didn’t know, that’s an alcoholic beverage that contains a nice helping of gin. Anyway, he used that title to create Vesper Lynd’s moniker.

Oh, and we can’t forget about Solitaire, either. Her name cropped up thanks to O’Neill’s dad, who was fascinated by birds. During a holiday in Jamaica, he saw a beautiful creature called the “solitaire bird.” So, when Fleming found that out, he gave it to the gorgeous character from Live and Let Die.

As for James Bond himself, one story says that the moniker came about from an old student index. According to Smith, Fleming was supposedly given two names by an acquaintance who looked back at the aforementioned school documents. They were James Aitken and Harry Bond. Just like that, the author found a “dull and mundane” title that befitted a secret agent.

But there’s another tale to go alongside that one. Smith also claims that Fleming was drawn towards the man who penned Field Guide To Birds Of The West Indies. His name? James Bond. As a sign of gratitude, the 007 creator told Bond to use his title for describing... less than pretty birds. We wonder how many “Ian Flemings” he saw after that!

So, that’s the name covered – how about the character, though? Did Fleming craft 007 from his imagination? Well, Smith believes that the author might’ve got a helping hand when he traveled to America in 1941. During his time there, he met a famous operative named Sir William Stephenson, which led to the following quote.

Fleming’s biographer John Pearson said, “Stephenson was almost everything a hero should be. He was very tough, he was very rich, he was single-minded and patriotic, and a man of few words.” Then, some time in the future, the 007 creator dubbed him as James Bond’s real-world equivalent. Did he base Bond off Stephenson? Given Wright’s ties to the women, it’s possible!