Lois Maxwell (real name Lois Ruth Hooker) is a Canadian film and television actress. She became widely known for her performance as Miss Moneypenny in the first 14 James Bond films that were released between 1962 and 1985.
The performer has more than 80 roles in television and film projects. She has appeared in many popular entertainment programs, Academy Awards and British Academy Awards, and documentaries about her work in the film industry. Her most famous character is Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film series.
The creative biography of the artist began at an early age with performances on the radio. As a teenager, she ran away from her parents and joined the Women's Army Corps formed in Canada.
The film debut took place in the film "This Girl from Hagen", where the future President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, starred. For the image of Julia Kane, she received the main Golden Globe award.
After completing her career, Lois went to Canada, where she bought a small house in Northern Ontario and began working with the local newspaper The Toronto Sun. In the publication she led a column under the pseudonym "Moneypenny", telling readers about her life and creative career.
Biography facts
The girl was born in Canada in 1927 on Valentine's Day. Her father taught at school, and her mother worked as a nurse in the clinic. All her childhood was spent in Toronto. She studied at the Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute.
To help the family, the girl started working early. At first she got a job as a nanny, but the earnings were so small that she had to look for a better place. Soon she managed to get a job as a waitress in a restaurant located in one of the most prestigious resorts in Canada on the shores of the Isle of Bays.
When the Second World War began, the girl was still a teenager. At the age of 15, she ran away from home in secret from her parents and joined the Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC). It was not a combat army unit created at the very beginning of the war. Most of the women who entered the service were involved in cooking, working as secretaries, drivers, mechanics, both in Canada and abroad. The corps was disbanded only in 1964.
A few months later, the girl went to England to participate in shows specially created for the entertainment of the soldiers. She performed alongside renowned comedians Joni Wayne and Frank Schuster.
After a while, it was established that Lois was underage. To avoid scandal and sending to Canada, she quit her job and decided to get a professional acting education.
The girl entered the London Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. There Lois met and made friends with the future famous actor Roger Moore, who later played an important role in her life.
Film career
The young artist came to the cinema in 1946. She starred in the film This Girl from Hagen and won the Golden Globe Award. After that, the actress decided to leave for Hollywood to continue her creative career there. In America, she took a stage name for herself and began performing under the name Lois Maxwell.
In 1949, she was one of eight applicants to pose for Life magazine. Another rising Hollywood star, Marilyn Monroe, also took part in the photo shoot.
In the USA, the performer did not work for long. She was offered mostly minor roles in low-budget films. Then she decided to leave for Europe and settled in Italy, where she lived until 1955.
The actress starred in several films, one of which was the adaptation of the famous opera Aida. The future star of the screen, Sophia Loren, became the performer of Aida in the film. Lois played Amneris. The vocals were performed by the Italian opera singer Ebe Steignani.
In the following years, she starred in the films: "Great Hope", "Solar Satellite", "Ruthless Time", "Face on Fire", "Dangerous Man", "The Avengers", "Department of Ghosts", "Lolita", "Saint" …
Arriving in England in 1960, the actress was cast as the fictional character Miss Moneypenny, who works as secretary to the head of the secret intelligence service MI6 in the first James Bond film, Dr. No. Agent 007 was played by the famous Sean Connery.
During the casting, the actress was offered to play either Miss Moneypenny or James' girlfriend. But she herself chose the first option, because she did not want to act in explicit scenes. The role of the secretary was fine with her. The actress's fee was £ 100 per day of filming. The actress has appeared on screen in 14 Bond films.
The performer's cinematic career lasted until 1989. She starred in many famous projects: "Devil's Lair", "From Russia with Love", "Goldfinger", "Fireball", "Baron", "Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond", "You Only Live Twice", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service "," UFO "," Extra-Class Amateur Detectives "," Diamonds Are Forever "," Live and Let Die "," The Man with the Golden Gun "," Charlot in Hong Kong "," The Age of Innocence "," Spy Who Loved Me”,“Moon Rider”,“For Your Eyes Only”,“Octopus”,“A View of the Murder”,“Alfred Hitchcock Presents”,“Eternal Evil”,“The Lady in the Corner”.
After leaving the big cinema, the artist appeared on the screen several times in episodic roles in the films: "The Fourth Angel" and "Unforgettable".
Personal life
When one day the girl flew to Paris for the shooting, at the airport she was met by television presenter Peter Churchill Marriott, who fell in love with the actress at first sight. In 1957, Peter and Lois became husband and wife. In this union, daughter Melinda and son Christian were born.
A few years later, Peter had a heart attack. He underwent treatment for a long time, but never fully recovered from the disease. Marriott passed away at the age of 51.
After the death of her husband, the woman left for Canada, and after a while she went to England to be closer to her daughter.
In 2001, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. The actress underwent surgery, after which she moved to Australia with her son.
The actress passed away in 2007 at the age of 80.
