12 Facts About Ursula Andress, The Iconic Swiss Bond Girl

Ursula Andress, the iconic Swiss actress who became the world's first Bond girl, remains a fascinating figure whose life story extends far beyond her famous beach scene in "Dr. No."

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But apart from the gadgets and locations, one of the major talking points is the Bond girls. The author Ian Fleming envisioned the character of Honey Ryder as "Botticelli's Venus seen from behind." The producer Cubby Broccoli remarked: "She had to be strikingly beautiful, voluptuous, but with a childlike innocence. As Bond's first screen heroine, she had a key role."

A girl from Ostermundigen near Bern happened to be at the right place at the right time: Ursula Andress. Little did she know that her small part in James Bond's first movie would transform her into a glamour queen! She would be remembered for life.

Here are twelve facts about Ursula Andress, the Swiss Bond Girl: 

One marriage

Although Ursula Andress was rumored to have different partners in her career, she was legally married once. She was in her 20s when she married John Derek, who left his wife and two children to marry the Swiss diva. Their relationship began in 1955 when Andress was just 19 and barely spoke English.

Despite the language barrier and controversy surrounding their relationship, they eloped to Las Vegas in 1957. The marriage lasted until 1966, after which John Derek would later marry Linda Evans and eventually Bo Derek, establishing a pattern of relationships with younger women.

Two James Bond movies

Dr. No, the first James Bond movie (1962), and Casino Royale (1967), the unofficial Bond movie, have Ursula Andress as a common denominator. She played the iconic Honey Ryder in the 1962 flick while she essayed the role of Vesper Lynd in the 1967 movie.

This makes her the only actress to play two different Bond girls in the franchise's history.

In the 1967 spoof version of Casino Royale, she starred alongside Peter Sellers, David Niven, and Woody Allen in what became a chaotic but cult classic film where multiple characters claimed to be James Bond.

Three Italian movies

In the early 1950's, Andress spent a lot of time in Italy. She acted in three Italian movies in a span of two years: Un americano a Roma (1954), Le avventure di Giacomo Casanova (1955) and La catena dell'odio (1955).

Her time in Italy began after she ran away from Switzerland at age 18, working as an art model in Rome before breaking into the Italian film industry. Her fluency in Italian helped her navigate this early career phase, though these films didn't bring her international recognition.

It wasn't until her return to Hollywood that her career would truly take off.

The fourth movie: Ursula Andress in Dr. No

The first James Bond movie was Ursula's fourth movie as an actress and her first role in an English-speaking movie. Little did she know Dr. No would turn her into the epitome of beauty for generations of movie lovers.

Her entrance in the film, emerging from the Caribbean Sea in that iconic white bikini while singing "Underneath the Mango Tree," became one of cinema's most memorable moments.

The scene was filmed at Laughing Waters Beach in Jamaica, and though her singing was dubbed by Diana Coupland and her dialogue by Nikki van der Zyl due to her Swiss accent, the visual impact was entirely Andress's own.

Five languages

Ursula Andress is fluent in five languages: Swiss German, English, French, German, and Italian.

This linguistic talent allowed Andress to work in international productions throughout her career, moving seamlessly between European and American films. Her multilingual abilities reflect her cosmopolitan upbringing and education in Switzerland, where she studied until age 16.

Despite her language skills, producers of Dr. No decided to dub her dialogue, concerned that her accent might distract from her character.

Six children in the Andress family

Andress was born third out of six children and grew up in her grandfather's nursery in Ostermundigen. Her four sisters and brother were born to a Swiss mother who had met her husband, a German diplomat, while he was residing in Switzerland.

Due to political reasons, the Swiss government expelled her father from the country, leaving Andress and her siblings in the hands of her grandfather and mother. Her grandfather, a busy garden designer, now had six kids to look after on top of everything else - and he wasn't exactly the type to dote on his grandkids. When he got his hands on Andress and her siblings, he put them to work in his nursery business.

This large family environment in the Swiss canton of Bern, with its mix of discipline and responsibility, shaped her early years before her adventurous spirit led her to leave Switzerland as a teenager, beginning the journey that would eventually lead to international stardom.

It took 10 James Bond books...

By the time Ian Fleming had completed his tenth book about James Bond, the author was enamored with the beauty of Ursula Andress. In the novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he mentioned her real name. Her character? A beautiful movie star. This novel was published a year after Dr. No hit the screens.

Fleming's inclusion of Andress in his literary work demonstrates how profoundly her portrayal of Honey Ryder had influenced the Bond universe, creating a meta-connection between the films and books that would continue throughout the franchise's history.

At 18 years of age

Andress was ambitious, a trait that was demonstrated by her running away from Switzerland to Italy at the age of 18. She spent her time in Rome working as an art model before getting her break in the Italian film industry.

This bold decision to leave her home country showcased the determination and independence that would characterize her throughout her career. Her early modeling work in Italy helped her develop the poise and camera presence that would later make her perfect for the role of the first Bond girl.

At 44 years of age

Dimitri Alexander Hamlin was born when Ursula Andress was 44 years of age. Born in California, he remains her only son. Dimitri's father is American actor Harry Hamlin, with whom Andress had a relationship from 1979 to 1983.

Despite their separation, Andress and Hamlin maintained a cordial relationship for the sake of their son. Dimitri has occasionally followed in his parents' footsteps with modeling work, though he has largely maintained a private life away from the spotlight that followed his famous mother throughout her career.

At 70 years of age

In 2006, Andress spent her 70th birthday aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, Scotland. She hosted celebrities from all over the world. The party coincided with the inauguration of the Swiss Consulate General in Edinburgh, and the very same day, her hometown of Ostermundigen named Andress, an honorary citizen.

This celebration highlighted her enduring status as a cultural icon and her continued connection to her Swiss heritage despite decades of international fame. The honorary citizenship recognized her role in putting the small town of Ostermundigen on the global map.

USD 6000

During the making of Dr. No, Andress earned USD 6000: That's six weeks at a rate of USD 1000 per week. In today's terms, this is the equivalent of USD 54'300.

This relatively modest sum for what would become such an iconic role reflects the uncertain beginnings of the Bond franchise. No one involved in the production could have predicted that Dr. No would launch one of cinema's most successful and enduring series.

Andress later remarked, "It was a very modest budget production, and I agreed to participate thinking not many people would watch it." Her performance, however, would prove invaluable to the film's success and her own career trajectory.

£ 35'000

In 2001, the iconic white bikini which Andress designed and wore in Dr. No was sold at an auction for £ 35'000. It was bought by Planet Hollywood co-founder Robert Earl, who incidentally took part in the bid via telephone from his home in New York. The bikini, which Andress had designed herself along with costume designer Tessa Prendergast, featured a wide white British Army belt with brass buckles and fittings, and a scabbard on the left side to hold a large knife.

The auction price (approximately $41,125 at the time) reflected the garment's status as perhaps the most famous bikini in cinema history, though it would likely fetch much more if auctioned today. In November 2020, it was auctioned again with expectations of fetching around £500,000, though the final sale price was not disclosed.

"My entrance in the film wearing the bikini on that beautiful beach made me world-famous as the Bond girl." Ursula Andress has stated this one too many times in her life. Her role as Honey Ryder also set the template for selecting future Bond girls.

The white bikini moment is consistently ranked among the most iconic scenes in film history, and in a 2003 UK Survey by Channel 4, it was voted number one in "the 100 Greatest Sexy Moments" of cinema.

Happy birthday, Ursi National!

Ursula Andress turns 89 on March 19, 2025.

Born in the middle of the turbulent 1930s, she has witnessed tremendous changes in the world and in the film industry throughout her long life. From her breakthrough in the early 1960s, she went on to star in numerous films including Fun in Acapulco with Elvis Presley (1963), 4 for Texas (1963), She (1965), The 10th Victim (1965), The Blue Max (1966), Red Sun (1971), and Clash of the Titans (1981).

Her Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year in 1964 recognized the immediate impact she made on international cinema with her role in Dr. No.

Ursula Andress: 60-second biography of the iconic Swiss actress

Ursula Andress: Then and Now

If you are a Bond fan, don't miss a trip to Bond World at the top of Mt. Schilthorn! This spectacular location in the Swiss Alps was featured in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service and now houses an interactive exhibition dedicated to 007.