Looking Back on Ursula Andress’s Wild Love Life
On March 19, 2026, Ursula Andress turns 90, and for many movie fans, she will always be remembered for emerging from the Caribbean Sea in a white bikini in Dr. No (1962), the first James Bond film. She instantly became one of the most recognizable screen presences of the 1960s. The scene helped launch both the Bond franchise and Andress’s international career, earning her the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year in 1964.
But while her film roles made her famous, her personal life often drew just as much attention. Over the years, Andress’s romantic relationships connected her to some of the most famous men of her era. Let’s take a look back at some of these relationships.
James Dean
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Andress and James Dean had a brief romantic relationship in 1955, shortly after the Swiss-born actress arrived in Hollywood at the beginning of her career. At the time, Dean was a rising star who had already gained attention for his intense screen presence, while Andress was still largely unknown and under contract with Paramount. The two were frequently seen together around Los Angeles, including riding on Dean’s motorcycle and attending social events, which drew attention from gossip columnists of the era. Their relationship lasted only a short time during the final year of Dean’s life, ending before his fatal car crash on September 30, 1955.
John Derek
Everett Collection
One of the earliest and most important relationships in Andress’s life was with actor and director John Derek. The two became involved in the mid-1950s after she arrived in the United States, hoping to build a career in Hollywood. Derek left his wife to be with the young Swiss actress, and gossip in Hollywood quickly spread. They married in Las Vegas on February 2, 1957, and their marriage lasted nearly a decade.
During those years, Andress remained in Hollywood while waiting for the career breakthrough that would eventually come with Dr. No. The marriage began to break down in the early 1960s, and the couple separated in 1964. Their divorce was finalized in 1966. By then, her life had already taken a different direction, both personally and professionally.
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Everett Collection
One of the most significant relationships of her life began while she was working in Europe in the mid 1960s. She met French star Jean-Paul Belmondo while filming Up to His Ears in 1965, and the two quickly became a couple. After separating from Derek, Andress moved to Paris to live with Belmondo.
The relationship lasted for several years, from 1965 to 1972, making it one of the longest partnerships of her life. Belmondo was already one of the biggest names in French cinema, and together they became a glamorous international pair. Their life in Paris placed Andress at the center of the European film world during a period when she was appearing in a mix of American and international productions. In later interviews, Andress said Belmondo was the love of her life.
Fabio Testi
Everett Collection
After her relationship with Belmondo ended, Andress began another long partnership with Italian actor Fabio Testi. The two met while working in the European film industry and became romantically involved in the early 1970s. Their relationship lasted from 1973 to 1977, though they briefly separated during that time. By this point, Andress had become a fixture of European productions, appearing in films throughout Italy, France and Spain.
Ryan O’Neal and other ’70s romances
Everett Collection
The 1970s also brought a number of high-profile relationships. Among them was actor Ryan O’Neal, who was one of Hollywood’s most recognizable leading men at the time. Andress and O’Neal were involved twice, first from 1972 to 1973 and again from 1977 to 1978. Around the same period, Andress was also linked to several other well-known figures, including actor Franco Nero and Argentine boxing champion Carlos Monzón.
Harry Hamlin
Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Another major chapter began in 1979 when Andress met actor Harry Hamlin while filming Clash of the Titans. Hamlin, who was fifteen years younger, was a rising star at the time. Their relationship soon became serious, and on May 19, 1980, Andress gave birth to their son, Dimitri Alexander Hamlin. It was the first and only child for both of them. Although they got engaged, they never married.
The couple eventually separated in 1983. The relationship remains a lasting part of Hamlin’s extended family history as well. In a 2025 interview with People, Hamlin’s wife, Lisa Rinna, described Andress as “the most gorgeous woman on the planet” and said she has great admiration for her.
Fausto Fagone
Later in the 1980s, Andress entered another relationship that drew attention for its age difference. In 1986, she began dating Fausto Fagone, a 20-year-old Italian university student she met. Andress was 50 at the time. Despite the controversy, the relationship lasted several years and continued until 1991. After that period, Andress was briefly linked to martial arts actor Jeff Speakman. In the decades that followed, however, she largely stepped away from the public spotlight and kept her private life out of the headlines.
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