Samantha Bond

Last updated on the 2 June 2025 by Evandrus

Mini Biography

Born: 27 November 1961, Kensington, London, England. 

Samantha Bond’s journey into the arts was almost predestined, being the daughter of actor Philip Bond and TV producer Pat Sandys. Growing up in a home steeped in the performing arts, Samantha developed a passion for acting early on. She attended the Godolphin and Latymer School, followed by rigorous training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which set the stage for her distinguished career.

Samantha Bond’s professional debut was as auspicious as it was challenging; at the age of 21, she appeared in the original stage production of “Daisy Pulls It Off,” a play about a girls’ school. Her television debut came in the same year, portraying Maria Rushworth in the BBC mini-series adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park,” and as “Miz Liz” Probert in “Rumpole of the Bailey.”

Samantha Bond’s filmography is rich and varied, but she is perhaps best known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan era. Her portrayal of the iconic secretary to M, the head of the British Secret Service, was both modern and nuanced, bringing a new dimension to the character.

On television, she has been part of several significant projects, including playing “Auntie Angela” in the sitcom “Outnumbered” and the villain Mrs. Wormwood in “The Sarah Jane Adventures.” Her role as the wealthy widow Lady Rosamund Painswick in “Downton Abbey” further cemented her status as a household name.

Beyond the screen, Bond has a remarkable stage presence, being a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.Her performances in productions like “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” and Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and “The Winter’s Tale” have been critically acclaimed, showcasing her ability to command the stage with both grace and power.

On a personal note, Samantha Bond has been married to fellow actor Alexander Hanson since 1989 and they have two children.

Suggested viewing

The Marlow Murder Club (2024)

Bftv 8.5 / IMDb 7.2

In the seemingly tranquil English village of Marlow, a murder shatters the peace. A retired detective, restless and yearning for her former life, witnesses the crime and becomes determined to find the culprit. Joining forces with a vicar’s wife and a local dog walker. This unlikely trio of amateur sleuths look into the secrets of the village, negotiating quirky characters and their own eccentricities to unmask the killer.

Top cast: Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan, Natalie Dew, Rita Tushingham, Sophia Ally, Ian Barritt, Niall Costigan, Holli Dempsey.

GoldenEye (1995)

Bftv 8.0 / IMDb 7.2

In the aftermath of the Cold War, a secret satellite weapon is stolen from the Russians by a former British agent believed to be dead. James Bond, a seasoned but recently retired agent, is called back into action to track down the weapon and the rogue agent. Partnering with a computer programmer, Bond races against time to stop the weapon from being used to cripple the world’s financial markets.

Top cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane, Samantha Bond, Alan Cumming, Desmond Llewelyn, Michael Kitchen.

Distant Shores (2005)

Bftv 8.5 / IMDb 7.2

In an effort to salvage their struggling marriage, a successful but reluctant city doctor joins his veterinarian wife as she takes a research position on a remote island. The family grapples with the drastic change from bustling city life to the quirky charm and close-knit community of the island, with the husband struggling to adapt to a slower pace and a lack of the professional prestige he enjoyed in the city.

Top cast: Peter Davison, Samantha Bond, Matthew Thomas Davies, Claudia Renton, Berwick Kaler, Emma Fildes, Craig Heaney, Yvette Rowland, Gareth Thomas.

Similar to

Home Fires (2015)

Bftv 9.0 / IMDb 8.2

Set in a small English village during World War II, Home Fires follows the lives of several women who must overcome the challenges of wartime life on the home front. With their husbands and sons away fighting, these women take on new responsibilities, running the household, working in factories and keeping the community afloat, all while facing the anxieties of war and the ever-present threat of German bombers.

Top cast: Samantha Bond, Ruth Gemmell, Francesca Annis, Claire Rushbrook, Fenella Woolgar, Clare Calbraith, Daisy Badger, Leanne Best, Leila Mimmack, Claire Price, Ed Stoppard, Bryn Brindsley, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Adam Collingborne.

More from the home front

Full filmography (@Wikipedia)