Martine Beswick, a stunning Jamaican actress, was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, to a British father and a Portuguese/Jamaican mother. After her parents' separation in 1954, her mother moved to London with Martine and her younger sister Laurellie. In 1955, Martine left school to support her family by working.
Before pursuing a career in films, Martine briefly modeled and participated in pageants. She allegedly won a "Miss Autoville" contest and a car, which she later sold to move to London and study acting.
Martine's early career included roles in British TV series such as "Secret Agent," "Love Story," and "Court Martial." Her breakthrough in the James Bond "007" film series came when director Terence Young cast her as Zora in "From Russia with Love" (1963) and Paula in "Thunderball" (1965).
Martine's popularity grew after her iconic catfight with Raquel Welch in the cult prehistoric saga "One Million Years B.C." (1966),which also starred John Richardson. She later starred in the low-budget film "Prehistoric Women" (1967).
In the late 1960s, Martine moved to Hollywood, where she guest-starred in TV shows such as "It Takes a Thief," "Mannix," "The Name of the Game," and "Longstreet." She then made a mark as the evil incarnate in the Hammer Studio horror cult hit "Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde" (1971).
Martine's subsequent films often featured her in various stages of undress, including "Ultimo tango a Zagarol" (1973),"The Kiss of Death" (1974),and "Seizure" (1974).
In the 1970s and 1980s, Martine focused on TV, appearing in mini-movie entries such as "Crime Club" (1975),"Strange New World" (1975),"Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell" (1978),"My Husband Is Missing" (1978),and "The Tenth Month" (1979). She also appeared in the mini-series "Aspen" (1977) and episodes of various TV shows, including "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Baretta," "Quincy," "The Fall Guy," "Fantasy Island," "Hart to Hart," "Buffalo Bill," and "Sledge Hammer."
In the mid-1980s, Martine found work on the soap operas "Days of Our Lives" (1965) and "Santa Barbara" (1984). On film, she quickened pulses as Xaviera Hollander in "The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood" (1980).
After a long hiatus, Martine returned to films in the early 1990s with the horror films "Evil Spirits" (1991) and "Trancers II" (1991),the comedy "Life on the Edge" (1992),and the drama "Wide Sargasso Sea" (1993). Her final film appearance was in "Night of the Scarecrow" (1995).
Since retiring from films, Martine has mainly participated in film documentaries, providing commentary and sharing her experiences on the many films in which she appeared. She owned a removals business in London and is semi-retired, except for occasional guest appearances at James Bond conventions.
