No one would blame you if it slipped your mind that the Queen of Pop appeared opposite Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day.
It’s been six decades and 25 movies since the inception of the James Bond movie franchise, and many actors and celebrities have graced the screen in that time.
But, especially after this past year, which proved time is indeed a flat circle (as Matthew McConaughey’s Rustin Cohle says on True Detective), no one would blame you if you didn’t remember that Madonna, the Queen of Pop, made an appearance in the films—which she did (in addition to singing the theme song) in Die Another Day. So, we look back on some of those stars you might’ve forgotten about who contributed to the franchise’s legacy.
Joanna Lumley
The absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley of Absolutely Fabulous fame made her film debut in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as an Angel of Death, one of 12 women from around the world brainwashed by Blofeld (Telly Savalas).
Sammy Davis Jr.
Diamonds Are Forever and so is Sammy Davis Jr. The legendary singer appears in that 1971 Bond film and makes a remark about how you couldn’t make a cake big enough to put under Sean Connery’s 007, who was suited like a wedding cake topper.
Charles Dance
Iconic English actor Charles Dance acted opposite Roger Moore in the Bond film For Your Eyes Only (1981), in which he played the mercenary and assassin named Claus. Dance would later appear on screen in Game of Thrones with the late Diana Rigg, noted Bond Girl from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Dolph Lundgren
Look at baby Dolph Lundgren! The hulking Swedish actor would eventually become a world-renowned action movie star, but first he performed the a small role in A View to a Kill (1985) as Venz, a bodyguard for the head of the KGB.
Barbara Broccoli
Along with Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli has led the charge on the Bond franchise as a lead producer since the era of Pierce Brosnan, being instrumental in shaping the direction of these films. But she also made an appearance in a Bond movie. In 1987’s The Living Daylights, she appeared as a background actor in the opera sequence.
Minnie Driver
Ladies and gentlemen, the incomparable Irina! Good Will Hunting and Sleepers actress Minnie Driver portrayed this nightclub singer and mistress of crime boss Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane) in 1995’s GoldenEye.
Gerard Butler
One of the first big movie gigs for Gerard Butler, known these days for Olympus Has Fallen and 300, was in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies. He showed up briefly aboard the British Royal Navy’s HMS Devonshire frigate.
Hugh Bonneville
Between Downton Abbey and Paddington, Hugh Bonneville is the embodiment of British niceness, even though Ted Lasso has a monopoly on that brand these days. Booneville appeared in the gentlemanly British movie series with Tomorrow Never Dies, as an unnamed member of the British Royal Navy.
Goldie
British musician and DJ Goldie, born Clifford Price, played the gold-toothed bodyguard Mister Bullion in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough.
Madonna
Madonna pulled double duty for 2002’s Die Another Day, performing the film’s theme song and appearing opposite Brosnan and Rosamund Pike as mistress of fencing Verity.
Tobias Menzies
The Crown Emmy winner Tobias Menzies shows up in 2006’s Casino Royale as M’s assistant Villiers, who gets to pal around with a double-0 for a day.
Richard Branson
The founder of Virgin Group, which owns Virgin Airlines, wouldn’t be the kind of person frisked at a Miami airport before boarding. But in Casino Royale, that’s exactly what happens to Richard Branson.
Michael G. Wilson
Broccoli isn’t the only Bond gatekeeper to make an appearance in the films themselves. Wilson made a cameo in Casino Royale, but it was the latest in a long line of cameos that began all the way back in 1964’s Goldfinger.
Alessandra Ambrosio
Bond rolls up to a luxurious country club in Casino Royale where he catches the eye of two women in tennis outfits. One of them is supermodel and Victoria’s Secret angel Alessandra Ambrosio.
David Harbour
Before Chief Hopper on Stranger Things and Alexi in Black Widow, and Hellboy in… well, Hellboy, David Harbour was the nefarious CIA section chief Gregg Beam, who had ties to Quantum operative Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) in the 2008 movie Quantum of Solace.
Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro
Marc Forster, the director of Quantum of Solace, asked his Oscar-winning filmmaker buddies to appear in small capacities in the franchise’s 22nd movie. Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water) voiced various roles, while Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) appeared as a helicopter pilot.
Wolf Blitzer
In Hollywood’s long history of tapping real-life newsmen and women to portray reporters on screen, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer appeared briefly in 2012’s Skyfall to share some news that incites Bond to action.
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