After a brief appearance in the Rod Serling-written 1964 TV flick “Carol for Another Christmas,” Swedish-born Britt Ekland’s career began picking up steam. One of her first major leading roles was in the John Cassavetes-starring crime film “Machine Gun McCain,” which debuted in 1969. After a slew of other appearances, including the cult horror “The Cannibals,” Ekland landed her “Wicker Man” gig.
In the 1973 classic, Ekland plays the elusive, mysterious, and seductive Willow MacGregor, the daughter of landlord Alder MacGregor (Lindsay Kemp). Willow and Howie’s complex relationship is at the heart of the film’s sexual themes. In a candid interview with Starburst, Ekland explained that she only took the role because of the money, revealing that she wasn’t necessarily attracted to the film’s narratives. Despite that, she understands why the film is so revered, particularly because of its ending (which we won’t spoil). “I think even if people come to the film for the first time and already know the ending, they like to see the build-up to it […] The film just leaves you in this state of total disbelief, stunned with no sense of relief,” she said.
Ekland would later go on to star in the 007 film “The Man with the Golden Gun” as Bond girl Mary Goodnight. These days, Ekland keeps a low-profile. In 2020, she appeared in the reality series “The Real Marigold Hotel.” Hopefully she can make an appearance in “The Wicker Man” TV series which Andy Serkis is currently developing!
