In 1962, the First James Bond Film Premiered. It Featured One of the Most Iconic Swimsuit Moments of All Time
In 1962, the First James Bond Film Premiered. It Featured One of the Most Iconic Swimsuit Moments of All Time
Michelle LeeMon, October 5, 2026 at 9:23 PM UTC
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Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in ‘Dr. No’; Ursula Andress in 2017Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection; Venturelli/Getty‘Dr. No,’ which premiered in October 1962, starred Andress as Honey Ryder and Sean Connery as James Bond -
Dr. No, the first James Bond film, premiered on Oct. 5, 1962
The movie starred Sean Connery as 007 and Ursula Andress, who played Honey Ryder, the first Bond Girl
At the time, Andress was celebrated for her sexy bikini scene, which then led the costume to be sold for thousands of dollars later on
The James Bond movie franchise turns 64 today, and while the agent’s signature suits have stood the test of time, so too has one of his Bond Girl’s costumes.
Dr. No, which premiered in London on Oct. 5, 1962, and was inspired by the 1958 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, starred Sean Connery as the first onscreen 007, but the protagonist did not see fame without Swiss actress Ursula Andress’ Honey Ryder, a character famously considered the first of many Bond Girls to come throughout the decades.
Fans were introduced to the silver-screen bombshell with her emerging from the ocean like a goddess — and wearing an ivory bikini to match. The swimsuit, including its knife-yielding briefs, is still widely considered one of cinema’s most memorable looks to this day.
Ursula Andress as Honey RyderCredit: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty
“This bikini made me into a success,” Andress, now 90, once said, according to Christie’s, the auction house that sold the bikini for 41,125 GBP, which is approximately $54,302 today.
Andress, whose role in Dr. No marked her first, according to Christie’s, said that the film gave her “the freedom to take my pick of future roles, and to become financially independent.” She added, “My entrance in the film wearing the bikini on that beautiful beach seems to now be regarded as a classical moment in cinema, and made me world famous as ‘The Bond Girl.’”
Director Terence Young not only took part in designing the tailored suiting belonging to Mr. 007, but also in working with Andress, in addition to a West Indian dressmaker in Jamaica, to design her bikini. As written by Christie’s, “Young worked with Andress to design a costume that was both practical and eye-catching. Andress recalls that it was important that the design of the bikini should withstand the running, diving, jumping and swimming involved in her part.”
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The bikini was then up for auction again by Profiles in History, as reported by Reuters in October 2020, with the Los Angeles auction house estimating the memorabilia to be worth $500,000.
The James Bond universe delivered another outstanding swimsuit scene with the introduction of Halle Berry’s Bond Girl, Jinx, who famously wore an orange bikini for her own iconic entrance.
Ursula Andress (as Honey Ryder) and Sean Connery (as James Bond) in ‘Dr. No’Credit: United Artist/Getty
“We tried on so many bathing suits, so many bikinis and so many belts and this looks effortless — but this was a whole situation getting this little bathing suit right. Choosing the color and the right fit,” Berry told Drew Barrymore in February 2026.
She added that they thought it could be “an iconic situation” in the long run.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
