Nađa Regin, the Serbian Actress Who Appeared in Two James Bond Films

Nađa Regin built the kind of career many actors could only dream of. Born Nadežda Poderegin in Niš in 1931, she grew up in Kraljevo after her parents, teachers Milka and Ignjatije Poderegin, moved there for work.

Her childhood was marked by tragedy. Her father was killed during the Nazi massacre in Kraljevo in 1941 after refusing to leave his students. Nađa, her mother and her sister Jelena later moved to Belgrade, where her artistic career began.

Regin attended Belgrade’s Seventh Girls’ Grammar School before enrolling at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. She also studied at the Faculty of Philosophy and spoke five languages. She made her film debut in 1949 in “The Factory Story,” followed by roles in “The Miracle Sword,” “Frosina,” “Dr. M.’s Echelon” and “House on the Shore.”

In the early 1960s, she moved abroad and found work in British and German cinema. Her international recognition came through two James Bond films. In 1963, she played Kerim Bey’s mistress in “From Russia with Love.” The following year, she appeared as the dancer Bonita in “Goldfinger.”

Regin later acted in productions including “The Saint,” with Roger Moore, “The Avengers” and “Danger Man.” She eventually left acting and became a screenwriter at the BBC. She died in London in 2019, leaving behind a daughter, Tanja.

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The driver who took me to the shoots asked me to get Sean’s autograph. I knocked on his door and asked for an autograph. He jokingly said he could, but only if he got a kiss. I replied that I would call the chauffeur to kiss him.