Paris Carver: An Old Flame of Bond Married to Elliot Carver
Paris Carver is a notable character from the 1997 James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies. The wife of British media baron Elliot Carver, and former lover of James Bond, she’s mixed up in a life of exotic high society that’s riddled with danger.
Brought to life by American actress Teri Hatcher, this Bond girl bridges glamour and danger, and is further explored in Raymond Benson’s novelization of the film.
Paris Carver
Paris Carver is an enchanting brunette who shares a romantic past with James Bond. Her roots trace back to New York, where she once aspired to become a teacher, before her life took a detour towards the glamorous world of modeling.
One night, at an upscale cocktail party she meets Bond, which sparks off a whirlwind love affair. Two months later, in a twist of fate, they part ways, as Bond’s line of work threatens their blossoming relationship.
Fast forward four years, Paris meets with television and news tycoon, Elliot Carver, and they swiftly tie the knot after three months of courtship. Unbeknownst to her, Carver is entangled in a sinister plot to instigate a war between the U.K. and China, aiming to boost his news outlets’ ratings with exclusive war coverage.
MI6 dispatches Bond to scrutinize Carver’s activities, leading him to reunite with Paris. The orders from M involve wooing her to uncover Carver’s secrets.
They meet at an extravagant event Elliot Carver has arranged. Paris’ radiant beauty still strikes a chord in Bond, but she greets him with a hostile slap to the face, much to the surprise of the bystanders.
They exchange words about Bond’s lifestyle, and make quite a scene in front of many guests. When her husband inquires about Bond, she diverts the topic, claiming she barely knows him. However, surveillance footage reviewed by Carver reveals Paris’ conversation with Bond.
Feeling a sense of unease about her husband’s clandestine activities, Paris seeks out Bond following an assassination attempt on him by her husband’s goons.
Initially, Bond attempts to maintain distance, but their mutual attraction proves too potent. They rekindle their romance, and Bond divulges that he left because she got too involved.
Paris gives Bond all the information he needs, but Carver, spying on his wife, dispatches his assassin, Dr. Kaufman, to kill her. The plot involves staging her murder as a murder-suicide, implicating Bond. Kaufman kills Paris, but is outsmarted by Bond who takes him down.
Paris’ untimely demise fuels Bond’s thirst for vengeance, disrupting his professional composure and influencing his decisions. Later, during a standoff at Carver’s Saigon headquarters, Elliot Carver taunts Bond about Paris’ death, even going as far as to blame Bond for her death.
Bond finally exacts his revenge on Carver, utilizing a sea drill to kill the megalomaniac, thereby avenging Paris.
Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher, born December 8, 1964, is a versatile American actress, singer, and author, initially trained as a ballet dancer and student of mathematics and engineering at De Anza College. Her passion for acting led her to the American Conservatory Theater, subsequently landing roles in TV shows such as The Love Boat, MacGyver, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap, and L.A. Law, and even becoming a cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers.
Her breakthrough came in 1993 with her portrayal of Lois Lane in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. In 1997, she played Bond girl Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies while pregnant. She continued to star in movies like Spy Kids and 2 Days in the Valley and commercials for RadioShack.
Her most prominent role came as Susan Mayer in ABC’s Desperate Housewives, winning a Golden Globe and a SAG award, making her one of the highest-paid TV actresses in 2006. That year, she also published her first book, Burnt Toast: And Other Philosophies of Life.
