From Oil Heiress to Bond Girl: Stacey Sutton’s Journey
Stacey Sutton, a State Geologist working for the State of California, heir to her family riches, and an essential ally and primary Bond girl in the 1985 film, A View to a Kill, where she is portrayed by American actress Tanya Roberts.
Stacey Sutton
Stacey Sutton, the granddaughter of a Californian oil magnate, is the sole heir to her family’s oil business. After majoring in earth science, she hopes to learn the ropes of the company from her father. However, her father dies soon after she completes her education, leaving her struggling to maintain control.
Billionaire Max Zorin takes over Sutton Oil, offering Stacey $5 million for her shares, but she never accepts the money. She resides in Dunsmuir House, her grandfather’s estate, selling its furnishings to fund legal battles against Zorin.
James Bond uncovers Zorin’s plan to flood the Hayward and San Andreas faults using seawater, intending to submerge Silicon Valley. Stacey is aware of Bond following her, eventually confronting him at her home.
Together, they fend off Zorin’s henchmen. After Stacey loses her job due to her disagreements with her boss, W.G. Howe, she and Bond infiltrate a government building to gather information on Zorin, but they’re captured and framed for Howe’s murder, barely escaping the building.
Stacey and Bond continue their efforts to stop Zorin by sneaking into one of his mines. Although Zorin sets off explosives to flood the mine, Stacey escapes the rising waters. May Day, Zorin’s former lover, aids Bond in thwarting Zorin’s plans, sacrificing herself in the process. An enraged Zorin then kidnaps Stacey and attempts to flee in an airship.
Bond latches onto the airship and manages to anchor it to the Golden Gate Bridge. During the ensuing fight, Stacey beats off Scarpine and Hans Glaub while Bond causes Zorin’s death.
As Glaub tries to exact revenge with dynamite, Bond cuts the mooring rope, causing the airship to lurch away from the bridge. And Glaub and Scarpine fail to recover the dynamite before it blows the airship up.
In the final scene, Q employs a remote-control gadget to locate Bond, who’s presumed missing. The gadget reveals Bond and Stacey enjoying a bath together, and Bond covers the device with a towel to maintain their privacy.
Tanya Roberts
Tanya Roberts, born Victoria Leigh Blum in 1949, was an American actress and model. She began her career in TV commercials and off-Broadway productions before achieving her breakthrough role in The Last Victim (1975).
Roberts was cast in the TV series Charlie’s Angels in 1980, but the show was cancelled in 1981. She later gained a cult following for roles in The Beastmaster (1982) and Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (1984), and she also played Bond girl Stacey Sutton in A View to a Kill (1985).
For a full biography, check out our Tanya Roberts page….
