Born: August 27, 1947
Birth Name: Barbara Goldbach
Date of Birth: August 27, 1947
Bond girl Name: Anya Amasova
Bond film: The Spy Who Loved Me (1974)
Barbara Goldbach grew up with her four younger siblings in Queens, New York. Her natural beauty led her to a modeling career in her mid-teens. She shortened her name to Bach a year later and soon found her face on the cover of every major magazine in the world.
When she was 17, she took a trip to Rome to do a fashion shoot.
There she met an Italian businessman whom she later married.
Moving to Rome, she had two kids with her husband before being spotted on the street by a director. He asked if she would play a part in the mini-series The Adventure of Ulysses -- she agreed and soon was doing a string of European films.
In 1975, she left her husband and returned to America. While seeking work in film, a producer for the James Bond films happened upon a screen test she had done for a film that was never made. He was impressed and hired her to play Major Anya Amasova in the 10th James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
Bach's role as Anya instantly catapulted her into stardom as an international sex symbol.
Besides getting her name and photo in newspapers and magazines all around the world, the film gave her a particularly active role as the archetypal Bond girl, and is considered to be one of the most important ever created for any female Bond protagonist.
Bach got an exclusive pictorial feature in the June, 1977 Playboy as part of the promotion of The Spy Who Loved Me.
A year later she tried to win the replacement role for Kate Jackson in the hit series Charlie's Angels, but lost out to Shelley Hack.
In 1980, Bach worked on the film Cavemen (1981) with ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.
The two fell in love on and off set, and a year later the two were married.
Since her marriage, Bach has not done much in the film industry. She has, instead, gotten involved with a great deal of charity work. Bach and Starr currently live in Monte Carlo.
Filmography:
The Magic Years, Vol. 2 (1987)
To the North of Katmandu (1986)
Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)
The Unseen (1981)
Caveman (1981)
Up the Academy (1980)
Il Fiume del grande caimano (1979)
Jaguar Lives! (1979)
L'Umanoide (1979)
Screamers (1979)
Force 10 from Navarone (1978)
Ecco noi per esempio (1977)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Il Lupo dei mari (1975)
L'Ultima chance (1975)
Il Cittadino si ribella (1974)
Il Maschio ruspante (1973)
Paolo il caldo (1973)
I Predatori si muovono all'alba (1972)
La Tarantola dal ventre nero (1972)
Malastrana (1971)
Mio padre Monsignore (1971)
Un peu de soleil dans l'eau froide (1971)