'From Russia With Love' and 'Goldfinger' actress Nadja Regin dies at 87

Nadja Regin, who appeared in Bond movies From Russia With Love and Goldfinger, has died at the age of 87.

The Serbian-born actress played the mistress of Bond’s man in Istanbul Kerim Bey in From Russia With Love in 1963 opposite Sean Connery.

Read more: Goldfinger actress Tania Mallet dies at 77

She then played the belly dancer Bonita in Goldfinger, once again opposite Connery, in 1964.

The official Bond Twitter page was among those paying tribute to Regin this morning.

She began acting after studying drama and philosophy in Belgrade, making her debut in the New Zealand-made movie Runaway.

After two roles in the classic Bond movies, she also appeared in several British TV shows, including The Saint, The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green and Danger Man, as well as working as a script reader for film companies including Rank and Hammer.

But she quit acting during the 1980s, and moved into publishing eventually founder her own company with her sister Jelena publishing biographies, history and philosophy.

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She also published her own novel The Victims and The Fools in 2016, under her real name Nadja Poderegin.

Of her Bond roles, she once said: “To be honest, in the beginning I was very embarrassed, because they were such tiny little roles.

“But once The Queen had a tiny role as a Bond girl, I thought, well, if it’s good enough for Her Majesty I shouldn’t be so embarrassed!”

The Queen famously appeared with Daniel Craig’s Bond in a segment made for the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, directed by Danny Boyle.

Her death comes just a few days after that of Tania Mallett, who also starred in Goldfinger.