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One of four children, Blackman was born in London's East End, to Edith Eliza (Stokes), a homemaker, and Frederick Thomas Blackman, a statistician employed with the Civil Service. She received elocution lessons for her 16th birthday (at her own request), and later attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which she paid for by working as a clerical assistant in the Civil Service. She was also a dispatch rider for the Home Office during World War II, playing an important role in the war effort.

Blackman received her first acting work on stage in London's West End as an understudy in "The Guinea Pig". She continued with roles in "The Gleam" (1946) and "The Blind Goddess" (1947), before moving into film. She debuted with Fame Is the Spur (1947), starring Michael Redgrave.

Blackman suffered a nervous breakdown following her divorce from Bill Sankey, a man 12 years her senior, who's jealousy, fraudulent business practices, and emptying of her bank accounts took it's toll. After hospitalisation Blackman began counselling, which would last for years, and began rebuilding her career.

TV series work also came her way again, most notably the highly popular The Avengers (1961), co-starring Patrick Macnee as John Steed. As the leather-clad "Catherine Gale", Blackman showcased her incredible beauty, self-confidence, and athletic abilities. Her admirable qualities made her not only a catch for the men, but also an inspirational figure for the 1960s feminist movement.

Blackman took on the role of Greek goddess Hera in popular movie adventure Jason and the Argonauts (1963) with Ray Harryhausen and melodrama Life at the Top (1965) with Laurence Harvey. She then played "Pussy Galore" in the classic James Bond film Goldfinger (1964). Blackman went toe to toe with Sean Connery's womanizing "007" and created major sparks on screen.

Blackman continued to work consistently in films and tv, while also appearing on stage where she earned rave reviews as the blind heroine of the thriller "Wait Until Dark" as well as for her dual roles in "Mr. and Mrs.", a production based on two of Noël Coward's plays. She also enjoyed working with her second husband, actor Maurice Kaufmann, in the play "Move Over, Mrs. Markham" and the film thriller Fright (1971). She proved a sultry-voiced sensation in various musicals productions such as "A Little Night Music", "The Sound of Music", "On Your Toes", and "Nunsense."

In the new millennium, Honor was seen in such films as Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Color Me Kubrick (2005), Reuniting the Rubins (2010), I, Anna (2012) and Cockneys vs Zombies (2012), as well as the British TV serieses Water, Water, Everywhere (1920) The Royal (2003) Coronation Street (1960), long running series Casualty (1986) and finally You, Me & Them (2013), her last role after her retirement several years earlier.

Divorced from Kaufmann in 1975 (although they remained friends until his death, Blackman even cared for him during his 13 year battle with cancer), Blackman never remarried, revealing in an interview that she simply preferred single life, "Basically I'm a shy person and I like my own company". Unable to conceive, the couple adopted two children, Lottie and Barnaby, in '67 and '68 respectively.

The ever-lovely and eternally glamorous star continued to find regular work into her 90s, including co-starring in the long-running English hit comedy series The Upper Hand (1990) and performing her one-woman stage show, "Wayward Women"

Honor Blackman died on April 5, 2020, in Lewes, Sussex. She was 94.

Shirley Douglas was born on 2 April 1934 in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was an actress, known for Dead Ringers (1988), Wind at My Back (1996) and Lolita (1962). She was married to Donald Sutherland and Timothy Emil Alan Sick. She died on 5 April 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Lee Fierro was born on 13 February 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Jaws (1975), Jaws: The Revenge (1987) and The Mistover Tale (2016). She was married to Marvin Stephens and Bernard Fierro. She died on 5 April 2020 in Aurora, Ohio, USA.

George Ogilvie was born on 5 March 1931 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. He was a director and actor, known for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Short Changed (1986) and The Water Diviner (2014). He died on 5 April 2020 in New South Wales, Australia.

James Garbutt was born in 1925 in Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Superman (1978), When the Boat Comes In (1976) and The Onedin Line (1971). He died on 5 April 2020 in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England, UK.

Thomas L. Miller was born on 31 August 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Family Matters (1989), Silver Streak (1976) and Petrocelli (1974). He died on 5 April 2020 in Salisbury, Connecticut, USA.

Pat Finch was born on 12 December 1926 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for Studio One (1948) and What's My Line? (1950). She died on 5 April 2020 in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

Frederica Meister was an actress, known for Law & Order (1990), Talk Radio (1988) and The Equalizer (1985). She died on 5 April 2020 in New York, USA.

Dagmar Teichmannová was born on 1 August 1980 in Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Cosy Dens (1999), Cesty domu (2010) and Suburb (2006). She died on 5 April 2020 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Bobby Mitchell was born on 6 June 1935 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA. He was married to Gwen. He died on 5 April 2020 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Lucero Gómez was born on 11 June 1956 in Bogotá, Colombia. She was an actress, known for Victoria (2007), Juego limpio (2005) and Tentaciones (1994). She died on 5 April 2020 in Bogota, Colombia.

Pentti Linkola was born on 7 December 1932 in Helsinki, Finland. He was married to Aliisa Lummeksen. He died on 5 April 2020 in Ritvala, Sääksmäki, Finland.

Balfoura Friend Levine, also known as Bo, was born in 1925 in Shanghai, China, Her father, Jacob Friend, was a Russian Jew recruited into the Russian Army under Czar Nicolas II and fled to China during the Russian Revolution. Ten years later, he went back to Russia to bring his fiancée, Frieda, to China as well. They lived in Hongkew which was a ghetto for thousands of European refugees who fled to China. Jacob was a scholar who started the salmon smoking industry in Shanghai. Bo attended the British Public School then attended St. Johns University in Shanghai. She emigrated to the United States through San Francisco, California, in 1947 then moved to where an uncle was living in Eastman, Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia and received her degree in Journalism in 1950. She was first married in 1953 and raised three children, Sandy, Ronnie and Laurie. She has outlived three husbands and well into her 90s is a columnist for The Jewish Georgian.

Alba Greco was an actress, known for Periodistas (1998), Robles, investigador (2000) and Compañeros (1998). She died on 5 April 2020 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

Mahmoud Jebril was born on 28 May 1952 in Benghazi, Libya. He died on 5 April 2020 in Cairo, Egypt.

Margaret Burbidge was born on 12 August 1919 in Davenport, Greater Manchester, England, UK. She was married to Geoffrey Burbidge. She died on 5 April 2020 in San Francisco, California, USA.

Dera Cooper was born in 1922 in Romford, Essex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Paradise Makers (1967), BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) and Casualty (1986). She died on 5 April 2020 in London, England, UK.

Ed Biles was born on 18 October 1931 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He died on 5 April 2020 in Houston, Texas, USA.

Clive Stubbs was an actor, known for Hellthy (2019), Blood Tyes (2017) and Bananas Unpeeled (2000). He died on 5 April 2020 in Norwich, UK.

Michel Parisse was born on 1 May 1936 in Void-Vacon, Meuse, France. He died on 5 April 2020 in Paris France.