Being a Bond girl isn’t just about being beautiful (anymore). So many of the 007 franchise ladies embodied kick-ass, compelling, powerful characters. Which of the talented contemporary actresses continue to impress even years later? 

Eva Green

Which Bond girl? Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale

Why was she important? She made Bond who he is. She completely enchants him and he loves her so much that he’s even ready to give up his position. Their hopes for a new beginning are ruined by Vesper’s betrayal and, ultimately, her tragic ending. 

What did Eva love her? “I originally had reservations about being a Bond girl. I didn’t want to be a bimbo. The women are now perceived differently. They are intelligent and sassy and fascinating. I loved playing Vesper. She’s the only one to get to Bond’s heart and has a big impact on his life,” she said for Vanity Fair. 

Halle Berry

Which Bond girl? Giacinta “Jinx” Johnson in Die Another Day

Why was she important? She is the first heroic Afro-American Bond girl, and her tough character contributed to diverse representation in film. She was so good that she was even supposed to get her own spin-off.

Why did Halle love her?  “She’s the next step in the evolution of women in the Bond movies. She’s more modern and not the classic villain. She’s fashion-forward, very sexy and takes fashion risks, and I love her for that,” she said for Ebony. 

Berénice Marlohe

Which Bond Girl? Severine in Skyfall

Why was she important? According to the director Sam Mendes, the role required someone with ‘good old-fashioned sexuality in the style of Sophia Loren and the early Bond girls, but “who is not a girl, she is a woman.”

Why did Berénice love her? “In the past, the “girls” were either good or they were bad. They were one-dimensional and usually ended up dead. But Severine is different; she is complex. Severine is much more representative of the way women are today. We can be soft, we can be tough, we can be good and we can be bad, we can be dark, we can be light, we can be strong, we can be vulnerable,” she said for Daily Mail. 

Michelle Yeoh

Which Bond Girl? Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies

Why was she important? She is the first ethnic Chinese Bond girl, and she is regarded as one of the best Bond girls of all time. This one really made the agent’s life extremely difficult, and their action scenes are legendary ?

Why did Michelle love her? “I’m still proud to be a Bond Girl. I mean, you’re part of a legacy that’s been around for 53 years, what is there to be embarrassed about? Especially my Bond Girl. I thought she was pretty cool, right?” she said for Today. 

Famke Janssen

Which Bond Girl? Xenia Onatopp in Goldeneye

Why was she important? Famke portrayed one of the most fun, memorable villains in the Bond franchise. Her Xenia is an evil hench-woman, and oh boy, does the actress enjoy the crazy, wild performance. Did we mention that Xenia is turned on by killing, and uses her thighs to murder her lovers? The name does make sense, doesn’t it? 🙂

Why did Famke love her? “My Dad was a big lover of the Bond films – so seeing how the women had been and how they’d been portrayed, I also saw that it’s tongue in cheek that entire franchise. It’s serious and funny and kind of silly and goofy all at the same time, so from all that history of what I had learned over the time of watching those movies that kind of came up a bit with Xenia Onatopp and who she was and that she should be a stronger kind of Bond woman, but that it needed to be in a tongue in cheek way,” she said for Den of Geek.