One of the most memorable deaths in the history of the James Bond franchise came in 1964’s Goldfinger, starring Sean Connery as 007. Oh, and if that last sentence didn’t make it abundantly clear, you’re about to get hit with some serious spoilers. Anyway, early on in the film, Bond is knocked unconscious and awakens to find Jill Masterson (as portrayed by Shirley Eaton), whom he’s spent the night with, naked in bed and covered in gold paint. Bond soon reveals that she died from skin suffocation:
The image of Eaton painted gold was so iconic that it landed her on the cover of LIFE magazine later that same year. Unfortunately, her character’s unusual death also spawned an urban legend that Eaton died from skin suffocation herself during the film’s production.
According to the BBC series Debunked, two things helped perpetuate the myth: First of all, Eaton only had a few small movie roles after Goldfinger was released, and retired from acting in 1969. On top of that, people were legitimately worried at the time that skin suffocation was a real thing.
The Strange Urban Legend Behind ‘Goldfinger’s’ Most Iconic Death
As a matter of fact, cabaret dancers were known to leave part of their skin unpainted out of fear that clogged pores might prevent oxygen from being absorbed. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton and producer Albert Broccoli even hired a physician to monitor Eaton while she filmed the scene. Furthermore, part of Eaton’s abdomen was left unpainted, just to be on the safe side. They then did their best to remove the paint as quickly as possible once the segment was completed.
It should go without saying that Eaton didn’t die from the gold paint used on her in the movie. The actress is actually alive and well at press time and is currently 89 years old. As for so-called “skin suffocation,” we now know, in part thanks to a 2003 episode of MythBusters, that this isn’t something that can happen from having your body painted.
However, painting one’s body can lead to other issues, like overheating and toxins being absorbed through the skin.
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