Alexandra Bastedo

Alexandra Bastedo
Bastedo in 1968.
Born	Alexandra Lendon Bastedo (1946-03-09)9 March 1946 Hove, Sussex, England
Died	12 January 2014(2014-01-12) (aged 67) Worthing, England, UK
Occupation	Actress and writer
Years active	1962–2014
Spouse(s)	Patrick Garland (1980–2013, his death)

Alexandra Lendon Bastedo (9 March 1946 – 12 January 2014) was a British actress, best known for her role as secret agent Sharron Macready in the 1968 British espionage/science fiction adventure series The Champions. She has been cited as a sex symbol of the 1960s and 1970s. Bastedo was a vegetarian and animal welfare advocate.

Bastedo was born in Hove, England. According to her official website, her mother was of French, German and Italian descent. Her Canadian-born father was of Spanish, Dutch, Scottish and native Indian extraction. She attended Brighton and Hove High School and Brighton School of Drama.

She made her film debut as one of the title characters in William Castle's poorly received 13 Frightened Girls (1963). Bastedo received notice on the European continent, earning her the nickname, "La Bastedo". Although most familiar to viewers of 1960s TV, she was also known for her multilingual skills, speaking Italian, Spanish, French and German. This skill brought her to the door of 10 Downing Street to assist with translations and landed her the role of co-presenter of Miss World competitions with Peter Marshall in the 1980s. In 1979 she also played in the series The Aphrodite Inheritance. In 1988, Bastedo was the cover star for 'Rank', a live album by British band The Smiths that charted at number 2 on the British Album charts. In 1991, she appeared in a notable production of the psychological thriller Dangerous Obsession by N. J. Crisp, opposite Marc Sinden and John Challis, at the Mill at Sonning. In 1992 she appeared in "Fat" — the second ever broadcast episode of Absolutely Fabulous, playing a 1960s model associate of Edina and Patsy.