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Valerie
Leon is an actress who was very prominent in the 70s.
You may recall the Hai Karate adverts with fondness as I
do, where the bosomy Valerie was attracted to the man
wearing the aforementioned aftershave and an oriental
'battle' ensued as she tried to get closer to him and
furniture was demolished, kung fu style, in their path.
These ads had the effect of increasing the sales of this
aftershave considerably as well as the blood pressure of
the male population of the UK.
Valerie appeared in six Carry On movies in the late
sixties and seventies, as many as a lot of the so-called
regulars including Liz Fraser, Hattie Jacques and Barbara
Windsor. Carry On Up The Khyber, Carry On Doctor,
Carry On
Camping, Carry On Up The Jungle, Carry On Matron and Carry
On Girls. She also has the distinction of having
appeared in two James Bond movies with both Sean Connery
and Roger Moore, Never Say Never Again and The Spy Who
Loved Me.
Randall
and Hopkirk, The Saint, The Baron, The Persuaders, The
Avengers and other cult TV saw appearances by Valerie,
and she
also appeared in The Italian Job as well as Hammer
horror and numerous other comedies and
dramas on TV and film, further adding to her credentials
as an all-rounder. She appeared with just about
every major
comedy name and act that you could name, including the Two
Ronnies, Norman Wisdom, Morecambe and
Wise, Frankie Howerd and Jimmy Tarbuck.
Valerie
has now formed her own promotions company 'Valerie Leon
Promotions' which specialises in gourmet restaurants and
arts-related activities.
Valerie's
website, www.valerieleon.com ,
has a wealth of information about Valerie then and now.
Valerie
Leon
Valerie
as the nurse in that
fondly-remembered Hai
Karate ad
Digger:
What would you have been if you had not gone for that first
audition and got the job?
Valerie:
A Fashion Buyer at Harrods where I trained.
Digger:
How would you describe the two James Bonds, Roger and Sean,
and what are your memories of working with them?
Valerie:
Roger Moore was more easy going and fun and Sean was more of a
perfectionist. I fondly remember Roger's unscripted kiss
in an episode of 'The Persuaders!'
Digger:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a beautiful
six-foot tall woman?
Valerie:
You get remembered! But men are more likely to be
intimidated. At least that was my experience when I was
younger.
Digger:
What makes you laugh, what makes you angry and what makes you
sad?
Valerie:
Cracker Jokes make me laugh! Rudeness and bad manners make me
angry. Death makes me sad.
Digger:
What do you consider your biggest achievement to-date?
Valerie:
Being remembered almost a quarter of a century after my last
major film.
Digger:
And what do you still want to accomplish?
Valerie:
True Stardom!!
Digger:
What are your fondest memories of the sixties and the
seventies?
Valerie:
I have fond memories of appearing with Barbra Streisand in
1966 at The Prince of Wales Theatre, London. That was in
Funny Girl and was very special. The 70's were more special -
I got married in 1974, gave birth to my son in 1975 and my
daughter in 1977.
Valerie
is amazed at the fact that she gets more fan mail these days
than in her heyday which she considers the 70's to be. People
from all over the world, many much too young to remember her
first time around, are big fans. This popularity is probably
due to the fact that many of her roles, such as the Carry Ons
and cult ITC series such as 'The Persuaders!', Space 1999 and
The Saint, are all available on DVD and, indeed, she has even
done the extra feature commentaries on some of them. She also
visits towns and cities around the world signing and meeting
people at conventions and signings.
It's
as a result of working with Roger Moore four times on the Bond
set, on 'The Persuaders!', on The Wild Geese and The Saint
that she holds him in particular regard as a gentleman and a
funny man (as did Shirley Eaton and Annette Andre who also
worked with him and interviewed for us.) Valerie thinks that
both Roger Moore and Sean Connery brought different qualities
to the role of Bond, and believes that Pierce Brosnan manages
to bring a kind of combination of both of their main qualities
to his portrayal - humour and professionalism.
In
the infamous Hai Karate ads in the late 60's and early 70's, a
tall buxom women is driven irresistibly wild by the aftershave
worn by a puny little man and destroys everything in her
path to seduce him! These ads were a classic example of
the power of advertising and did the product, and Valerie, a
lot of good, although arguably she was type-cast into sexy
roles and does admit that she might have liked some more
meatier roles.
Digger:
What did you actually think of the Hai Karate fragrance?
Valerie:
I didn't think about the Hai Karate fragrance. I was just
pleased to be associated with a commercial that was such a
success every Christmas for about 6 years.
Digger:
Can you tell us your favourite actors and actresses and your
favourite musicians and bands? What are your favourite
movies and favourite albums?
Valerie:
Some favourite actresses are Julia Roberts, Vanessa Redgrave,
Diana Rigg and Shirley Maclaine amongst others. Actors, Jude
Law, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon. Musicians - Barbra Streisand, Miriam Friedman. Films
- Gone with the Wind
and Doctor Zhivago.
Digger:
What were the funniest moments filming the Carry On series of
films?
Valerie:
It is great to have been a part of The Carry On film
Series. However, my roles were not especially funny. I was
there as a sexy foil or as the butt of comedy jokes.
Digger:
What advice would you give to any young ladies thinking about
a career 'on the stage'?
Valerie:
The acting profession is so overcrowded it is very important
to be able to earn a living in a different field and not
rely on waiting for your agent to phone.
Digger:
What are your current projects and what do you have lined-up
for the future?
Valerie:
I was seen over Christmas on BBC 2 in "Crumpet" A
Very British Sex Symbol. I am soon appearing in a short
film Gas (details to appear shortly on my website). In February
or March 2006 . I will be seen in an episode of Last of The
Summer Wine. And I am currently in talks about appearing
in a short film to be shot in Kent. In addition, I
also set up opera lectures and arts-related events. The web
site www.valerieleon.com
should shortly be updated with latest information.
I
would like to thank the very busy Valerie for her
kind cooperation with this interview.
www.valerieleon.com
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