- Valerie Leon
Infobox actor
name = Valerie Leon
imagesize =
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birthdate = Birth date and age|1945|11|12|df=y
birthplace =London
deathdate =
deathplace =
yearsactive =
spouse =Michael Mills (1974-1986)
homepage = http://www.valerieleon.com/
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tonyawards =Valerie Leon (born
12 November 1945 ) is an Englishactress , regarded as something of a cult figure due to her roles in a number of high profile British film "franchises".Early life
Her father was a director of a textile company, and her mother, who trained at
RADA , stopped acting to become a full-time mother. She is the eldest of four privately-educated children. After leaving school, she became a trainee fashion buyer atHarrods , before playing truant one day to go to an audition which led to her becoming a chorus girl, and then going on tour withBarbra Streisand in "Funny Girl".Film appearances
Leon appeared in several of the "
Carry On films ", has been both an "official" and "unofficial"Bond girl - having played the "hotel receptionist" in "The Spy Who Loved Me" and the "Lady in Bahamas" in "Never Say Never Again ", and starred in theHammer horror film "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb " as well as appearing in "Revenge of the Pink Panther ".Television
On
television , Leon is probably best remembered for her part as a tall buxom woman driven wild by a small and puny man wearingHai Karate aftershave, in a series of commercials for the product. She also appeared in "The Saint", "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) ", "Up Pompeii! ", "The Avengers", "" and in The Goodies comedy episode "It Might as Well Be String ".Personal life
Valerie was married to
BBC Head Of Comedy, Michael Mills from 1974 until his death in 1986.They had 2 children, a boy in 1975 and a girl in 1977. [ [http://www.valerieleon.com/biography.html Valerie Leon: Biography ] ]Bibliography
*cite book|last=Paul|first=Louis|year=2008|title=Tales From the Cult Film Trenches; Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema|chapter=Valerie Leon|pages=p.164-171|publisher=Wayne State University Press|location=Detroit|isbn=978-0-7864-2994-3
References
External links
*imdb name|id=0502538|name=Valerie Leon
* [http://www.valerieleon.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/entertainment/films_and_tv/valerieleon.shtml Audio interview] at [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire BBC Wiltshire]
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