London - British actress Honor Blackman,
who was best known for playing Bond girl Pussy Galore, has died
at the age of 94, her family said on Monday.
Blackman died of natural causes at her home in Sussex,
southern England the family said in a statement to the Guardian
newspaper.
"As well as being a much-adored mother and grandmother,
Honor was an actor of hugely prolific creative talent; with an
extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical
prowess, along with her unique voice and a dedicated work
ethic," the statement said.
"She achieved an unparalleled iconic status in the world of
film and entertainment and with absolute commitment to her craft
and total professionalism in all her endeavours she contributed
to some of the great films and theatre productions of our
times," it said.
Honor Blackman Picture: Bang Showbiz
Blackman played Pussy Galore in the 1964 James Bond film
"Goldfinger," as well as Cathy Gale in "The Avengers," a 1961
spy drama television series.
The spy adventure show had such a huge audience that Blackman and her co-star Patrick Macnee teamed up to record the song "Kinky Boots", released in February 1964, which referred to the boots she wore as her alter ego Cathy in the programme.
It went on to become a surprise hit in 1990 when it reached Number 5 on the UK singles chart after being played incessantly by BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show presenter Simon Mayo.
Blackman was also a regular fixture on TV screens in the 1990s when she starred in ITV sitcom 'The Upper Hand', a British version of American sitcom 'Who's the Boss?' about a single woman who hires a male housekeeper.