Tania Mallet (19 May 1941 – 30 March 2019) was a British model and actress who was best known for her appearance as Tilly Masterson in the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964).

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Biography

Tania Mallet was born in Blackpool, Lancashire to English father Henry Mallet, and Russian mother Olga Mironoff. Tania was a cousin of actress Helen Mirren; her mother and Helen's father were brother and sister. She initially worked as a model before becoming an actress.

Mallet reportedly auditioned for the part of Tatiana Romanova in 1963's From Russia With Love but was unsuccessful. According to her, she was given the part of Tilly Masterson when someone sent a photo of her in a bikini to Bond producer Cubby Broccoli. The character was killed off during the film when Oddjob (Harold Sakata) hurled his steel rimmed hat at her.

Despite the film's commercial and critical success, Goldfinger would be Mallet's only major big screen appearance. Her only other significant acting role was an uncredited appearance in the 1976 television series The New Avengers. 

Mallet cited two reasons for returning to modelling and turning down all further film offers: firstly she did not like the restrictions imposed on her personal freedom when she was under contract during the film, and secondly, she said the money was "dreadful". She was initially offered £50 a week, and managed to increase her fee to £150 a week after tough negotiations, a fee that she was easily earning a day as a model. According to Helen Mirren's 2007 memoir, Mallet was a "loyal and generous person" who was supporting her mother and paying for her brothers' education with her income as a model.

Mallet died on 30 March 2019, at the age of 77.