A “Bond girl” is defined as a female character who portrays a significant role in the life of author Ian Fleming’s fictional character, British Secret Intelligence Agent 007, also known as “Bond, James Bond.”  

Our introduction to these lovely ladies first began between the pages of Fleming’s James Bond spy novels and short stories before evolving into the radiant visions that beautified our silver screen. No matter their role, whether it be a companion, a love interest, or even an archenemy or nemesis of Agent 007, these women have awarded themselves just as much a famed lead of these stories and films as Mr. Bond himself. 

            But throughout 007’s history, and of all the Bond girls that it’s entailed, is perhaps the one young lady that, at the time, had no idea her role was history in the making as soon as she stepped foot on the 1971 set of Diamonds are Forever. I’m talking about the one and only Trina Parks.

“I had no idea who James Bond was, I had never seen a James Bond movie, and I didn’t know who Sean Connery was! But, I didn’t tell my agent that!”

Trina laughs as she reminisces with me about the time her agent called and told her of the interview with the “James Bond People.”

The Beginnings of a Bond Girl

Trina was raised in Brooklyn, New York, before moving to Harlem with her father. Her parents met in their shared neighborhood of the prestigious Sugar Hill in Harlem, New York, her mother an interior decorator and her father the lead tenor saxophonist with the Cab Calloway Band.

“A lot of musicians and actors lived in Sugar Hill, up in Harlem, and actually, Duke Ellington lived in the same building as my father.”

After her mother passed away and with her father still on the road with Cab Calloway, Trina spent time with her grandmother and aunt.

“When my father was in town, he would take me to the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Dance, so I started in ballet when I was six years old.”

Returning with her father to Harlem, Trina continued dance in the community center and soon learned of the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, New York.

“I always just loved to dance! And so that’s when I took the audition for the High School of Performing Arts. I wanted to go into ballet and major in ballet, but, at that time, even in New York, there were no Black females accepted in the ballet department. When I took the audition, I didn’t know that. I was thirteen or fourteen years old, and, in New York, we didn’t have the real heavy prejudice, and so I wasn’t really aware of that.”

The young Trina was asked to come back for the modern dance department auditions and was immediately accepted into the program.

“There were three Black males, and two Black females in the dance department in my class. One of them you may know was Ben Vereen.”

From there, Trina also began taking dance lessons at The Dunham School.

“I can’t remember how I found out about the school, but I knew I wanted to go. I could walk to The Dunham School from PA, Performing Arts was on 46^th Street and Broadway, and The Dunham School was on 42^nd Street and 9^th so, I would eat something after school at the little sandwich shop right across the street on Broadway, and walk up and take class.”

Founded by world-renowned dancer Katherine Dunham, The Dunham School taught her unique dance style, combining African dance with Caribbean and Haitian influences and other performing arts such as drama.

“Dunham taught everything, from ballet and drums to acting classes, and I started learning karate through Dunham.”

As a high school student, Trina was asked by Katherine Dunham to join her company and perform at the Apollo Theater. With permission granted by her father, Trina became the youngest company member. After high school, she traveled with Dunham to Paris, France, where she spent a year as a featured dancer in a production choreographed by Dunham.  

After returning from Paris, Trina did another European dance tour, and through a connection with one of the companies she performed with, she landed a dance role in the movie Great, White, Hope with James Earl Jones. While in Los Angeles, Trina was referred to a manager and later signed with Agency for the Performing Arts.

“Thumper:” The Role That Would Change Bond Girl History

“I was called by my agent that the James Bond People wanted to interview me. I do not know, up to today, if they were actually looking for a Black actor. All I know is that when I went up for the interview, the first one, I didn’t see anybody else there. Three times I was called, the second time was for my screen test, and the third, I had to do movement. You know, when you have interviews, you usually have other women there. Never, in all three interviews, did I see anybody.”

            And so, the twenty-four-year-old Trina Parks landed the role as the high-kicking, karate jabbing, yellow bikini-clad bodyguard known as “Thumper” and became the first African American Bond girl to ever grace the big screen.

“I didn’t even know that, until afterwards,” Trina laughs, “because I was just doing this movie and, too, because I didn’t know the history of any of the other movies. My agent explained to me basically the character and what it was about. And I loved the character!”

On the Set of Diamonds are Forever

Trina laughs and tells me one of the highlights was when her agent told her what her daily paycheck would be while shooting the movie and how what she made in a day on the set was more than what she made back then in a month.

“And he told me I wouldn’t have to worry about my rent. They took care of all that while I was shooting in Palm Springs. So, all I had to think about was my character and being good at it.”

“We had a great time, Sean and I, on the set. The location was at the Elrod House in Palm Springs, California. We did the whole scene there, and it was a two-week shoot.”

“The one thing that I didn’t know until I was on the set, was there was a section where I do what I call the stalking section. I’m on the floor, and I do a turn, and I slowly come up, and I do a kick to 007 held by Bambi. Well, on that whole floor section, the stunt man, Bob Simmons, was saying to me that he wanted to see something dance and karate-wise. Before that, I wasn’t told that this was a section they needed me to work on. So, we worked on different choreography for just that section for a few hours, and I did a couple of different combinations, and he said that Sir Broccoli and Sir Hamilton would be in to see it. So, what you see on the screen, is what they chose.”

“I loved the role and the script! Bruce Glover, who played one of the villains, he was actually my first acting teacher in Los Angeles. And I had no idea he was in the movie until I saw the movie!”

As my questions and excitement continued about the film and her iconic role as Thumper, a professionally humble Ms. Parks reverted back to her beginnings.

“I give Ms. Dunham the credit for really teaching me karate, which was very adamant in this character. They wanted someone flexible as a dancer, but they didn’t want dance, they wanted to see that karate. I had to fight James Bond, and I wasn’t going to dance-fight him!” 

We both laugh.

And what is Trina Parks up to these days?

“My main thing is trying to finish writing my autobiography. I’ve also been teaching my Black history program, which includes the Katherine Dunham dance technique.”

Being the last instructor of Katherine Dunham’s dance company members, Trina keeps Ms. Dunham’s legacy alive by presenting and teaching her Black history workshops and shares with dancers the Dunham technique.

When talking to Trina about her role as the first Black Bond girl, she explains that she now realizes the impact of being cast as the character.

“Then, it was just another job. At that time, I was just doing whatever I could in my business that would further me.” Trina pauses. “It was just another step forward.”

A step forward, indeed.  

To find out more about Trina, and her upcoming autobiography book, check out her website.

http://www.trinaparks.com

*Special thanks to Trina Parks for this interview and her granted permission for use of her photographs.