Valerie Leon

Valerie Leon
Born
Valerie Therese Leon

(1943-11-12) 12 November 1943 (age 80)
Hampstead, London, England
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1967–present
Spouse
(m. 1974; died 1988)
Children2
Websitevalerieleon.com

Valerie Therese Leon (born 12 November 1943) is an English actress and model who has had roles in many film and television productions, including six of the Carry On film series and two James Bond films, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Never Say Never Again (1983) alongside Roger Moore and Sean Connery, respectively. She also had roles in high-profile films such as The Italian Job (1969), The Wild Geese (1978) and Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and had a starring role in the Hammer horror film Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971).

Leon also appeared in the Hai Karate television adverts in the 1970s which gained her substantial publicity. She also became known globally as a sex symbol due to her glamorous looks and attractive figure, and was often referred to as the "English Raquel Welch".

Early life

Leon was born in Hampstead, London in 1943 to Henry and Daphne Leon (née Ehrmann) and is the eldest of four children. Her father was a director of a textile company, and her mother, who trained at RADA, ended her acting career to become a full-time mother.

After attending the Channing School for Girls, Leon attended the College for Distributive Trades before moving to Paris to become an au pair girl. She did a spell of modelling before returning to England.

Career

Leon's career began as a trainee fashion buyer at Harrods. In April 1965, Leon went to an audition which led to her becoming a chorus girl in a touring production of The Belle of New York. When the tour in Britain was cancelled after some weeks, Valerie contacted Central Casting and started to work as an extra in movies - her first film was That Riviera Touch (1966) starring Morecambe and Wise, for which she was hired as a girl in bikini. Around the same time, she appeared with Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End.

Leon appeared in six films of the Carry On series: Carry On Up The Khyber (1968), Carry On Camping (1969), Carry On Again Doctor (1969), Carry On Up the Jungle (1970), Carry On Matron (1972) and Carry On Girls (1973), and appeared in two James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) as a Hotel Receptionist and as Lady in Bahamas in Never Say Never Again (1983). Other film appearances include Revenge of the Pink Panther, The Wild Geese (both 1978), The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970, as the secretary Tanya), a hotel receptionist in The Italian Job (1969), and a callgirl in No Sex Please, We're British (1973). The Hammer horror film Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971) gave Leon a dual starring role, as a reincarnated Egyptian queen.

Leon's TV credits include The Saint, Randall and Hopkirk, Up Pompeii!, The Avengers, Space: 1999, The Persuaders, Last of the Summer Wine and the 1968 version of Johnny Speight's provocative comedy-drama If There Weren't Any Blacks You'd Have To Invent Them as a nurse.

From 1969 to 1976, Leon played the woman driven wild by a man wearing Hai Karate aftershave in a highly successful series of British commercials for the product. Leon parodied her role in The Goodies episode "It Might as Well Be String" by attacking Tim Brooke-Taylor.

She appeared in several UK national tours of plays in the 1970s and 80s, and more recently has appeared on stage throughout the UK in her one-woman show, Up Front with Valerie Leon.

Personal life

Leon was married to the television producer Michael Mills from 1974 until his death in 1988. The couple had two children: a son, Leon, born in 1975 and a daughter, Merope, born in 1977.

Appearances in reference works

  • Paul, Louis (2008). "Valerie Leon". Tales From the Cult Film Trenches; Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. pp. 164–171. ISBN 978-0-7864-2994-3.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1966 That Riviera Touch Girl in Bikini uncredited
The Sandwich Man Girl in Crowd uncredited
1967 Mister Ten Per Cent Girl at Theatre Party uncredited
Smashing Time Tove's Secretary
1968 Carry On Up the Khyber Hospitality Girl
1969 Carry On Camping Miss Dobbin
The Italian Job Royal Lancaster Hotel Receptionist
Carry On Again Doctor Deirdre
Zeta One Atropos
1970 Carry On Up the Jungle Leda
This, That and the Other Bath Girl
The Man Who Had Power Over Women Glenda
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer Tanya
All the Way Up Miss Hardwick
1971 Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Margaret Fuchs / Queen Tera
1972 Carry On Matron Jane Darling
1973 No Sex Please, We're British Susan
Carry On Girls Paula Perkins
1974 Can You Keep It Up for a Week? Miss Hampton
1975 The Ups and Downs of a Handyman Redhead
1976 Queen Kong Queen of the Nabongas
1977 The Spy Who Loved Me Hotel Receptionist
1978 The Wild Geese Girl Dealer
Revenge of the Pink Panther Tanya
1983 Never Say Never Again Lady in Bahamas
2006 Gas Hooker / Dentist Receptionist
A Neutral Corner Flo
2015 Golden Years Gilda Parker
2016 Pitfire of Hell Margaret
2018 For the Love of Ella Tara
2020 Jeepers Creepers Fantasy Lover voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1967 The Saint Therese Episode: "To Kill a Saint"
1967 The Baron Film Actress Episode: "Countdown"
1968 If There Weren't Any Blacks You'd Have to Invent Them Senior Nurse TV film
1968 The Avengers Betty Episode: "Whoever Shot Poor George Oblique Stroke XR40?"
1969 Galton and Simpson Comedy Girl Episode: "Friends in High Places"
1969 Hark at Barker Lady on Beach Episode: "Rustless and the Solar System"
1969 Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Kay Episode: "That's How Murder Snowballs"
1970 Up Pompeii! Daili Episode: "The Senator and the Asp"
1970 The Des O'Connor Show Various 3 episodes
1971 Misleading Cases Rowena Stuke Episode: "The Sitting Bird"
1971 The Persuaders! Space Queen Episode: "The Long Goodbye"
1972 The Organization Prudence Episode: "The Long Goodbye"
1972 Scoop Miss Barton Episode: "The Stitch Service"
1972 My Wife Next Door Laura Episode: "Dream Girl"
1972 Carry On Christmas Serving Wench TV film
1973 The Tarbuck Follies Various TV film
1973 The Train Now Standing Brenda Episode: "A Night to Remember"
1973 Nobody Is Norman Wisdom Sylvia Episode: #1.6
1973 Bowler Miss Ibbotson Episode: "Bowler's Analysis"
1973 Doctor in Charge Miss Wedderburn Episode: "In Place of Strife"
1974 Special Branch Juanita Wayne Episode: "Sounds Sinister"
1974 The Jimmy Tarbuck Show Various
1975 Space: 1999 Thule Girl Episode: "Death's Other Dominion"
1976 The Goodies The Seductress Episode: "It Might as Well Be String"
1977 Mike Yarwood in Persons Rose Episode: #1.4
1977 The Morecambe & Wise Show Various Episode: "1977 Christmas Show"
1978 Whodunnit? Virginia Episode: "A Dead Cert"
1978 The Kenny Everett Video Cassette Manicurist Episode: "#1.1"
1978 Happy Ever After Fiona Episode: "The More We Are Together"
1978 Rings on Their Fingers Cathie Episode: "Lead Me to the Altar"
1979 Morecambe and Wise at the BBC Various Episode: "28 February 1979"
1979 The Dawson Watch Various Episode: "The Family"
1980, 1984 Kelly Monteith Various 2 episodes
1982 Strangers Jeanette Episode: "A Swift and Evil Rozzer"
1983 Let There Be Love Yolanda Episode: "Spilling the Beans"
1991 Roy's Raiders Lola Courtney Episode: #1.4
2006 Last of the Summer Wine DW Cheetham Episode: "Who's That Merry Man with Billy, Then?"
2007 The Green Green Grass Katia's Mother Episode: "Lust in Translation"

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