Monica "Nikki" van der Zyl (27 April 1935 – 6 March 2021) was a German actress based in the United Kingdom, known for her dubbing work on the James Bond film franchise.

Early life

Nikki van der Zyl was born on 27 April 1935 in Berlin, the daughter of Anneliese and rabbi Dr. Werner van der Zyl.

Career

In the film version of Dr. No, van der Zyl provided the voice for several female characters, most prominently for Honey Ryder due to Ursula Andress’ thick accent . Van der Zyl also provided dialogue coaching to Gert Fröbe, whose English was limited, for the movie Goldfinger and continued to work as a voice-over artist for the series until Moonraker. She worked as an artist, poet and public speaker.

In January 2013, van der Zyl published her book, For Your Ears Only, which was translated into German for a 2015 release in Germany. In November 2013, an exhibition called "Night Flight to Berlin" opened in the Museum Pankow in Berlin and ran until April 2014. The exhibition highlighted stages in van der Zyl's life from her childhood days to the Bond films and her work as a barrister and political correspondent in London.[citation needed]

On 20 September 2014, she was a special guest star at a 50th anniversary screening of Goldfinger in Braunschweig, Germany where she was awarded honorary membership of the for her contribution to the James Bond film series.

Death

Van der Zyl died following a stroke in London, on 6 March 2021, at the age of 85.

Filmography

James Bond films

Other films

External links