Claudine Auger Biography
Claudine Auger was a French actress and model. She was born Claudine Oger in Paris, France, on April 26, 1941, to a family of French and Danish ancestry. Auger attended St. Joan of Arc College and later the Conservatoire de Paris, where she developed her acting skills.
Claudine Auger’s acting career began when she was still in school, and she made her film debut in an uncredited role in 1958 film Christine. Her first credited role was as Minerva in Testament of Orpheus (1960). She then married the writer-director Pierre Gaspard-Huit, who cast her in several films, including Le Masque de fer (1962) and Kali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance (1963).
Auger’s big break came when she was cast for the role of Bond girl Dominique ‘Domino’ Derval in the James Bond film Thunderball (1965). Her stunning performance impressed the producers so much that they rewrote the part to that of a French woman to better suit Auger. Although her voice was dubbed, the role made her an international star.
Auger’s stardom led to several more roles in European films, such as Anyone Can Play (1968) with Ursula Andress and Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) with Barbara Bouchet and Barbara Bach. She also appeared in the British television series The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994) in one of the last episodes of the series.
Claudine Auger wasn’t only a talented actress but also a beauty queen. She earned the title of Miss France Monde in 1958 and was the first runner-up in the Miss World contest. She also posed semi-nude for Playboy magazine, making her even more popular among her fans.
Claudine Auger twice married. Her first marriage was in 1959, when she was 18, to Pierre Gaspard-Huit, which ended in divorce. She later married British businessman Peter Brent in the 1980s and had one child, Jessica Claudine Brent.
Claudine Auger will always be remembered as one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of her time. She passed away in Paris on December 18, 2019, following a lengthy illness.