Barbara Bach, who played Bond girl Triple X, didn’t need to be saved from the spy who loved her.
Instead, she was looking for her knight in shining armor – her rocker husband, Sir Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr.
Bach, now 75, an actress and model, was at the height of her career when she appeared in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, playing the love interest and potential adversary of James Bond’s effeminate agent 007, played by Roger. Moore.
According to a 1983 story in People, Bach referred to Bond as “a chauvinist pig who uses girls to shield him from bullets”.
Moore agreed, telling People in 1973, the year he starred in his first Bond film, Live and Let Die:
“Bond, like me, is a male chauvinist pig.
I’ve been trying to get women out of their bras and pants all my life.’
Before filming The Spy Who Loved Me, Bach had roles in Italian films, one with another Bond Girls-Claudine Auger
from Thunderball (1965) and Barbara Bouchet from Casino Royale (1967) – in Black Belly of the Tarantula, a 1971 Italian murder mystery.
Bach’s lead performance as a Bond girl made the brown-haired beauty an absolute favorite and paved her acting career with gold.
After portraying Major Anya Amas, a fictional KGB character, she had leading roles in the 1980 film Mad Magazine Presents Up the Academy, directed by Robert Downey Sr., and the 1981 slapstick comedy Caveman, where she co-starred with Dennis. Quaid, Shelley Long, and Ringo Starr, now 82.
Starr plays a Neanderthal who lusts after Lana, played by Bach but ends up dumping her for another friend.
The script in no way reflects what happened in real life.
The pair were spotted at the Los Angeles airport as they flew to the set of Caveman, which was filmed in Mexico.
Bach, who appeared in a 1981 Playboy pictorial (on People), said, “We’ve had a lot of rubbish written about us, none of it interesting,” she said. “The truth is, we weren’t together until the very end
Caveman. We got along well at work, but we each had different people, our own friends. Then, all of a sudden, within a week—the last week of filming—it just happened. We changed from friendly love to infatuation.”
In an interview with the Irish Examiner in 2021, The Beatles superstar gushed about his wife, whom he married more than four decades ago.
“I love that woman. I’ve loved her since I first saw her at LAX in 1980. She was at the airport with a friend and I was at the airport going through security, and we happened to be going to Mexico to do the same movie.” And that’s how it happened,” Star recalled. “I’m blessed to have him in my life, that’s all I can ever say.
A supernova star, Starr is the drummer for the most influential band of all time, The Beatles. Bach was in the audience for the Beatles’ 1965 show at New York’s Shea Stadium, where he played alongside the late John Lennon George Harrison, and Paul McCartney as part of the Fab Four.
Bach admits that even though she was there, she wasn’t the biggest Beatles fan. She was there with her boyfriend Joe Walsh and sister Marjorie, who was so wild about the band that she turned up wearing a Beatles wig.
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“My sister Marjorie was crazy about the Beatles,” Bach told People in 1981. “I liked [Bob] Dylan, Ray Charles and the Rolling Stones.”
Marjorie went on to marry Walsh, who became the guitarist for the Eagles in 1975. Walsh also played with his brother-in-law in Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, a live rock supergroup.
Just months after Lennon was killed, Bach and Starr were married on April 27, 1981, with guests that included McCartney and Harrison.
Since then, the pair have been inseparable.
Just before the couple got married, they had a near-fatal accident where the car they were driving swerved to avoid a lorry and rolled over twice before coming to a stop.
Starr said after the accident: “We decided not to spend any time apart. The longest we’ve ever been apart was five days, and that was too long. I want to live every minute of it with Barbara.”
They also entered rehab together in 1988 and have been sober ever since.
As the adorable couple celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2021, Starr posted a photo from their wedding day – which also features McCartney and Harrison – with the caption: ’40 years ago today the love of my life said yes yes yes. “
The pair’s love extends beyond their blended family – Starr has three children with late wife Maureen Cox and Bach has two with ex-husband Augusto Gregorini – they also run a charity, The Lotus Foundation. The foundation supports various projects for animals, substance abuse, homelessness, and cancer. Starr, also an artist, donates 100 percent of sales to the organization.
There is no doubt that they would be together “eight days a week” if they could.
“I love the man, and that’s all,” Bach said.
Starr adds, “There’s no escaping it… I think I love Barbara as much [today] as [I did] when we met — and I’m blessed that she loves me and that we’re still together.”
The love story of Barbara Bach and Ringo Starr is an example of how true affection can overcome the glamor of a Hollywood and rock star. From their chance meeting at LAX to their nearly four-decade marriage, their journey together is a testament to the enduring power of love and commitment. Despite the ups and downs of their individual careers and the challenges they faced, including a near-fatal car accident and a stint in rehab, their bond only grew stronger.
Their relationship is not only a personal triumph, but also a shared mission through their charity work with The Lotus Foundation, reflecting their determination to make a positive impact on the world. Starr’s heartfelt tribute celebrating their 40th anniversary underscores the deep connection they maintain, while Bach’s sentiment reflects the same unwavering love. Their story serves as a reminder that true love, based on mutual respect and shared values, can flourish amidst the chaos of celebrity and the unpredictability of life.
As they continue to support each other both personally and professionally, their love story remains a shining example of how two people can grow together and remain deeply connected over the years. In a world where celebrity relationships are often fleeting, Barbara Bach and Ringo Starr’s enduring partnership is a beacon of hope and a reminder of the profound impact of finding the right person to share your life with.