| Up Front’ An intimate, illustrated and illuminating glimpse into the life and times of a Seventies
icon... Valerie Leon has been part of three British cults; Bond, Carry On and Hammer Horror. She also
has a collection of hit TV shows and with the help of some wonderful vintage film footage, Valerie takes us through
her life in film, both on and off the screen! From Bond to Bondage...What A Carry On.
Valerie Leon Early life
Her father was a director of a textile company, and her mother, who trained at RADA, ended her acting career to be
able to become a full-time mother. She is the eldest of four privately-educated children. After leaving school, she
became a trainee fashion buyer at Harrods, before playing truant 1 day to go to an audition which led to her
becoming a chorus girl, and then going on tour with Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady.
Valerie Leon Film appearances
Leon appeared in several from the Carry On films and has been a Bond girl (playing the "hotel receptionist" in the
Spy Who Loved Me (1977)and the "Lady in Bahamas" in Never Say By no means Again (1983). Other supporting
appearances consist of Revenge of the Pink Panther, The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (as the secretary Tanya), a
hotel receptionist within the Italian Job, and a callgirl in No Sex Please, We're British, alongside fellow Carry
On actress Margaret Nolan. The 1971 Hammer horror film Blood from the Mummy's Tomb provided Leon a rare lead role,
as a reincarnated Egyptian queen.
Valerie Leon Tv
On tv, Leon is most likely very best remembered for her part as a tall buxom woman driven wild by a little and puny
man wearing Hai Karate aftershave, in a series of commercials for the product. She also appeared in the Saint,
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Up Pompeii!, The Avengers, Space: 1999, The Persuaders, and within the Goodies
comedy episode "It May too Be String".
Valerie Leon Personal life
Leon was married to BBC's Head Of Comedy, Michael Mills from 1974 until his death in 1986. The marriage produced
two children, a boy, Leon, born in 1975 along with a lady, Merope, born in 1977
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