Honor Blackman

Karen talks exclusively to Honor Blackman about her new one woman show, Connery, cat-suits and northerners.

Picture the scene, it’s Tuesday, it’s raining and I’m sat here in Nelson, sounds like a normal day, right? But today is quite different, it’s not everyday that I have the opportunity to speak to one of the world’s most iconic actresses, Honor Blackman whose husky and seductive tones are instantly recognisable across 50 years, a lady who oozes sex-appeal and has a relentless enthusiasm for life.

What are you currently working on?
At the moment I am appearing in Cabaret playing Frauline Schneider which I enjoy very much.

I didn’t know that you could sing?
Oh yes. I sing in all my one-woman shows. Isn’t it funny that people don’t know that and I’ve been in about five musicals including The Sound Of Music where I played the character, Elsa Schraeder.

I believe you are visiting Hebden Bridge with your one woman show “Word of Honor” what do you talk about?
It’s basically about my life and my work. This is my fourth one woman show and it’s so funny, when I tell people I’m doing a one-woman-show they always ask, “Is it about you?” And I say no because all the others were about other characters. One was about wicked courtesans, another was about a French singer called Yvette Gilbert and the last one was about people like Barbara Cartland and Eleanor Roosevelt and all that class of person, who were fascinating but I ran out of theatres to do them in so with this new one I thought why don’t I have a go.

Do you find that you get more nervous talking about yourself as opposed to playing a character?
Well it is true to say that everybody says “Oh! You’ve had such an interesting life”, and you think oh I don’t think I have, and yet when you come to put it all down on paper it is quite interesting and the public seem to love it, which is great. I thought people wouldn’t want to know about my childhood or anything like that but I was amazed by the number of people that say to me, “It changed my whole view of you to know about your background”, and they are fascinated.

Are you looking forward to visiting the north?
I love being up north because everyone’s so much warmer and quicker on the draw and they don’t mince their words or manners if they like you. They’re so out-going, I really like it.

Where have you visited up north?
Oh everywhere! Having done four one-woman-shows I’ve been all over the country. I’ve been... er... oh... golly golly! That’s it, Newcastle recently but enjoyed my time in Manchester when I was on Coronation Street.

How did you find working on Corrie?
Well the people were lovely but the speed at which they work is horrible. It isn’t a question of let’s rehearse this scene, they do it once, organise the lighting and you’re off. It isn’t something that I would like to do day in day out. It’s really heavy going and if you have a particular story going and you’re on all the time it’s an awful strain. I think Barbara (Knox) who plays Rita was feeling it at times. Weren’t you and Rita competitors for Norris’s affections?
Yes we were. We girls had been together on stage when we were young apparently. Oh yes, we actually sang a ridiculous song in that. I can’t remember what it was now but it was very funny.

Which do you prefer, TV, films or the stage?
I much prefer the theatre. Your audience is right in front of you and it’s immediate you know. I know in some television you do have an audience but it never really runs smoothly all the way through and you have to do things again and again. No, the theatre is definitely the most rewarding. The least money but the most rewarding.

You played Cathy Gale in The Avengers and were renowned for the black cat-suit, what ever happened to it?
Oh! You know I have no idea. The only thing I kept from The Avengers are my black boots which are not a bit sexy, they’re dead flat because I had to be balanced when I was doing judo. But going back to the cat suit, I remember on one occasion visiting the wardrobe department at the studio and found that my cat-suit wasn’t there. And I thought oh my god what’s happened to it? I later discovered that the studio boss used to take my trousers and throw them among the men at big dinner parties. Is that kinky or what?

In the Bond film Goldfinger you played Pussy Galore alongside Sean Connery, one of the well known scenes is when you wrestled in the barn, is it true you performed all your own stunts?
Yes. At an early age I learnt Judo, which involved a lot of stomach throws and things on the mat, except that I had to do it on concrete so it wasn’t funny.

What was Sean Connery like to work with?
It’s awfully difficult to say when he is the sexiest thing that ever happened. He’s pretty stimulating to work with. Should I say that? (giggles)

How does he compare to Daniel Craig as James Bond?
I don’t think anyone compares to Sean actually because I think he was perfect for the part. I mean, let’s face it, he’s a fine upstanding man with marvellous muscles and very handsome and a terribly wicked twinkle. He knows exactly what you’re thinking and you know exactly what he’s thinking.

You were born in the east end of London and I believe you were a dispatch rider during World War II. What was that like?
Well, I was seventeen at the time and I was riding my bike around when the doodle-bugs were about but you couldn’t hear them cut out because the bike engine was making so much noise.

Were you frightened?
No, I wasn’t but my mother was frightened to death for me but I was fine. Every now and then when I was on a trip I used to call in at my mother’s and she used to stand on the step and watch me riding away and the look on her face was, ‘will I ever see you again?’ because she was so frightened.

Have you any regrets?
The one thing professionally that I really regret is, I think I was the first person to be asked to be in the Morecambe and Wise show, and at that time they were just two comics. One didn’t know that much about them and one certainly didn’t know the reputation that they’d gained. My agent and I both thought that they were a couple of comics who’d send me up. Well of course that is what they did and so we said no and I’ll regret it forever!

Honor is such an unusual name, where does it come from?
I think my mother was reading a book when she was pregnant with me and the name Honor was in it. Well I think that’s it, unfortunately it’s too late to ask her now. It’s funny though, I remember everybody said to me at the beginning of my career “You can’t possibly succeed with a name like Honor Blackman so you’ll have to change it” and they wanted me to change it to Sandra something or Marilyn something. Well at the time there was a very well-known actress called Googie Withers who had been given the name Googie by her Indian nurse-maid and it had stuck. So I said if Googie Withers can become a success then I’ll certainly be alright.

I read somewhere that you sew your knickers to your blouse…
I don’t ever sew anything because I’m no good at that sort of thing but if you’re performing and even in life, you know when you tuck your shirt in, whatever kind of shirt it is, and it rides up and never looks clean and smooth, well I have what’s called a body bottom put on it. It’s like knickers that do up under the crotch, charmingly I put it.

How do you manage to stay so beautiful?
Well to start with I have marvellous genes. That’s a good start. I eat sensibly, I don’t over eat and I don’t eat lots of cakes and sugary things. You know when you hear people saying “Oh my God, I’ve got a wedding in July, I’ve got to take some weight off”, well that applies to me almost all the time because I know come Sunday I’ve got to get in to that slinky dress or whatever. I’m always being disciplined about my figure because I’ve always got to get in to certain glamorous clothes, so that keeps you sober if you see what I mean. I drink very, very little and do a little bit of exercise, and I think it’s just that I’m active and I’m happy.

What makes you happy?
Well, I’m happy in my work and happy in my family. I’ve had four grandchildren in less than three years. Both my daughter and my son got with their partners in their thirties and put on the “hurry, hurry music” where children were concerned. Everybody said how I would enjoy being a grandmother and they were right. I think it’s wonderful, just wonderful. I suppose it’s because it’s sort of a love in luxury. You don’t have to put up with all the awful parts you know, all the being sick in the middle of the night and all that sort of thing. But I think half of the love that you have for your grandchildren is due to the fact that your child is so happy. It’s like a double love really which I think is terrific.

Who inspires you?
My grandchildren. They are a great inspiration to me. My oldest grandson, Oscar who was four in April, saw me on television for the first time a few weeks ago and he still looks at me and I know he’s thinking “How can you be here when I can see you on the telly?” I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it eventually.

Do you ever relax?
There are times in your life, especially when I’ve been doing up to eight performances a week, when you just need to shut off entirely and not do anything. It’s only sensible, at this stage of life, to recoup a bit.

And in closing Honor, what is your favourite northern dish?
I’ll let you into a little secret. After every show we do our best to find the best fish and chip shop in the town.

There’s a good one in Hebden Bridge.
Is there? Oh you must let me know where. I hope it will still be open after my show.

Pussy Galore in the Bond film Goldfinger... ‘Mrs Cathy Gale’ in the ground-breaking TV series The Avengers... Honor Blackman tells her own story, from humble beginnings in the East End of London to one of the most famous stars in the world. Learn about the trials and tribulations of filming epic dramas like Shalako, A Night to Remember, Life at the Top, The Virgin and the Gypsy and Something Big. Hear her thoughts about working with stars such as Sean Connery, Dean Martin, Elizabeth Taylor, Dirk Bogarde and many more. Word of Honor is a superb insight into the life of this extraordinary actress, told in her own words and in her inimitable stylish way.

Interview from issue 15 aug/sept 07 To order this issue go to the Northern Life online store.