20 Things You Didn’t Know About Moonraker (1979)

6. “You Don’t Want To Lose Time As Well As A Space Shuttle, Do You?”

Moonraker Roger Moore 1979
United Artists

American actress, Jaclyn Smith was forced to decline the role of enigmatic CIA agent and astronaut, Dr. Holly Goodhead due to her commitments to the television series, Charlie's Angels (1976-1981).

The filmmakers had hoped to cast Lois Chiles as Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me, but her agent told them that she had retired. In truth, she was studying acting in New York City after a critic described her as “no more than a table decoration”, shaking her confidence.

Lewis Gilbert met her on an airline flight to the USA. She accepted the role of Holly Goodhead for the acting experience, despite her prominent roles in such star-studded films as The Way We Were (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), and Death on the Nile (1978).

Directly after filming Moonraker, she regularly flew to Houston, Texas to donate blood platelets to her brother, Clay, but tragically could not save him from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Following her loss, she took a three-year hiatus from acting and her previously burgeoning career sadly never recovered.

However, she has since reported that she does not regret being a Bond Girl.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.