Former Bond girl Maryam d'Abo is celebrating her 65th birthday, and still remains as striking and elegant as ever. The actress shot to international fame in 1987 when she starred opposite Timothy Dalton as Kara Milovy in The Living Daylights. As the cellist who becomes embroiled in Cold War intrigue, Maryam brought warmth, intelligence and emotional depth to the role, earning her a lasting place in Bond history as one of the franchise’s most grounded and romantic leading ladies.
© Getty ImagesBorn in London to Georgian parents and raised across Europe, Maryam trained at the prestigious Drama Centre London before carving out a diverse career on stage and screen. While Bond introduced her to a global audience, she was careful not to be defined by a single role. In the decades that followed, she appeared in a wide range of film and television projects including the television miniseries version of Doctor Zhivago.
© Getty ImagesBeyond acting, Maryam has also worked behind the scenes as a producer and writer, and has spoken candidly about navigating the highs and lows of an industry that often struggles to create meaningful roles for women as they age. In recent years, she has embraced more character-driven work, favouring projects that reflect depth, maturity and lived experience.
© Getty ImagesAway from the spotlight, Maryam has kept much of her personal life private, though she has been open about her love of travel, culture and storytelling in all its forms. She has also remained a popular presence at film festivals and Bond anniversaries, where her portrayal of Kara Milovy continues to be celebrated by fans old and new.
"I was shocked when I was chosen to play Czech cellist Kara Milovy in The Living Daylights – at just 5ft 6 and a half, I was not your typical Bond girl," she said in an interview with Weekend magazine. "Tim Dalton was wonderful at making me feel at ease and this was a very happy day in Morocco when I’d just done a stunt jumping off a wall. I was taught how to ride, and a favourite memory is of galloping into the desert one afternoon with Tim and all the stunt men – I was on a gorgeous white Arabian horse and was the only girl. I felt like Lawrence of Arabia."
© Dave Benett/WireImageAs she marks her 65th birthday, Maryam d’Abo stands as a reminder that elegance, talent and screen presence don’t fade with time – they evolve. And for Bond fans, she remains one of the franchise's most memorable women: poised, passionate and unmistakably timeless.
