Claudine Auger has died aged 78.
The former Bond girl – who was best known for playing Dominique ‘Domino’ Derval in 1965 movie ‘Thunderball’ – passed away in Paris on Thursday (19.12.19).
Actor David Walliams was among the stars to pay tribute to the late actress, admitting her performance in ‘Thunderball’ – in which she starred opposite Sir Sean Connery, who played suave spy James Bond – "haunted [his] dreams".
He wrote on Instagram: "Farewell Claudine Auger, the most beautiful Bond girl of all. You haunted my dreams as Domino in ‘Thunderball’ @007 (sic)"
Claudine became the first French woman to play a Bond girl in the film franchise, and now Léa Seydoux, Eva Green and Carole Bouquet have all followed in her footsteps.
In ‘Thunderball’, Domino is initially a villain, the lover of Emilio Largo – played by Adolfo Celi – but she later falls for 007 and turns against her former lover, killing him with a harpoon.
Kim Basinger played Dominio in the 1983 Bond film ‘Never Say Never Again’.
Claudine also starred in a number of French films, as well as 1967’s ‘The Head of the Family’ alongside Nino Manfredi, and 1984 British drama movie ‘Secret Places’ opposite Jenny Agutter.
As well as acting, Claudine was runner-up in the 1958 Miss World contest, and she won Miss France Monde.
In 1965, the star said whether she was "playing Moliere" or starring as Domino, it was "a game, the same thing".
Claudine Auger dead aged 78
