Pamela Salem, an actress who starred in one of the James Bond films from the 1980s, has died at the age of 80.
The announcement of Salem's passing was made by Big Finish Productions, an audiobook and podcast company with which Salem has worked.
"Everyone at Big Finish was shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and colleague Pamela Salem on 21 February 2024 at the age of 80," the company wrote.
The company did not provide any further details about the circumstances that led up to Salem's passing.
Salem was an actress who was particularly well-known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again. Here, she starred alongside Sean Connery. This one one of two films that she did with him, the other being, The First Great Train Robbery.
But, this is only a small part of Salem's acting career.
Big Finish Productions reports, "Her long career in stage, television, and film included multiple roles in touring plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Pinter, and Ayckbourn."
The New York Post further reports, "Sci-fi and fantasy fans might also know Salem from the British TV shows Blake’s 7, Into the Labyrinth, and The Tripods."
The outlet adds, "She also appeared in nine episodes of Doctor Who, which kicked off her relationship with Big Finish. Her TV credits include ER and The West Wing.
Big Finish Productions, in its statement on Salem's passing, included several tributes to Salem from people with whom she worked.
This includes a statement from director Ken Bentley, with whom Salem worked on the set of Doctor Who. Salem also worked with Bentley on the audio series Counter-Measures.
"Every time Pamela walked into the studio she brought the Florida sunshine with her. She was such great company, always smiling, with so much enthusiasm for the small things in life that bring us all joy, like walking your dog along the beach," Bentley wrote, adding, "She had many gifts but her superpower was her ability to single-handedly restore your faith in human nature."
More high praise came from one of Salem's co-actors in Counter-Measures.
Karen Gledhill said:
Pamela was the kindest, most generous actor I have ever worked with. Back in the 80s on Remembrance of the Daleks (my first proper TV job), she took me under her wing and led me through a wonderful but slightly daunting experience. We became friends, and whenever we met were always so pleased to see each other.
