The quintessential jet-set Euro starlet, Ursula Andress was born in the Swiss canton of Berne on March 19, 1936, one of six children in a strict German Protestant family. Although often seeming icily aloof, a restless streak early demonstrated itself in her personality, and she had an impetuous desire to explore the world outside Switzerland. helped maintain her visibility as an actress. Dumped by Hamlin in 1983, she started seeing Fausto Fagone, a Sicilian student, in 1986. Since the breakup of that relationship in the early '90s, her love life has gone undocumented. She last worked on a film in 2005. Ostensibly retired from acting, Ursula makes the rounds of charity events and pops up on talk shows every once in a while. She divides her time between family in Switzerland, friends in Virginia and Spain, and her properties in Italy and Los Angeles.
Lived with Harry Hamlin from 1979 to 1983. They had a son, Dimitri Hamlin , in 1980.
Was once engaged to Fabio Testi. He proposed in an airplane.
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#53).
Lived with Jean-Paul Belmondo from 1965 to 1972. He was, she says, the love of her life.
Is the only actress to appear in a canon Bond movie ( Dr. No ), an unofficial Bond film ( Casino Royale ) and also appear as a character in a Bond novel ("On Her Majestys Secret Service").
Is fluent in English, French, German, Italian and Swiss-German.
Her voice was dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl in Dr. No and She (1965/I) because of her strong accent.
Her younger sister, Ktey Andress, posed topless for Cavalier magazine in 1966.
A contract she signed with Paramount in the mid-50s resulted in no acting roles due to her lack of attendance in the speech class they arranged for her.
On May 18, 2006, she celebrated her 70th birthday aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia in the company of an international crowd of celebrities in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Of French and Italian descent.
Friends with Linda Evans , Sally Kellerman , Olivia Hussey , Grace Jones , Britt Ekland , Lola Navarro and Bo Derek.
Ex-stepmother of Russell & Sean Catherine Derek.
Daughter of Rolf Andress, a German diplomat who disappeared during World War II, and Anna Andress, a landscape gardener turned florist. Ursula and her siblings were brought up by their grandparents.
Linda Evans drove Ursula to the hospital the night she gave birth to hers and Harry Hamlin s son, Dimitri Hamlin. Lindas personal assistant Bunky Young located Harry on the set of King of the Mountain and brought him there in time for the occasion.
Described her wedding to John Derek a nightmare, marrying him in a small Las Vegas chapel with a cab driver as their best man and a ring that did not fit.
Studied painting, sculpture and dance in Paris.
Grew up in Ostermundingen, a city in the district of Berne, like TV host Michelle Hunziker and Lauriane Gilliron , a former Miss Switzerland, who both attended her 70th birthday party.
She was James Dean s girlfriend for 4 months, despite language barrier. On September 30, 1955, hours before his death, Dean asked Andress to go with him to San Francisco in his Porsche 550 Spyder. But after talking to John Derek , he realized she felt in love with the latter, so Dean left Los Angeles without her.
Developed reputation as a serial homewrecker after being named correspondent for the divorces between John Derek and Pati Behrs , Jean-Paul Belmondo and Elodie Constant , and Ryan ONeal and Leigh Taylor-Young. (Fellow Bond girl Lana Wood had already invaded the last marriage before Andress came along, but the press blamed her nonetheless.) Even Harry Hamlin had a fianc when she hooked up with him. Her unapologetic explanation: "When you are in love, you are in love. Thats all that matters.".
Was the original choice for the role of Sophie in Sophies Choice but Meryl Streep , who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar for her performance, was cast instead.
She worked with Peter Sellers , Peter OToole , Woody Allen and Burt Bacharach on both Whats New Pussycat and Casino Royale .
Has been romantically linked with American actors Ron Ely , Dennis Hopper and Ryan ONeal , Austrian actor Helmut Berger , Brazilian soccer player Paulo Roberto Falco , British actor John Richardson , French actor Daniel Glin , Italian actors Gerardo Amato , Marcello Mastroianni and Franco Nero , German bodybuilder Mario Natokis, Spanish singer Julio Iglesias , automobile designer John DeLorean , hairdresser Claudio Belfiore, real estate developer Stan Herman (second ex-husband of Linda Evans ), Ricci Martin (son of Dean Martin ), Nels Van Patten (son of Dick Van Patten ), Lorenzo Ruspoli, Benny Silverstein, former Sicilian regional assembly member Fausto Fagone (who was a 20-year-old economics student when Andress began a five-year relationship with him in 1986) and martial artist Jeff Speakman (her last boyfriend of record, 1991). Some online sources have perpetuated rumors that Ursula also dated Mikhail Baryshnikov , Marlon Brando , Oleg Cassini and Peter OToole quietly, although there was no reporting of this whatsoever during the supposed fact.
The third of six children. She has a brother, Arthur and four sisters, Erica, Ktey, Charlotte and Ruth.
Co-starred with fellow Bond girls Claudine Auger in Le dolci signore , Barbara Bach in Lultima chance and Luciana Paluzzi in Linfermiera .
Runs painting and furniture auctions around the world.
Turned down Raquel Welch s role in One Million Years B.C. .
Was considered for the role of Nova in Planet of the Apes , which went to Linda Harrison.
Turned down the role of Empress Nympho in History of the World: Part I , which went to Madeline Kahn.
Made a fortune investing in the stock market.
An occasional photographer, has shot for Elle and Paris Match.
Onetime boyfriend Nels Van Patten is the brother-in-law of daytime soap star Eileen Davidson , who appears on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" with Lisa Rinna , the current wife of Ursulas ex Harry Hamlin.
Discovered at a party in Rome. Her first acting gigs were totally inconsequential. Later, she submitted a photo of herself dripping wet in a black T-shirt to producer Albert R. Broccoli and the rest is history.
Sold her house in Beverly Hills to Malgosia Migdal for $2.28 million.
Good friends with Paolo Marcati.
Has osteoporosis.
Turned down title role in The Legend of Lylah Clare that went to Kim Novak.
She and Fabio Testi were in a relationship twice, first from 1973-75 then again from 1976-77. Theyre still friends and were photographed together as recently as December 2016.
She and Ryan ONeal were in a relationship twice, first from 1972-73 then again from 1977-78. When Ursula broke her arm in late summer 1978, the official story was shed been hit by Hurricane Norman while body surfing in Malibu, but rumors flew that she actually acquired the injury during a fight with Ryan.
Elvis Presley rejected her advances because he refused to date a girl whose shoulders were broader than his -- never mind that she was married and he living with Priscilla.
She and Jacqueline Bisset have played a love interest for 8 of the same leading men onscreen: Dean Martin as Joe Jarrett opposite Andresss Maxine Richter in 4 for Texas and as Vernon Demerest opposite Bissets Gwen Meighen in Airport ; Jean-Paul Belmondo as Arthur Lempereur opposite Andresss Alexandrine Pinardel in Les tribulations dun Chinois en Chine and as Franois Merlin opposite Bissets Christine in Le magnifique ; Marcello Mastroianni as Poletti opposite Andresss Caroline Meredith in La decima vittima and as Salvatore Santamaria opposite Bissets Anna Carla Dosio in La donna della domenica ; Peter Sellers as Evelyn Tremble opposite both Andresss Vesper Lynd and Bissets Miss Goodthighs in Casino Royale ; Michael Sarrazin as Denny McGuire opposite Bissets Vickie Cartwright in The Sweet Ride and as Scaramouche opposite Andresss Josphine De Beauharnais in Le avventure e gli amori di Scaramouche ; George Segal as Dan Rockland opposite Andresss Erica Kramer in The Southern Star and as Robby Ross opposite Bissets Natasha OBrien in Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? ; Marc Porel as Olivier opposite Bissets Wendy Sinclair in La promesse and as Manuel opposite Andresss Nora Green in Colpo in canna ; and Charles Bronson as Link Stuart opposite Andresss Cristina in Soleil rouge and as Raymond St. Ives opposite Bissets Janet Whistler in St. Ives .
Was considered for the Sharon Tate role in Valley of the Dolls .
In 1996, Playboy offered Andress $250,000 to do another pictorial celebrating her 60th birthday, but after careful consideration she turned it down. "Im happy to cover up now," she said, "and to keep the old photos going." She was paid $15,000 for her first Playboy spread in 1965.
John Derek urged her to lose weight and grow her hair out before she got into movies.
When I love a man, I live only for him. I become his slave.
[1980] Honestly, I feel so lucky I have had such a lucky life.
I have always been a gypsy, dreaming about curiosity and dreaming about,traveling.
[her criteria for choosing a project] It has to be art or else I am not,interested. There is no shortage of good actors, there is a shortage of,good films because they are very costly, but I did my work, and now I,only do things for art.
