Model Cindy R Wirth modeled for the poster artwork for “Never Say Never Again”, painted by Rudy Obrero. In this interview she shares her memories of her time as a Bond girl.
How did you get involved in posing for the Never Say Never Again, James Bond poster? Were you recommended by a casting or modeling agency ?
At the time I was with the Wilhelmina agency in Los Angeles working as a top fashion model. I was losing my designer clients due to my passion for my daily gym workouts. It was the time of the anorexic size “00” models. I no longer needed shoulder pads, I had muscles.
Did the photographer or advertising agency provide wardrobe for the shoot?
No, I arrived at the shoot in a hot pink leotard, a scissored cut t-shirt ( no bra ) leg warmers and high heels. But everyone in LA ran around in leotards and high heels, it was the 80’s. At the time, I was designing a bodywear line called Bodyrapp which I later sold to REEBOK in 1987. The hot pink leotard was a new tanga style with suspenders similar to a man’s wrestling suit. I designed Bodyrapp in 1983.
Therefore, there is no doubt that my photos were used by Rudy Obero in the final poster. The movie, Never Say Never Again was still filming at the time of my photo shoot and often the ad agency for the film company does not have access to the actual film as the advertising campaigns are done sometimes even before filming. New York West advertising artist Rudy Obero could have only worked from the photo stills from the poster shoot. Never Say Never Again was the return of Sean Connery as 007 after a 12 year absence. A few years later I met Sean Connery at the home of a journalist from Paris Match and challenged him to a game of billards and won!!! With his wife Micheline in the wings and friends in common, I felt it was best to stop at one victory!! However bragging about beating James Bond in billiards isn’t nearly as exciting as bedding James Bond.
Are there any other photos from the photo shoots with Bernard Boudreau?
The only reason I have the photo used for the Never Say Never Again poster is that I asked Bernard to take a few shots of me in my tanga leotard for my fitness line. Otherwise the agency is given the rolls of film and they process them and select apart from the photographer. The agency selects what photos to give the artist. The artist creates his designs from the different poses in the photo stills and creates a composition layout for approval. It’s rare that any of the original photo stills would be available.
Well it certainly improved my billard game!! The irony is that Bernard Boudreau was hired that same year to shoot the photo stills for the poster for another James Bond film, Octopussy starring Roger Moore. Both films were being released in 1983. Bernard cast me again for the body double this time as Octopussy played by Maude Adams. In this shoot Bernard provided Frederick’s of Hollywood gold stillettos and a long red satin negligee with thigh high slits on both sides. I had to stand behind a mannequin wielding various toy weapons, a ball and a martini glass keeping the now famous “Angelina Jolie extended leg pose” in view. There are no existing stills from this shoot. Usually we shot Poloroids as a light test but we never thought to keep them. Dan Goozee’ did the final art on Octopussy. I don’t remember what advertising agency handled the Octopussy campaign. Did you ever dream of being a Bond girl?
Well since the last James Bond movie, SPECTRE cast 50 year old Monica Bellucci and Kim Basinger just signed a modeling contract at age 60 we can always still hope.
Model Cindy R Wirth lives in Italy. In 2014, a photo series of Cindy; Dames des Dunes taken by Italian photographer Azzurra Piccardi won the PX Prix de La Photographie Paris People’s Choice Award. Her past work includes photo sessions with Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts and Harry Langdon. Cindy continues to work as a body model in 2016.
Thank you to Cindy and Thomas from the Nixdorf Collection for sharing this interview!