It’s not every day you see a star from the golden age of cinema step out into the spotlight again — especially one who shared scenes with Sean Connery six decades ago.
Recently, an iconic Bond girl surprised fans and onlookers alike with a rare public appearance in Los Angeles, showing she still carries the elegance and poise of her heyday.
Meet Luciana Paluzzi The Femme Fatale of Thunderball
Luciana Paluzzi, born in Rome, began her acting career back in the 1950s.
Over the years, she built a career that spanned both European and American films.
But it was in the 1960s that she truly made her mark, famously playing Fiona Volpe in the 1965 James Bond classic Thunderball.
Bond fans will remember Fiona as the sultry and dangerous SPECTRE assassin who nearly traps 007 at gunpoint.
Although she initially auditioned for the leading role of Domino, fate gave her the part of Fiona — a role she later said she was actually glad to play because it was “more fun.”
A Stylish Appearance in Los Angeles After Decades Away
This week, Luciana stepped out in Los Angeles with her husband, Michael Jay Solomon, a notable media executive who helped bring American television to markets like Russia, China, and India after the Cold War.
At 88 years old, she was stylish as ever in a breezy white outfit paired with a delicate floral wrap, her fiery hair pulled back in a ponytail and accessorized with chic sunglasses.
She looked poised and confident, walking with a straight posture, showing no signs of slowing down as she strolled through a parking lot alongside her 87-year-old husband.
A Rich Film Career Beyond Bond
Luciana’s early career included American films like Return to Peyton Place and British projects such as the World War II drama No Time to Die — a title that would later become famous in the Bond franchise, but was unrelated at the time.
She also worked extensively in European cinema, starring in the 1956 Brigitte Bardot comedy Plucking the Daisy and the 1959 Italian film My Wife’s Enemy alongside Marcello Mastroianni.
The Bond Legacy and Its Impact on Her Career
Thunderball was the highlight that brought Luciana worldwide fame.
She shared the screen with Sean Connery during memorable scenes, including one where Fiona seduces Bond before turning a gun on him, and another where Bond cleverly uses a dance to save himself.
Behind the scenes, Luciana recalled that during their bedroom scene, about 50 photographers were snapping pictures — so they played the scene repeatedly just for the photos before filming continued without the crowd.
However, fame came with its downsides. Luciana noted that while she was loved personally by famous Italian directors like Fellini and Antonioni, they were hesitant to cast her in their films because the Bond movies were seen as somewhat campy and comic-strip-like.
Still, she proudly worked as an actress for 27 years, with a diverse portfolio spanning Hollywood Westerns like Chuka, blaxploitation films like Black Gunn, prison dramas like 99 Women, and sci-fi productions such as The Green Slime.
Later Career and Retirement
Luciana also reunited with Thunderball director Terence Young on projects like War Goddess, a film about Amazons, and The Klansman, which featured a young O.J. Simpson in his film debut.
In Italy, she appeared in the 1975 comedy L’Infermiera (The Nurse) alongside another famous Bond girl, Ursula Andress.
Her film career came to a close in 1979 when she married Michael Jay Solomon, choosing to step away from the public eye and settle into private life with her husband.