Alexandra Bastedo (born 9 March 1946) is a British actress, best known for her role as secret agent Sharron Macready in the 1968 British espionage/science fiction adventure series The Champions. She has been cited as a sex symbol of the 1960s and ’70s. Bastedo is a vegetarian and well-known animal welfare advocate.
Early life
Bastedo was born in Hove, Sussex, England. According to her official website, her mother was of French, German and Italian descent. Her Canadian-born father was of Spanish, Dutch, Scottish and native Indian extraction. She attended Brighton and Hove High School and Brighton School of Drama.
Professional career
She made her film debut as one of the title characters in William Castle’s poorly received 13 Frightened Girls (1963). Bastedo gained fame on the European continent, earning her the nickname, "La Bastedo". Although most familiar to viewers of 1960s TV, she was also famous for her multilingual skills, speaking Italian, Spanish, French and German. This skill brought her to the door of 10 Downing Street to assist with translations and landed her the role of co-presenter of Miss World competitions with Peter Marshall in the 1980s. In the early 1990s, she appeared in an episode of Absolutely Fabulous playing a 1960s model associate of Edina and Patsy. In 1991, she appeared in a notable production of the psychological thriller Dangerous Obsession by N. J. Crisp, opposite Marc Sinden and John Challis, at the Mill at Sonning.
In 2006, Bastedo was reunited for the first time with her co-stars from The Champions to provide commentaries and an interview for a DVD release of the show. Still working as an actress, she appeared in Batman Begins, and touring theatres in 2006 with a production of Beyond Reasonable Doubt alongside Leslie Grantham and Simon Ward. In 2008, she joined the cast of EastEnders, playing "Cynthia". In January 2008, she appeared as co-presenter (with Ed Stewart) of "The Magic of Mantovani" at Lighthouse, Poole. The success of this concert led, the following year, to a second concert at Lighthouse in Poole, with the Mantovani Orchestra, which she again co-presented.
Filmography
13 Frightened Girls (aka The Candy Web) (1963)
The Liquidator (1966)
Doctor in Clover (1966)
That Riviera Touch (1966)
The Haunted Man (1966)
The Head Waiter (1966) (TV)
The Saint (episode "The Counterfeit Countess", 1967)
Casino Royale (1967)
The Champions (TV series, 1968–69)
A Promise of Bed (1969)
I Can’t… I Can’t (1969)
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
(episode "Whoever Heard of a Ghost Dying?", 1969)
Tibetana (1970)
Codename (1970) (TV series)
My Lover My Son (1970)
From a Bird’s Eye View (episode "Sicillian Affair", 1970)
The Blood Spattered Bride (1972)
(Spanish title: La Novia Ensangrentada)
Odio mi cuerpo (1974)
Tu dios y mi infierno (1975)
The Ghoul (1975)
El Clan de los Nazarenos (1975)
The Man Inside (1976)
Find the Lady (1976)
El Mirón (1977)
Cabo de vara (1978)
The Aphrodite Inheritance (miniseries, 1979)
A Choice of Two (1981)
Estigma (1982)
Legend of the Champions (TV, 1983)
Draw! (1984) (TV)
La Veritat oculta (1987)
Absolutely Fabulous (episode "Fat", 1992)
Batman Begins (2005)
EastEnders (2008–2009)
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