Sandra Colleen Waites (15 December 1948 – 28 December 1991), known professionally as Cassandra Harris, was an Australian actress.

Early life

Born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Harris was a student at the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, it offers bachelor's, master's and vocational degrees in subjects including acting ...

. She enrolled in 1961, aged 12, under the name Sandra Gleeson. She went on to perform in the Sydney stage production of '' Boeing Boeing'' (1964–1965). Harris appeared in '' The Greek Tycoon'' (1978), ''

Rough Cut In filmmaking, the rough cut (also known as the first cut or editor's cut) is the second of three stages of offline editing. The term originates from the early days of filmmaking when film stock was physically cut and reassembled, but is still ...

'' (1980), and the ''

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

'' film '' For Your Eyes Only'' (1981) as the Countess Lisl von Schlaf, the ill-fated mistress of Milos Columbo (played by Israeli actor Topol). While filming this movie, her third husband,

Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He was the fifth actor to play the fictional secret agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bond in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film series, starri ...

, met producer Albert R. Broccoli. Her dream was for Brosnan to become Bond and encouraged him to pursue the role. He was supposed to take over from

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the actor to portray Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in the Eon Productions/MGM Studios film series, playing the ...

after impressing Broccoli in his role in the TV series '' Remington Steele''. He agreed to take the role but producers from the TV show refused to release him from his contract, he eventually was cast in the role in the early 90's and would proceed to play

in four films. She guest-starred in several episodes of the television series '' Remington Steele'' with Brosnan; they married on 27 December 1980.

Personal life and death

Harris had three children: Charlotte Harris (1971–2013) and Christopher Harris (b. 1972) by Dermot Harris, brother of actor

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous a ...

, and son Sean Brosnan (b. 1983), by

, who adopted Charlotte and Christopher after their father died in 1986. In 1987, Harris was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the same disease that had claimed her own mother's life. She had the illness for four years until her death on 28 December 1991, at the age of 43. Her daughter Charlotte also died from ovarian cancer on 28 June 2013, aged 41.

Filmography

Television

References

External links

*
Cassandra Harris
(Aveleyman)
People.com story
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Cassandra 1948 births 1991 deaths Actresses from Sydney Australian film actresses Deaths from ovarian cancer in California 20th-century Australian actresses