Tania Mallet, an English actress and model, is perhaps best remembered for her role as Tilly Masterson in the iconic James Bond film Goldfinger (1964). Born on 19 May 1941 in Blackpool, she was the daughter of Russian noblewoman Olga Mironoff, a former chorus girl, and English millionaire car salesman Henry Mallet. Her maternal grandfather, Pyotr Mironov, was a colonel in the Imperial Russian army and a member of the Russian aristocracy, while her great-grandmother, Countess Lydia Andreevna Kamenskaya, was a descendant of Count Mikhail Fedotovich Kamensky, a renowned Russian general in the Napoleonic Wars. Tania’s distinctive name was often signed with a double “t” for autographs, while her half-brothers, Paul and Peter, used the single “t” spelling of the surname. Tania Mallet was also a cousin of the acclaimed actress Helen Mirren, with their mothers being siblings. Mallet’s early life involved a combination of education in both England and France, but her childhood was marked by her parents’ divorce, and her mother’s later marriage to a conman, George Dawson, who was imprisoned for fraud.
Before making her mark in the world of acting, Mallet enjoyed a successful career as a model, gracing the cover of the British edition of Vogue four times between 1961 and 1964. She also appeared in Michael Winner’s 1961 short film Girls Girls Girls, where she played a model. Mallet auditioned for the role of Tatiana Romanova in From Russia with Love (1963), but her English accent led to her being passed over. However, it was her appearance in a bikini that caught the attention of Goldfinger producer Albert Broccoli, landing her the role of Tilly Masterson, the vengeful sister of the murdered Jill Masterson, played by Shirley Eaton. She starred with Sean Connery like another Blackpool born actress Janet Munro. Despite the success of Goldfinger, Mallet’s acting career did not flourish beyond this role, and the film remained her only major acting credit. Her character, Tilly, meets a grim end at the hands of the iconic henchman Oddjob, played by Harold Sakata. Mallet later explained that her decision to turn down further film roles and return to modelling was driven by two key factors. She was unhappy with the constraints placed on her personal freedom while working under contract for Goldfinger, particularly the inability to travel abroad or engage in activities like horse riding. Additionally, she found the pay offered during filming to be disappointing. While initially offered £50 a week, she negotiated a higher salary of £150, though it paled in comparison to her earnings as a model, where she had made that amount in a single day.
After stepping away from acting, Mallet enjoyed a quieter life. In 1976, she married Simon Radcliffe, becoming stepmother to his children. They remained married until his passing in 2016. Mallet’s cousin Helen Mirren, in her autobiography, described Tania as “impossibly beautiful and kind,” highlighting her generosity and loyalty. Mirren also praised her cousin’s selflessness, noting how Tania had used her modelling earnings to fund her brother’s education and support her mother financially.
Tania Mallet passed away on 30 March 2019, at the age of 77.
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