Her Name Was 'Maxwell, Lois Maxwell': The Original 'Miss Moneypenny' in the James Bond Movies

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Her name was Maxwell, Lois Maxwell, the actress best known for her portrayal of the original Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond feature films starring both Sean Connery and Roger Moore. She was born in Kitchener, Ontario, on Valentine's Day, 1927, and died at 80 years old on this day, September 29th, in 2007. This is her story.

A Closer Look

Lois Ruth Maxwell (née Hooker) was a Canadian thespian who began her acting career on radio but left home at 15 to join the army. She traveled throughout Europe during World War II, performing music and dance numbers in the Army Entertainment Corps.

During a tour of London, the troupe discovered Maxwell was underage and she enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London to avoid being shipped home.

At age 20, the daring actress set her sights on Hollywood. In 1946, she won a small part in the movie, A Matter of Life and Death.

One year later, Maxwell won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in That Hagen Girl.

After several small movie roles, Maxwell became disenchanted with the industry, and opted to take a different route, at least geographically. From 1951 to 1955, she worked in Italy films.

Then Came Bond

Lois Maxwell received her big break as Miss Moneypenny in the first fourteen 007 movies, from 1962's Dr. No, starring Sean Connery to 1985's A View to a Kill, starring Roger Moore.

Maxwell, however, did not appear in the 1967 satiric adaptation of Casino Royale, starring David Niven, nor was she present with Connery in Never Say Never Again, the 1983 remake of his Thunderball 007 film. Though she did play a similar character to Moneypenny in O.K. Connery, another satire (which did not please Connery).

Following her marriage, the dynamic actress relocated to the United Kingdom, where she appeared in numerous TV productions, and later in Canada, and Switzerland.

Behind the Scenes

In 2001, Lois Maxwell was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and moved to Western Australia, where she resided with her son until her demise in 2007.