Shirley Eaton

Short Biography

Beautiful actress Shirley Eaton was born in London, England, on January 12, 1936. Her acting career began during her teenage years on early television in the BBC comedy series Parent-Craft (1951; with Robert Morley). Her film career got going a few years later, mainly in comedies, in which she often portrayed a blond bombshell; unlike many of her American contemporaries, however, she didn't portray the stereotypical dumb blonde. Standing 5'10", the statuesque actress easily found roles befitting her talent and beauty. Some of her comedies include Sailor Beware! (1956), Carry On Nurse (1959; with Kenneth Connor), and Eight on the Lam (1967; with Bob Hope). Into the 1960s, however, she began moving away from comedies and starred in a number of thrillers and action adventure flicks, such as The Girl Hunters (1963; with Mickey Spillane), Ten Little Indians (1965; with Hugh O'Brian and Fabian), and The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967; with George Nader and Frankie Avalon).Although Eaton starred in many films, her most famous role came in the James Bond thriller Goldfinger (1964; with Sean Connery), in which she has just three scenes and perhaps five minutes of screen time. Nevertheless, she makes quite an impact in the film. In the late 1960s, following the release of The Girl from Rio (1969; with George Sanders), Eaton walked away from acting after nearly 20 years as a working actress, giving up her career to raise her two children. Married in 1958, today the still-gorgeous Eaton is a widow and remains retired from the screen but is a frequent interview subject regarding her films. Eaton published an autobiography in 2000 titled Golden Girl, which is now out of print but is available used and a must-read for her fans.