(February 12, 1945–     ; birth name: Maud Wikström): Swedish model turned actress who is the only woman in the Bond series to play two different leading characters—Andrea Anders in The Man with the Golden Gun and the title character in Octopussy. Adams is also seen briefly in the background of A View to a Kill’s Fisherman’s Wharf sequence in San Francisco.

In Octopussy, she was originally summoned to do a screen test with actor James Brolin, who was being considered for the role of Bond. In August 1982, prior to the start of principal photography, she told Los Angeles Times columnist Roderick Mann, “The test went well but I was confused—I knew it was policy never to use an actress twice and I’d already been in The Man with the Golden Gun. So what was I doing there? Then they called me in for a makeup test and darkened my hair and eyebrows. That was when I realized they had me in mind for Octopussy, the villainess of the picture. She’s half Indian. I was very excited. After all, a woman has never before played the title role in a Bond film, or been in two films. I came home and waited, and then I got the telephone call saying I had the part. And it’s a marvelous one. Everyone says it’s the best role ever written for a woman in a Bond film. Remember, when I did The Man with the Golden Gun all those years ago, I had no acting experience at all. I’ve done a lot since then so I feel I’m ready to tackle a much more challenging role.”[1]

A native of Luleå, Sweden, Adams made her film debut as an uncredited photo model in director William Friedkin’s 1970 film The Boys in the Band. The following year, she made her television debut as Melba Wilde in the Love, American Style episode “Love and the Monsters.” She was later a regular on the series Chicago Story (13 episodes as Dr. Judith Bergstrom, 1982) and Emerald Point N.A.S. (22 episodes as Maggie Farrell, 1983–1984)

[1] Roderick Mann, “Actresses Unruffled in the Battle of the Bonds,” Los Angeles Times, August 31, 1982.