“The world deserves a transgender Bond girl”

Spencie d’Entremont is proud to describe herself as a trans Bond girl and nobody does it better than her when it comes to Bond girl fashion. We had a long talk about our favourite Bond girls, why she found them so inspiring when she was transitioning and what it would be like to have a trans person finally take a leading role in a Bond film.

What the world needs right now are representations of queer people on screen that are not just tokenistic, especially trans people. Beyond advancing public perceptions, by including LGBTQIA+ characters in any mainstream film series - Bond being the quintessential example - you open up new and intriguing story possibilities. 

I suggest to Spencie that she perhaps write a trans-inclusive Bond story herself. After all, she works in the media industry, she is a proud trans woman and she knows her Bond. And then she tells me she sort of already has. 

With a little encouragement, Spencie tells me the whole story she has worked out. I am enthralled. The only unconventional element (for a Bond movie) is the story’s portrayal of aspects of Bond’s childhood. Everything else fits within the nearly 60-year-old formula. She has clearly thought a lot about this.

“It would be a breakthrough moment I think: a positive portrayal of a trans person in a movie as mainstream as Bond. The world deserves a transgender Bond girl.”

As we all know, trans representation within the Bond franchise is almost non-existent. However, during our Zoom conversation (me at home in the middle of the UK and Spencie over 4000km away in Nova Scotia, Canada), we discussed ‘transgender Bond girl’ Caroline Cossey. Cossey appeared in For Your Eyes Only nearly forty years ago. Despite the adverse reactions she received around the time of For Your Eyes Only, Cossey is proud of her Bond connection. She maintains that being a “Bond girl” is one of her many lifelong achievements. Spencie tells me she regards Cossey as an inspiration. In fact, Bond girls in general are inspiring to her, as several were instrumental to her own self-discovery.

Like myself, Spencie is a life-long Bond fan. We shared similar experiences of watching Bond films while growing up. And whereas I started to feel ‘different’ in terms of my sexual orientation from an early age, Spencie felt different in her gender expression. She came out as transgender when she was 14 years old, upon learning about the term [transgender] for the first time. She made the personal decision to officially transition at the age of 21.

“I’ve always known I was female ever since I was born or cognisant really. Once I discovered the actual terminology used to describe how I felt, I knew that was the time to let my family know. To my comfort, they had always known who I am, that I was female. My parents and brother are incredibly supportive. Which has made my journey all the more gratifying. In fact, my transition was also very well received among extended family, my friends, and even the small community where I grew up. Even today, people still ask me questions regarding my transition. Luckily, it is a subject I am always open and happy to discuss.

“Being transgender is not all of who I am, but it’s such an important part of my life that not talking about it would be a disservice. I think we can all learn a lot from each other and our personal stories. If someone gave me a magic wand to become magically cisgender, I’d refuse to use it. I love being transgender, being myself, and sharing my story.”

When it comes to her own growth, Spencie credits the Bond girls with helping her to be resilient and develop into the woman she is today. 

“I discovered a renewed enthusiasm for Bond films when I was transitioning because of the women. Some people say the Bond girls tend to appear weak, but I see them all as strong women.”

“When I think of a ‘Bond girl’ my mind immediately centres on [Thunderball’s] Domino.”

I first encountered Spencie during an online event drawing together Bond fans from around the world. When Spencie was invited to pose her question to the panel, she immediately got everyone’s attention. This was partly because of her erudite questioning and clear love for Bond and partly because she was dressed in clothing that suggested Domino from Thunderball.

“When I think of a ‘Bond girl’ my mind immediately centres on Domino Derval, played by French actress, Claudine Auger, easily distinguishable with a style embodying the peak of that 1960s Bond essence.”

“Dominique Derval is one of the few characters whose nickname [Domino] is their iconography. This is reflected with an entirely black and white wardrobe throughout the film. Including, the zebra stripes and monochrome polka-dots that adorn her swimsuits. I adore characters whose clothing becomes a visual representation of themselves. Costuming has always been such a passion of mine. I have a very visual memory, which is the reason Domino stands out to me as such a memorable Bond Girl.

“I was so pleased to hear Auger’s real voice on YouTube. Like many Bond girls of the 60s she was dubbed by another actress. Auger’s voice is a lot lower than Domino’s. It sounds sexy and demure. She speaks with a lower tempo and resonance. Auger’s real voice is closer to my own. As I mature into my transition, I have learned to love my own vocal resonance. It is my own and it makes me happy.

“Auger is French of course and French is my first language.”

Spencie was born in 1994, in an Acadian French-speaking community, the village of Pubnico, located towards the southern tip of Nova Scotia. 

Although, Spencie will playfully insist she has a strong French accent, I cannot detect it without consciously listening out for it. Her proficiency is doubly impressive considering that she learned English mostly through media. 

“When I was in school, English was only taught once you entered the third grade. I had already picked it up much earlier since all our media (cartoons, movies, video games and books) is in English. It is extremely common for people within Acadian French communities to be fluently bi-lingual.”

“Upon playing Nightfire, my passion for the Bond franchise and desire to be a Bond girl was ignited.”

Domino Derval, however, was not the very first to inspire a young Spencie. It was another Bond girl with a similar name and heritage. 

“Dominique Paradis from the video game James Bond 007: Nightfire. The 2002 video game was my introduction to the Bond franchise. Meaning, Dominique was the very first Bond girl to catch my attention. Intrigued from the moment I saw her on the game’s box art cover, I knew I had to purchase it. Upon playing Nightfire, my passion for the Bond franchise and desire to be a Bond girl was ignited.”

Described as a “stunning French beauty” in the promotional campaign, I can see why Spencie was inspired.

We spend some time talking about the portrayal of women in Bond video games (generally abysmal, with Nightfire being a pleasant exception) before turning our conversation back to the films.

“Wai Lin in her silver dress jumped off that cover. Her and Paris, they both looked so glamorous.”

“When deciding on which Bond film to watch first, the Brosnan films were on my radar since his likeness was used for Nightfire. The VHS cover of Tomorrow Never Dies immediately caught my eye. Specifically, because of the two women flanking Bond. Wai Lin in her silver dress jumped off that cover. Her and Paris, they both looked so glamorous.”

Spencie is fond of the word “glamorous” and uses it often to describe many of the girls she is inspired by. Although interestingly, her all-time favorites are a bit more down-to-earth (in Bond girl terms).

“Natalya Simonova, played by the incomparable Izabella Scorupco, from the film GoldenEye, is an absolute treasure. Every time she appears, she owns the scene. I love how she is given her own story buildup before she meets Bond. GoldenEye does a fantastic job showcasing that Natalya has her own life prior to the film’s main conflict. The film lets us spend some time with her before the devastation of Severnaya. Natalya has a career in computer programming, she has her own friends with whom she laughs and jokes with at work. She appears to have a genuine playful friendship with Boris, which we discern from their banter. Boris is the one she calls out to while wandering the Siberian terrain. When her best friend Anna, as well as her co-workers are murdered by Xenia, the film encourages us to feel what she feels. While Natalya narrowly escapes a destructing Severnaya, we feel tense for her. Later, we feel Natalya’s relief when she learns that Boris is still alive and empathise with how much she is hurt by his ensuing betrayal.

“Natalya and Boris’s relationship mirrors that of Bond’s and Trevelyan’s. She and Bond experience a similar emotional journey. To me, Natalya’s ultimate win against Boris, IS GoldenEye!

“Natalya is an extremely resourceful and action-oriented woman. Her cleverness saves her from a potential demise at the hands of the ruthless Xenia. Moreover, the very moment Natalya realises Severnaya is about to be decimated, she runs, jumps, ducks for cover. The scenes and character setup that take place at Severnaya have been my most favorites of the entire Bond franchise.

“Compared to prior Bond girls, Natalya’s fashion is more toned down. However, she remains ever stylish.“

“Compared to prior Bond girls, Natalya’s fashion is more toned down. However, she remains ever stylish. Despite my fixation on the glitz and glamour of movie costuming, I truly appreciate Natalya’s portrayal. Her blue-grey cardigan, black skirt, nylons and high heel boots are such a winning ensemble!” 

I tell Spencie I am also enamoured with Natalya and the Simonova Appreciation Society continues its first meeting for some time before, eventually, we start honing in more on the clothes. I warn Spencie that I am hideously unqualified to talk about fashion, but she explains it in such a way that even I understand.

“Some of the looks I feature are Bond girl cosplays. Mainly, choosing which Bond girl to cosplay is based on when I have acquired a garment that will truly represent the character. Fashion runs in the family, so mom and I always collab on my Bond Girl photoshoots. She has such a keen sense of style, and I love that it’s a hobby I get to share with her. The Bond girl clothing is a collection of my own wardrobe as well my mom’s. And trust me, she has a substantial clothing collection. Some of my cosplay pieces are also custom made. I have two categories of cosplaying, for example: Natalya is one of my cosplays. I wanted to get her exact, or almost exact. That blue cardigan looks more bluish grey in the film. But I really wanted the blue to pop. Other looks are less by-the-book. They are my own personal take on the character and the mission is to capture their style essence.

In addition to Domino and Natalya, Spencie’s Instagram includes some of my favorite Bond girls: Casino Royale’s Vesper Lynd, Sévérine from Skyfall, For Your Eyes Only’s Melina Havelock, Tiffany Case from Diamonds Are Forever and A View To A Kill’s Stacey Sutton. I observe that Stacey features several times and I’m glad to find a fellow fan.

“Stacey is portrayed [in A View To A Kill] as self-sufficient, beginning the film with no one on her side. Yet, she’s still determined to fight back against any oppressor.”

“Stacey Sutton played by Tanya Roberts, is a Bond girl that has the fandom divided. While there are many who criticise her inclusion in the franchise, I personally, can’t help but adore her role. She is easily one of my favorite Bond girls of all time. Stacey is portrayed as self-sufficient, beginning the film with no one on her side. Yet, she’s still determined to fight back against any oppressor. 

“Stacey is a bit more relatable when it comes to Bond girls. She is not a spy; she’s a civilian with a real career. Stacey, a geologist who is being hounded by a psychopathic megalomaniac, is well on her way to solving the problem head on before Bond even turns up. When Bond invades her home, she’s armed and ready to take action. Also, she is one of the few Bond girls to physically attack the film’s antagonists. And who could forget her driving that firetruck through the streets of San Francisco! 

“Her fashion in the film is also very 80s chic, which adds to her charm. In fact, A View to a Kill’s costuming as a whole is like a style time capsule of the 1980s. The always striking actress and performer Grace Jones being a key part of the film’s remarkable iconography.”

For Spencie, Bond girls were, and continue to be, an inspiration. Their being almost exclusively cisgendered has not been too much of a stumbling block. But just imagine how empowering it would be to have a trans person playing the leading girl.

Spencie already has this worked out.

“Bond is a hero in the eyes of many. True heroes should have compassion and general acceptance for all people of this world they’re aiming to save. Even Bond, who has a licence to kill, is shown to have some capacity to care about the lives he encounters. Someone as worldly and experienced as James Bond, would have no objection with a trans female love interest. Highlighting the fact that heroes are people we aspire to be like. Even if some members of the audience have their own hang-ups about queer people, seeing Bond with no apprehension would have a transformative effect.”

Follow Spencie Maria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spenciemaria/