Paula Caplan
Paula Caplan is an intelligence operative for the British Secret Service and based in the Bahamas. Portrayed by Jamaican actress and model Martine Beswick in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, Paula is a highly skilled and dedicated agent who works alongside Bond during his investigation in Nassau.
Caplan plays a critical role in Bond’s mission as they make contact with Domino Derval, the sister of the murdered pilot François, who’s unaware of his recent death. In their undercover operation, Paula pretends to wait alone for a service boat while Bond gets a lift back to shore with Domino.
Paula is also an excellent photographer and develops pictures taken of Emilio Largo‘s ship, planning to share them with Bond at his hotel. However, Paula is ambushed by Vargas and Janni, two henchmen working for Largo and Fiona Volpe, and subsequently kidnapped and taken to Largo’s estate, Palmyra.
Demonstrating her bravery and loyalty, Paula Caplan refuses to divulge any information under torture and ultimately chooses to end her life with a cyanide capsule rather than betray her colleagues.
Martine Beswick
Martine Beswick, a Jamaica-born British actress and model, and she was back starring as her second Bond girl after she starred as Gypsy Zora in From Russia with Love, making her and Maud Adams the only actresses to play more than one Bond girl in different movies. She also auditioned for Dr. No, but she didn’t win a part.
She was born on 26 September 1941 in Port Antonio, Jamaica, she moved to London with her family in 1954 and left school at 14 to help support them.
Beswick’s stardom led to roles in other notable 1960s films, including One Million Years B.C., A Bullet for the General, and The Penthouse. She later starred in various Hammer Studio low-budget films, such as Prehistoric Women and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde.
In the 1970s, Beswick moved to Hollywood, making guest appearances on TV series like Sledge Hammer!, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Mannix, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Falcon Crest. She played the lead role in the 1980 comedy film The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood.
