'FABULOUS ACTOR'
BOND girl Ursula Andress hailed "adorable" Sir Sean Connery as she described their "perfect chemistry" in Dr No's iconic beach scene.
Ursula, 84, was the bikini clad Honey Ryder in Dr No, Connery's first Bond film in 1962.
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The pair shared a memorable beach scene in the film which catapulted both of them to international stardom.
Clutching a shell, Ursula emerges from the sea and asks Bond: "What are you doing here? Are you looking for shells ?'' and he replies: ''No, just looking'' as he eyes her stunning figure.
Remembering the beach scene, Ursula, said: ''I was a little scared, we were on the set in Kingston and I didn't know Jamaica.
''We first met in the breakfast room of the little hotel where we were staying, he was on his own at a table and I was a little timid.
The chemistry between us worked and it was the perfect combination
Ursula Andress
''But that went during the filming and he was very protective towards me, he was adorable, fantastic.
"He adored women, He was undoubtedly very much a man.''
Ursula added: ''It was a very small budget production and I agreed to do it thinking not many people would see it.
“I didn't know Sean, and I thought it would be my first film and maybe my last but instead it took off, the chemistry between us worked and it was the perfect combination.”
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Ursula, who now lives in Rome, said she felt "such pain" on hearing the news of the actor's death.
She said: "He was a great man, today men like that just don't exist, they are all too narcissistic, too taken with themselves.
''Today finding someone like Sean is very difficult, He was a great friend and a fabulous actor.''
Speaking to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Ursula was asked what sort of friend Connery was and said: “Loyal. He had the capacity to quickly understand people, those who are full of themselves, superficial.
“He had a sense of humour that I liked a lot. The last time I saw him was in Switzerland. Sean had a house near me in Gstaad.
“We spent many evenings together and he would invite me everywhere, Monte Carlo, London, New York, from when we met until now we always remained friends. Friends, friends.
“We lived some beautiful moments and I will always have fabulous memories.
“For me Sean is not dead, he will always be alive, with me forever.”
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Tributes have flooded in to remember the Oscar-winning star who passed away in his sleep yesterday at the age of 90.
Wife Micheline Roquebrune said Sir Sean was a "gorgeous model of a man", and shared a heartfelt image of the pair earlier this year on their 45th wedding anniversary as the actor battled dementia.
Bond actor Daniel Craig wrote: "It is with such sadness that I heard of the passing of one of the true greats of cinema.
"Sir Sean Connery will be remembered as Bond and so much more. He defined an era and a style.
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"The wit and charm he portrayed on screen could be measured in mega watts; he helped create the modern blockbuster."
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James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said: “We are devastated by the news of the passing of Sir Sean Connery.
"He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words — 'The name’s Bond... James Bond.'"
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