Margaret Nolan, Iconic ‘Goldfinger’ Actress, Dead at 76

Margaret Nolan, the British model and actress who appeared as the gold-painted woman in the iconic Goldfinger title sequence, died on Oct. 5. She was 76. Nolan also had a role in The Beatles movie A Hard Day’s Night and was seen in the Carry On franchise. Her death was announced by director Edgar Wright, who cast her in his upcoming movie Last Night in Soho.

In a series of tweets Sunday evening, Wright called Nolan the “middle of [a] Venn diagram of everything tool in the ’60s,” since she appeared in a James Bond movie, a Beatles movie and other British comedies. “I worked with her last year as she plays a small role in Last Night In Soho. She was so funny, sharp and, as you might imagine, full of the most amazing stories,” Wright wrote, alongside a recent photo with the actress. “I’m so glad I got to know her. My heart goes out to her family and all that loved her. She will be much missed.”

Nolan was born in October 1943 in Somerset, England, and began modeling in the early 1960s. She appeared in several films in 1964, most memorably as the gold-painted woman in the Goldfinger opening. She also played Dink, James Bond’s masseuse, in the film opposite Sean Connery. She also had an unforgettable scene in A Hard Day’s Night as a girl Paul McCartney’s on-screen grandfather John (Wilfrid Brambell) meets at a casino.

In 1965, Nolan appeared in another movie with a British Invasion act, the Gerry and the Pacemakers movie Ferry Cross the Mersey. Her other films included Three Rooms in Manhattan, Carry on Cowboy, Bikini Paradise, Carry On Henry, and Carry On at Your Convenience. In 1972, she had a small role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy, although her scene was cut.

At the end of his thread, Wright mentioned telling Nolan about seeing her in a forgotten 1970 comedy called Toomorrow. “She’s also the lone bright and funny spot in the very strange rock comedy Toomorrow,” Wright wrote. “I told her earlier in the year that I had tracked down a copy and she was very bemused that I had bothered to watch it.”

Wright’s Last Night in Soho will hit theaters on April 23, 2021. The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, and Matt Smith. The film also features Diana Rigg in her last movie role, as well as British acting legends Rita Tushingham and Terence Stamp. Nolan is survived by her sons Luke O’Sullivan and cinematographer Oscar Deeks reports Deadline.