Pamela Salem, who played Eastenders and James Bond, has died at the age of 80. Many people are paying tribute to her.The beloved actress played Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again with Sean Connery.
In the course of her long career, she was also in EastEnders, Doctor Who, ER, and The West Wing.
The company Big Finish said, “We are completely heartbroken to confirm the death of our dear friend and coworker Pamela Salem.”
Pamela was born in 1944 in Bombay, India. She went to school in Germany at the University of Heidelberg.
She learned how to be an actress at London’s Central School of Drama. After that, she did repertory theater in Chesterfield and York.
The actress worked for a long time on stage, TV, and movies, and she was the lead in plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Pinter.
As the 1990s went on, she moved to Los Angeles and then Miami. During that time, she was in a number of cult sci-fi movies and hit dramas like “ER” and “The West Wing.”
David Richardson, who worked with her on Big Finish, said, “Pamela Salem was beautiful, and we all loved her.”
“Whenever she had a recording with Big Finish, she’d fly in from Miami by herself, with no fuss or drama.”
“She would show up at the studio with the biggest hugs, the nicest smiles, and often gifts.”
“She was a very kind person who was always interested in everyone, from her co-stars to the production team to visitors and guest actors.”
“She talked with joy about her home on Miami Beach, waking up to warmth and waves.”
He also said, “She knew everything about our lives, families, and life stories.”
Even though we lived thousands of miles apart, she always felt close to me, even when we didn’t talk for months at a time.
People were always welcome to come to Miami and stay with her.
“I didn’t take up the offer because I don’t like traveling internationally anymore, which is something I regret.”
“She played Miss Moneypenny in Never Say Never Again and was in a lot of EastEnders episodes when I was a kid.”
“After she moved to the US, she had small roles on ER and The West Wing.”
“Pamela had a great career and didn’t take it too seriously.” It was a pleasure to work with her every time.
“We had many happy days together and I feel very lucky to have had her in my life.”
A “UNIQUE WOMAN”
Karen Gledhill, an actress, said, “Pamela was the nicest and most generous actor I’ve ever worked with.”
“In the 1980s, she helped me out on Remembrance of the Daleks, which was my first real TV job.”
“She led me through a wonderful but a little scary event.”
“We became friends and were always so happy to see each other when we saw each other again.”
It was a pleasure to work with Counter-Measures for almost eight years. She was a one-of-a-kind woman whose talent and professionalism shone like a star.
1983: From left to right, Pamela Salem who appears as Miss Moneypenny in ‘Never Say Never Again’, Sean Connery who plays James Bond and Barbara Carrera who plays Fatima Blush. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
“I feel so lucky to have worked with her.
“We also both loved dogs; she was always rescuing and taking care of dogs that were her friends.”
“She was so loved, so respected and will be so missed.”
He said, “Every time Pamela walked into the studio, she brought the sunshine from Florida with her.”
“She was always happy and smiling, and she loved the little things in life that make us all happy, like taking your dog for a walk on the beach.”
“She had many gifts but her superpower was her ability to single-handedly restore your faith in human nature.”