R.I.P. Pamela Salem: ‘Doctor Who’ And James Bond Actress Dead At 80

Pamela Salem, a British actress who starred in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again, has died. She was 80.

The British production and publishing company Big Finish confirmed the sad news in a release, revealing Salem died on Wednesday (Feb. 21). No cause of death has been announced at this time.

“Everyone at Big Finish was shocked and saddened to learn about the passing of our friend and colleague Pamela Salem,” the release reads.

Born in India in 1944, Salem first worked with Sean Connery when she starred as Emily Trent in the 1978 heist comedy The First Great Train Robbery. The two actors later reunited for the 1983 James Bond flick Never Say Never Again, which marked Connery’s seventh and final time playing the role of the iconic super spy. Salem portrayed Bond’s secretary Miss Moneypenny in the movie.

Aside from her work in film, Salem also made appearances in several hit television shows. She starred in nine episodes of Doctor Who in the 1970s and 1980s, appeared in more than 30 episodes in the British soap opera EastEnders and acted in a 1996 episode of ER. She also played the fictional Prime Minister Maureen Graty in a 2005 episode of The West Wing.

After moving to Los Angeles in the 1990s, Salem eventually made her way to Miami, where she resided until her death.

“She was a very gentle person – always interested in everyone, from her co-stars to the production team to the guest actors and visitors,” David Richardson, who produced her work at Big Finish, said in a statement included in the company’s release. “She talked with joy about her home on Miami Beach, waking up to warmth and waves, and she knew all about our lives and families and life stories.”

Actress Karen Gledhill, who worked with Salem on a couple of different projects, also paid tribute to the star.

“Pamela was the kindest, most generous actor I have ever worked with,” she said. “Back in the ’80s on Remembrance of the Daleks (my first proper TV job), she took me under her wing and led me through a wonderful but slightly daunting experience. We became friends, and whenever we met were always so pleased to see each other.”

Salem is predeceased by her husband Michael O’Hagan, who died in 2017, and survived by her sister Gille Robic.