Trina Parks was born in Brooklyn, New York. She attended the High School of Performing Arts, and later developed her dancing skills further at the Katherine Dunham Dchool of Dance. She became the principal dancer of both the Katherine Dunham Dance Company and also the Geoffrey Holder Dance Company (see my Geoffrey Holder web page)
Thumper works with her partner, Bambi, to guard the Las Vegas home of Willard Whyte. Whyte is a billionaire who has been captured by the villain Blofeld, who takes over his global empire. When Bond visits the house, Bambi and Thumper acrobatically set about him and gain the upper hand. The fight continues in the swimming pool, and 007 eventually gains control by holding them in headlocks underwater until they give up in defeat.
Trina is probably best known for her role as Thumper, the first African-American female to appear in a Bond film, in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).
I was delighted to meet Trina again at Autographica in June 2006. I gave her a small 'cuddly toy' of Thumper from Winnie the Pooh which she liked very much! She signed my Diamonds Are Forever lithograph, and also a print from the photograph I had taken with her in Birmingham.
I first met Trina Parks at the Memorabilia show at Birmingham's NEC in October 2005. She signed my Bond Girls book and I had my photo taken with her. She was very taken with the way I looked, dressed in my tuxedo, and she asked me if I'd mind her having her photo taken with me, on her camera. How could I refuse!!
Please visit the links, especially the 'Tribute Page', which has many photographs of Trina, also more background information about this talented star.
During the 70s and 80s, Trina performed at the top Night clubs in America, Europe & Asia and has appeared with many of the top stars like Dionne Warwick, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.
Since 2003, Trina regularly starred in the The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, a dance extravaganza noted for its brilliant routines and spectacular costumes. As Trina says on her website, "Dancing invigorates my body and soul."
Trina Parks has other films to her credit including Darktown Strutters (1974) a blaxploitation comedy in which she plays Syreena, the leader of a motor cycle gang out to find Syreena's mother who has been abducted. The flamboyant costumes in this film contrast greatly with those in The Muthers (1976), set in a womens' jungle prison.
Also in 1971, Trina appeared in an episode of the TV series Night Gallery called The Phantom Farmhouse, a grisly story with her character, Betty eventually being killed by a werewolf.
Darktown Strutters - review & images
Trina Parks and Lola Larson (Thumper & Bambi) in Diamonds Are Forever
Trina Parks as Betty, with David McCallum
In The Phantom Farmhouse
Trina Parks as Marcie in Muthers
Trina Parks as Syreena
In Darktown Strutters
Trina Parks in one of the amazing costumes
she wears in the dance show
The Fabulous Follies
Trina has signed this photo of the two of us together
that Trina signed for me
This is the page from my Bond Girls book
I really love this photo with Gloria Hendry and Trina Parks which was taken at Autographica in October 2008
I took this photo of Trina at Autographica
in October 2008
Click on a name below to take you to that page
Trina Parks