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Zena Marshall

British actress (1926–2009) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Zena Marshall
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Zena Moyra Marshall (1 January 1926 – 10 July 2009) was a British actress of film and television, best known for her appearances as Miss Taro in Dr. No (1962) and as Countess Ponticelli in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965).

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Early life and education

Marshall was born in Nairobi, Kenya, to parents of English, Irish and French descent.[1] After her father's death and her mother's remarriage, she was brought up in Leicestershire, England. Marshall attended St Mary's, Ascot, and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).[2]

Career

Marshall worked with the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) during the Second World War.[2][3] Marshall first acted on stage.[1] Her film career began with a small role in Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), with Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh.[4][5] Her exotic looks resulted in her being cast in "ethnic" roles, such as Asian women, including her role as the Chinese character Miss Taro, in the first James Bond film, Dr. No (1962).[2][6] She also appeared in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) as the Countess Ponticelli, and made numerous television appearances.[4] Her last film performance was in The Terrornauts in 1967.[7]

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Personal life

Marshall married bandleader Paul Adam in 1947;[1][8] they divorced in 1953.[9][10] In 1955 Marshall screamed when a malfunctioning flashbulb caused her friend Violetta Elvin's dress to catch fire at a London theatre.[11] She later wed and divorced Alexander "Reggie" Ward,[9][12][13] before her final marriage to film producer Ivan Foxwell. Foxwell died in 2002, and she died of cancer on 10 July 2009, aged 83. Her gravesite is in St Thomas a Becket churchyard, Skeffington, Leicestershire.[1][14]

Filmography

Film

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Television

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References

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