Britt Ekland

Britt Ekland
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Portrays:	Tenna
Date of Birth:	October 6, 1942
Date of Death:	Missing required parameter 1=month!
Age:	83
Nationality:	SWE
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Britt-Marie Eklund (born October 6, 1942, Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish actress who played Tenna in "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part I" and "Part II". Ekland established herself as one of the most photographed actresses of the 1970s through her roles in Get Carter (1971), the cult horror film The Wicker Man (1973), and as Bond girl Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).

Early Life and Career

Ekland was born to Maj Britt, a secretary, and Sven Eklund, who ran an upmarket clothing store in Stockholm and served as captain of the Swedish national curling team. As a teenager, she left school to travel with a theatre company and was spotted in a coffee shop in Italy by a talent agent who sent her to London to audition for films. She began appearing in Swedish films before 20th Century Fox brought her to London in 1964 as their next potential star.

Marriage to Peter Sellers

Ekland's life changed dramatically when British comedian Peter Sellers saw her photograph in a newspaper while both were staying at the Dorchester hotel in London. According to Ekland's account in a 2020 BBC documentary, Sellers sent his valet to her room, and just ten days after their first meeting, they were married on February 19, 1964. The couple had a daughter, Victoria, in January 1965.

The marriage proved deeply troubled. In the BBC documentary Peter Sellers: A State of Comic Ecstasy, Ekland revealed that Sellers was extremely controlling, choosing her wardrobe without consultation and threatening her with divorce repeatedly. She described him as suffering from what she believed was severe bipolar disorder, stating he was "a very tormented soul who should have had more help" but was unable to receive proper treatment because "he was such a valuable asset" to the studios.

Sellers's jealousy led to Ekland being fired from the 1964 film Guns at Batasi. According to Ekland, Sellers insisted she leave the set to join him in California, then claimed illness prevented her return. Her role was recast with Mia Farrow. The couple appeared together in three films: A Carol for Another Christmas (1964), After the Fox (1966), and The Bobo (1967). The marriage ended in divorce on December 18, 1968, on grounds of cruelty by Sellers.

1970s Film Career

Following her divorce, Ekland appeared in a series of notable films throughout the 1970s. She co-starred with Michael Caine in the British crime film Get Carter (1971), which established her as a sex symbol. In a 2024 interview, Ekland revealed that despite appearing alongside Caine, they actually filmed their scenes separately: "I never did [work with him]. I mean we knew each other since the 60s. But everything I did, I shot in another room. Of course, because it's mostly a phone chat!" Time Out magazine later named both Get Carter and The Wicker Man as two of the 100 best films ever made in Britain.

The Wicker Man

In 1973, Ekland starred in director Robin Hardy's cult horror classic The Wicker Man, playing Willow, the landlord's daughter who attempts to seduce the puritanical Police Sergeant Howie (played by Edward Woodward). Ekland discovered during filming that she was pregnant, which complicated the production. In a 2023 interview with Starburst Magazine, Ekland recalled that her primary memory of the production was "this endless procession. Walking and walking and walking across the moors with nothing around us."

The film's production was difficult for Ekland. She described it as "not a happy experience to work on," noting that director Robin Hardy "didn't like me very much." Her dialogue in the film was dubbed by Scottish singer Annie Ross, a decision that upset Ekland considerably. "I was dubbed in the Wicker Man even though I did my own dubbing in a Scottish accent, obviously they didn't like it. As an actress I think that is probably the worst thing that can happen to you and I was very unhappy about it." Additionally, because Ekland was pregnant and unwilling to have her rear end filmed, a body double was used for portions of the film's famous nude dance sequence.

Ekland did no promotion for the film after production due to her pregnancy and didn't even see the completed film until its 2014 re-release. In later years, she revealed that it was only within the last decade that she realized The Wicker Man had become "a very 'culty' and important film, and other films are trying to achieve what it did, but they never have." She participated in 50th anniversary celebrations of the film in 2023.

The Man with the Golden Gun

The high point of Ekland's career came in 1974 when she was cast as Mary Goodnight, Bond's assistant, in The Man with the Golden Gun opposite Roger Moore. Ekland had known since seeing Dr. No in 1962 that she wanted to star in a James Bond film. In a 2023 interview, Ekland praised Moore as "not only was Roger a perfect gentleman, but he was a perfect specimen of a man." She contrasted the friendly atmosphere on the Bond production with her experience on The Wicker Man, noting that on the Bond film she became best friends with co-star Maud Adams and that Moore "was very friendly and open and great fun to be with, always looking for ways to make us laugh." She attended the premiere of No Time to Die at the Royal Albert Hall in September 2021.

Television Work

Ekland's American television career began with producer Glen A. Larson, who cast her in two episodes of the NBC series McCloud starring Dennis Weaver. These represented her first appearances on a U.S. television series. She played Vicki Erickson in "The Barefoot Stewardess Caper" (December 3, 1972) and Tatiana Krasnavian in "The Moscow Connection" (January 23, 1977).

Six years after their first collaboration, Larson cast Ekland in his science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. She appeared in the two-part episode "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero" (Parts I and II), which aired on October 22 and 29, 1978, on ABC. Ekland played Tenna, a leader among the Theta-class clones—genetically engineered beings created by Dr. Ravashol (Dan O'Herlihy) who had revolted against their Cylon oppressors.

In 1990, Ekland appeared in two episodes of the syndicated series Superboy, playing Lara, Superman's biological mother, in "Abandon Earth" and "Escape to Earth" (both airing February 1990). The role reunited two former Bond performers, as George Lazenby played Jor-El opposite Ekland's Lara.

Relationship with Rod Stewart

In 1975, actress Joan Collins introduced Ekland to British rock star Rod Stewart. They lived together for more than two years, during which Ekland gave up her acting career to focus on the relationship.

Ekland provided the French spoken vocals at the end of Stewart's 1976 hit single "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)", which became the number one song of 1977. Stewart also wrote "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" during their relationship.

The relationship ended in 1977 when Ekland discovered Stewart's infidelity. She subsequently filed a $12.5 million lawsuit against Stewart, claiming she had sacrificed her career for him. The case was settled out of court for a reported $500,000 in property.

Later Career and Personal Life

Ekland had a son, Nicolai Adler, with record producer Lou Adler in June 1973. In 1984, at age 42, she married Slim Jim Phantom, drummer for the Stray Cats, who was 23. They had a son, Thomas Jefferson, in 1988 before divorcing in 1992.

In 1980, Ekland published her autobiography True Britt through Prentice-Hall, Inc. The book chronicled her marriage to Peter Sellers and her relationship with Rod Stewart, becoming a bestseller upon its release. She also published a beauty and fitness book, Sensual Beauty: How to Achieve It in 1984, followed by a fitness video in 1992.

In 2004, Ekland was portrayed by Charlize Theron in the HBO biographical film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.

Ekland's mother died of Alzheimer's disease in the 1980s, which profoundly affected her. She has been a patron of the Alzheimer's Society for more than a decade.

Charitable Work

Ekland serves as a patron for Alex TLC (Alex - The Leukodystrophy Charity), a U.K.-based organization that supports families affected by adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Her involvement began when her grandson Lucas (born to her son Nicolai Adler) was diagnosed with ALD shortly after his birth in April 2017 through routine newborn screening in California. Because the condition was detected early through a blood test, Lucas's progression can be monitored and managed through regular MRI scans every six months and blood work every three months.

Ekland has campaigned to have ALD added to the U.K.'s newborn screening programe, noting the stark difference between detection practices in the United States and United Kingdom. "Lucas and his family have been saved from devastation by a simple blood test at birth," Ekland told The Daily Record. "Had his father Nicholai, my son, who was born in Britain, been a U.K. resident, Lucas would not have been so lucky."

Notes

• One of four original series performers who appeared in a James Bond film, along with Jane Seymour, Patrick Macnee and Bruce Glover.

References