Pamela Salem has died. The veteran actress, best known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in Sean Connery’s 1983 James Bond flick Never Say Never Again, died on Wednesday, Big Finish, a production company with whom she often worked, confirmed on their website. She was 80.
Born in India, Salem attended school in Germany and London, before starting her career in theater. She moved on to movies next, starring alongside Connery in The First Great Train Robbery in 1978 before her breakout role in the Bond film five years later.
On TV, Salem appeared on shows including Doctor Who and Magnum, P.I., before a move to the U.S. landed her guest spots on The West Wing, ER and Party of Five. Her last onscreen role was in the 2019 film Down’s Revenge.
Salem also produced radio and theater productions with her husband, Michael O’Hagan, until his death in 2017. In the latter part of her career, Salem worked with Big Finish on several audio series, even reprising her Doctor Who character in Counter-Measures.
“Pamela Salem was lovely, and we all loved her. Whenever there was a Big Finish recording for her, she’d fly in from Miami on her own steam, without fuss or fanfare, and appear at the studio armed with the warmest smiles, the biggest hugs and often presents,” David Richardson, who produced all of Salem’s work at Big Finish, said. “She was a very gentle person — always interested in everyone, from her co-stars to the production team to the guest actors and visitors… We had many happy days together and I feel very lucky to have had her in my life.”
Karen Gledhill, Salem’s Counter-Measures co-star, remembered the late actress as “the kindest, most generous actor,” while director Ken Bentley, who wrote several scripts for the audio series, noted that Salem “had many gifts but her superpower was her ability to single-handedly restore your faith in human nature.”
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