Samantha Jane Bond (born 27 November 1961) is an English actress, who is best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan years, and for her role on ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on ...

'' as the wealthy widow Lady Rosamund Painswick, sister of Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham. She is also known for originating the role of "Miz Liz" Probert in the '' Rumpole of the Bailey'' series. Bond is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. In her television career, she is known for her role as "Auntie Angela" in the sitcom '' Outnumbered'' and the villain Mrs Wormwood in the CBBC ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...

'' spin-off, '' The Sarah Jane Adventures''.

Early life

Samantha Bond is the daughter of actor

Philip Bond Philip J. Bond (born 11 July 1966, in Lancashire) is a British comic book artist, who first came to prominence in the late 1980s on '' Deadline'' magazine, and later through a number of collaborations with British writers for the DC Comics impr ...

and TV producer Pat Sandys, and is the sister of the actress Abigail Bond and the journalist Matthew Bond. Bond's paternal grandparents were Welsh. She was brought up in London, in homes in Barnes and St Margarets. She attended the

Godolphin and Latymer School The Godolphin and Latymer School is an independent day school for girls in Hammersmith, West London. The school motto is an ancient Cornish phrase, ''Francha Leale Toge'', which translates as "free and loyal art thou". The school crest inclu ...

, and studied acting at the

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. ...

Career

Early career

Bond's first acting role came as a student at age 21, in the original stage production of ''

Daisy Pulls It Off ''Daisy Pulls It Off '' is a comedy play by Denise Deegan. It is an original script. It is a parody of wholesome adventure stories about life in a 1920s girls' English boarding school, in a similar genre to those by Angela Brazil. The original ...

'',

Denise Deegan Denise Deegan (born 1952) is an English novelist and playwright. She is best known for her play, '' Daisy Pulls It Off''. Biography Deegan was born in London, England, where she trained in stage management at East 15 Acting School. Prior to ...

's play about a girls school, which opened at Southampton's Nuffield Theatre in 1983. Her earliest television roles took place the same year: she played Maria Rushworth (née Bertram) in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

mini-series adaptation of Jane Austen's '' Mansfield Park'', and Rumpole's pupil in chambers "Miz Liz" Probert in the fourth series of '' Rumpole of the Bailey''. In 1985, she appeared as Julia Simmons in the BBC's televised adaptation of

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

's crime novel '' A Murder is Announced'', part of the Miss Marple series.

Theatre

Bond's work with the Royal Shakespeare Company (the RSC) began in 1987, when she performed in three of the company's stage productions: '' Les Liaisons Dangereuses'', '' Hero and Leander'', and ''Lorca's Women''. In 1992, the RSC cast her as Rosalind in Shakespeare's ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'', which she performed in their

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

and London theatres, and as Hermione in '' The Winter's Tale'', also at the company's two theatres. She then toured with the RSC as Hermione in 1993. Bond starred as the titular Amy in the Royal National Theatre's West End production of David Hare's play '' Amy's View'', opposite Judi Dench, in 1997 and into early 1998. Later in 1998, she co-starred in playwright

Shelagh Stephenson Shelagh Stephenson is an English playwright and actress. Background and education Stephenson was born in Tynemouth, Northumberland in 1955. She read drama at Manchester University. Career Acting Stephenson worked as an actress with the Royal S ...

's ''

The Memory of Water ''The Memory of Water'' is a comedy written by English playwright Shelagh Stephenson, first staged at Hampstead Theatre in 1996. It won the 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Characters Vi Vi is the mother of the three sisters a ...

'', also in the West End. In 1999, Bond and Dench reprised their roles in ''Amy's View'' on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

for a limited run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Their performances garnered Bond a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play, and Dench the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play. Hare received a special citation from the

New York Drama Critics' Circle The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 22 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jone ...

. Bond revisited ''The Memory of Water'', making her directorial debut on a short touring production of the play in 2000, the same year it won an Olivier award for Best New Comedy. She also performed in numerous stage productions during the 2000s, among them: Shakespeare's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amo ...

'' in 2001, as Hippolyta and Titania, again for the RSC; Donald Margulies's Pulitzer prize-winning '' Dinner with Friends'', as Karen, opposite her ''Downton Abbey'' co-star

Elizabeth McGovern Elizabeth Lee McGovern (born July 18, 1961) is an American actress and musician. She has received many awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, three Golden Globe Award nominations, and one Academy Award nomination. Born in Evanston, Ill ...

and directed by McGovern's husband Simon Curtis, in 2001; ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores co ...

'' in 2002; and in Shakespeare's '' Macbeth'', as Lady Macbeth opposite

Sean Bean Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a theatre production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983. Retaining his Yorkshire a ...

in the title role, on tour in 2002 and 2003. Other stage performances include

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

A Woman of No Importance ''A Woman of No Importance'' by Oscar Wilde is "a new and original play of modern life", in four acts, first given on 19 April 1893 at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Like Wilde's other society plays, it satirises English upper-class society. It ...

'' in 2003; ''The Rubenstein Kiss'' in 2005; Michael Frayn's '' Donkey's Years'' at London's Comedy Theatre in 2006; and

David Leveaux David Leveaux (born 13 December 1957)this source shows 195filmreference.com. Retrieved 9 May 2009 is a British theatre director who has been nominated for five Tony Awards as director of both plays and musicals. He directs in the UK, working at ...

's West End revival of

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

's '' Arcadia'' at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...

, in 2009 as Hannah, alongside another ''Downton Abbey'' co-star, Dan Stevens. The next decade brought Bond onstage in Oscar Wilde's ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'', as Mrs. Cheveley opposite her real-life actor husband Alexander Hanson as Mr. Cheveley, in 2010–2011, and as Nell in Passion Play by Peter Nichols in 2013. In 2014, Bond acted and sang in the West End musical production of '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'', playing the role of Muriel Eubanks. Bond stated in an interview that she hadn't sung on stage in over 30 years and had many moments during rehearsals where she turned her back toward anyone listening to her sing and frequently shook "with terror" at the prospect. In a Radio Times review of the play, the critic described Bond as "stage royalty" and "hilarious." In October and November 2017, Bond appeared in the English language premiere of

Florian Zeller Florian Zeller (; born 28 June 1979) is a French novelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film director. He won the Prix Interallié for his 2004 novel ''The Fascination of Evil'' and several awards for his plays. He wrote and ...

's modern French farce, ''The Lie'', once again alongside her husband, Alexander Hanson, at an Off-West End theatre called the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Television and film

In 1989, Bond starred as Mary MacKenzie, a young Scottish woman, in the television adaptation of

Oswald Wynd Oswald Morris Wynd (1913–1998) was a Scottish writer. He is best known for his novel '' The Ginger Tree'', which was adapted into a BBC televised mini-series in 1989. Wynd was born 4 July 1913 in Tokyo of parents who had left their native P ...

's novel ''

The Ginger Tree ''The Ginger Tree'' is a 1977 novel by Scottish novelist Oswald Wynd published in the UK by Collins Publishers. The novel was adapted into a 4-part TV series by the BBC and Japan's NHK for release in 1989, and subsequently shown as part of PBS' ...

'', and was featured in ''

Erik the Viking ''Erik the Viking'' is a 1989 British comedy-fantasy film written and directed by Terry Jones. The film was inspired by Jones's children's book '' The Saga of Erik the Viking'' (1983), but the plot is completely different. Jones also appears i ...

'', an independent fantasy film with Tim Robbins in the title role. She appeared in a 1990 adaptation of Agatha Christie's short story '' The Adventure of the Cheap Flat'' for the series '' Agatha Cristie's Poirot'' on ITV, starring

David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenh ...

as Hercule Poirot. Bond was also seen on ITV in an episode of the "Inspector Morse" detective drama series based on novels by

Colin Dexter Norman Colin Dexter (29 September 1930 – 21 March 2017) was an English crime writer known for his ''Inspector Morse'' series of novels, which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as an ITV television series, ''Inspector Morse'', fr ...

, in 1992, and in a 1995 episode of ''

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'', an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...

series of ghost stories on the BBC. In 1996, she portrayed Mrs. Weston in the television movie '' Jane Austen's Emma'', starring

Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costu ...

as Emma, a Meridian-ITV/A&E production that has been described as grittier and "more authentic" to Austen's story than the theatrical film starring

Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (; born ) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films ...

that was released the same year. The television movie was broadcast in the US in 1997 on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educati ...

. From 1995 to 2002, Bond played Miss Moneypenny, M's secretary at

MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...

, in the four James Bond films with Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007: '' GoldenEye'', '' Tomorrow Never Dies'', '' The World Is Not Enough'', and '' Die Another Day''. The role of Miss Moneypenny is the smallest role she ever played, yet the character remains a favorite among James Bond fans. In a BBC interview, Bond remarked that she retired from the role when Pierce Brosnan stepped down as the lead. However, she later appeared as Miss Moneypenny in an advertisement for London's 2012 Olympic bid, alongside previous Bond actor

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

. Bond co-starred in 2004 with Peter Davison, as a married couple who uproot themselves to a remote island to save their marriage, in the ITV drama-comedy '' Distant Shores''. In 2007, she played the villain Mrs. Wormwood in the pilot episode of the BBC children's drama series '' The Sarah Jane Adventures'', a spin-off of ''

''. She later came back to play the same character in the two-part finale of the show's second series, ''Enemy of the Bane''. Bond guest-starred in three episodes of the long-running and popular murder mystery series ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels o ...

'': ''Destroying Angel'' in 2001, ''Shot at Dawn'' in 2008, both starring fellow RSC member John Nettles in the lead role of DCI Tom Barnaby, as well as the first episode in 2011's series 14, ''Death in the Slow Lane''. The 2011 episode is notable for Neil Dudgeon's debut as DCI John Barnaby, who takes over as the new detective in Midsomer after his cousin Tom Barnaby retired. From 2007 to 2014, Bond had a recurring role as Auntie Angela in the BBC's semi-improvised comedy series ''Outnumbered'', alongside

Hugh Dennis Peter Hugh Dennis (born 13 February 1962) is an English comedian, presenter, actor, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist who has appeared in the comedy double act Punt and Dennis with partner Steve Punt. He played Dr Piers Crispin in t ...

Claire Skinner Claire Skinner (born 1965) is an English actress, known in the United Kingdom for her television career, particularly playing Sue Brockman from the BBC television series '' Outnumbered''. Early life Claire Skinner was born and brought up in ...

and David Ryall. She appeared in all five series. From 2010 through 2015 (in the UK), Bond appeared as Lady Rosamund Painswick in the ensemble cast of ITV's drama series ''Downton Abbey'', written and produced by Julian Fellowes. The show quickly became an unprecedented worldwide hit. Each series was shown in the US on PBS's Masterpiece program one year following its broadcast in the UK; according to PBS, Downton Abbey rose to become the most popular drama ever shown on the station, and the most popular series in the history of Masterpiece. Lady Rosamund is the widowed, wealthy, and sometimes meddling sister of Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham. Bond's first appearance was in the last episode of the first series; she appeared in 18 episodes overall, throughout the entire show. The ITV show '' Home Fires'' featured Bond as Frances Barden, a woman working to strengthen connections among the women in her small English village by keeping the local '' Women's Institute'' operating during the early days of World War II. The show premiered in the UK in 2015 and was cancelled in 2016, to which fans reacted by petitioning ITV to reinstate the popular drama, to no avail. It played in the US on PBS's Masterpiece in 2016 and 2017, where viewers were similarly disappointed to learn of the show's demise. The series creator, Simon Block, has stated he intends to continue the story in written form, as novels. In 2020 Miss Bond played Joanne Henderson in '' Death in Paradise'' (S9:E5).

Audiobooks

Bond has narrated a number of audiobooks including Mary Norton's ''The Borrowers'', Joanna Trollope's ''An Unsuitable Match'', Anthony Horowitz's ''

Magpie Murders ''Magpie Murders'' is a 2016 mystery novel by British author Anthony Horowitz and the first novel in the ''Susan Ryeland'' series. The story focuses on the murder of a mystery author and uses a story within a story format. The book has been tra ...

'' and Helen Fielding's ''Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries' 'Goldeneye''. She has most recently released S J Bennett's novel, ''The Windsor Knot''. She received an

Earphones Award ''AudioFile'' is a print and online magazine whose mission is to review "unabridged and abridged audiobooks, original audio programs, commentary, and dramatizations in the spoken-word format. The focus of reviews is the audio presentation, not the ...

for ''Magpie Murders''.

Personal life

Bond lives in St Margarets, London, and has been married since 1989 to Alexander Hanson, with whom she has two children, Molly and Tom. She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Northampton in 2014.

Filmography

Film

Television

Narrator

Video games

Stage

*''

'' (

) at the Nuffield Theatre, 1983 *'' Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' (

Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton (Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film a ...

) ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the Ambassadors Theatre, 1987 *'' Hero and Leander'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the

Barbican Theatre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...

, 1987 *''Lorca's Women'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the

, 1987 *''Man of the Moment'' (

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director o ...

) at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and gr ...

, 1990 *Rosalind in ''

'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 1992 *Hermione in '' The Winter's Tale'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 1992 *Rosalind in ''

'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the

, 1993 *Hermione in '' The Winter's Tale'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the

, 1993 *Infanta in ''Le Cid'' (

Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patrona ...

) at the Cottesloe Theatre, 1994. Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. *Amy in '' Amy's View'' ( David Hare), 1997 and 1998 *''

'' (

), 1998 *Amy in '' Amy's View'' ( David Hare) at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1999. Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Nominated for

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. *Hippolyta and Titania in ''

'' ( Royal Shakespeare Company) at the

Barbican Hall The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...

, 2001 *'' Dinner with Friends'' (

Donald Margulies Donald Margulies (born September 2, 1954) is an American playwright and academic. In 2000, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play ''Dinner with Friends''. Background and education Margulies attended John Dewey High School in Brookl ...

) at the Hampstead Theatre, 2001 *''

'', 2002 * Lady Macbeth in '' Macbeth'', 2002 and 2003 *Mrs Arbuthnot in ''

'' (

) at the Haymarket Theatre, 2003 *'' The Rubenstein Kiss'' ( James Phillips) at the Hampstead Theatre, 2005 *'' Donkey's Years'' ( Michael Frayn) at London's Comedy Theatre, 2006. Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. *Hannah in

's West End revival of

's '' Arcadia'' at the

, 2009 *Mrs. Cheveley in ''

'' (

), 2010-2011 *Mrs Prentice in ''What The Butler Saw'' (

Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his death in 1967, was short but highly influential. During this brie ...

) at the Vaudeville Theatre, 2012 *Nell in '' Passion Play'' ( Peter Nichols), 2013 *Muriel Eubanks in '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'', 2014. Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical category. Nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical category at the WhatsOnStage Awards. *Appeared in English language premiere of

's modern French farce, ''The Lie'', 2017

Awards and nominations

Television

Theatre

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Samantha 1961 births Living people English film actresses English television actresses English voice actresses People educated at Godolphin and Latymer School English people of Welsh descent Royal Shakespeare Company members Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses English Shakespearean actresses Actresses from London English stage actresses People from Kensington