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"It's a shame she never got promoted. She would have made a great M," said Roger Moore, lamenting the death of his friend and former co-star Lois Maxwell. Maxwell, 80, died in hospital in Australia today after a long struggle with bowel cancer. She had moved there to be close to her family after a career which took her all around the world.
Born Lois Hooker in Ontario in 1927, Maxwell ran away from home at the tender age of 15, intending to become a soldier. After she joined the army, however, her natural talent soon revealed itself and she was drafted into the entertainment section. This led to her studying at RADA and to a career in Hollywood which spanned six decades. But though she starred in several major films, including Stanley Kubrick's controversial Lolita, she will always be best known as the formidable yet flirtatious secretary who helped the Secret Service deal with James Bond.
Despite her illness and the passing of time, Maxwell remained loyal to the James Bond fans and frequently communicated with them. She famously chose the Moneypenny role only after insisting that she be allowed to give her a personality and make her attractive, and she clearly enjoyed the attention it brought her. As she once told Sean Connery's Bond, "Flattery will get you nowhere... but don't stop trying."
