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SCOTS rocker Shirley Manson has admitted she will never become a Bond girl – because she feels she is too old.
The talented singer-turned-actress has already gone down in 007 history when her band Garbage recorded the theme tune to the 1999 Bond blockbuster The World Is Not Enough.
But Manson shot down suggestions she would be appearing alongside the suave British secret agent in a future assignment, despite recently been seen in the Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles playing a liquid-metal robot.
She said: “I had my Bond experience with the band and it was pretty fantastic, but I feel I’m just a bit too old to be a Bond girl.
“There’s a few other acting roles being talked about, but, for the moment, I’m just playing it by ear.
“Music-wise, I’m beginning to get the itch again because for a while I just didn’t have the desire to sing, but now I’m beginning to get it back and hopefully I’ll get it together fairly soon.”
Manson revealed she has also just completed filming for an un-named television project.
Garbage star latest Scot to be honoured
The Garbage star was in Edinburgh yesterday to open the latest installment of the Famous Scots exhibition organised by the National Archives of Scotland.
Ms Manson’s family history has been forensically researched by genealogists in an effort to highlight the family history service provided by the Scotland’s People Centre.
The 42-year-old star said she was “incredibly honoured” to become only the third Scot to be included in the exhibition after Nobel Prize winner Sir James Black and comedian Billy Connolly were inducted earlier this year..
Among the Manson family secrets to come to light include the revelation that Shirley’s late mother was born into an illegitimate household.
The research shows Muriel Manson, who passed away last year, was born the illegitimate child of a butler and a governess who worked for the Duke of Sutherland.
Ms Manson said: “I’m incredibly honoured to be inducted, and I’m in great company with Sir James Black and Billy Connolly.
“I’m really honoured they have chosen me out of all the Scots to investigate my family’s roots.
“I’ve got no idea why they asked me, but I think my family tree is quite interesting and that has helped. I’m just glad they picked me and I can’t imagine any family not wanting to know where they came from.
“We haven’t found too many family secrets because a lot of the so-called family secrets we already knew about.
“My mum, for example was an illegitimate child of a governess and a butler who worked for the Duke of Sutherland and that was a bit of a scandal at the time.
“Some of the photos and documentation of my family they have unearthed are fascinating.”
Homecoming 2009 connection
Paul Parr, Deputy Registrar General at the General Register Office, said: “This is the third in a series of six exhibitions on famous Scots and the subject is Shirley Manson the rock star and actor in the Terminator series.
“This exhibition is partly funded by Homecoming 2009 and we here in the General Register Office hold the key family history records for Scotland.
“We feel it’s important to show how easy it is to do your family history by bringing famous people like Shirley to research their family history.
“We’ve already had Sir James Black, because how many other Scottish Nobel Prize winners are there, and Billy Connolly because of his rich and varied career in film, TV and comedy.
“I’m sure Shirley will entice younger people to come along and research their family trees and she will appeal to a different demography, but also bring us the transatlantic link.”
Star’s family tree discovered
The exhibition also looks at the tough lives of the Shetland fishermen from whom Shirley’s father John is descended.
At least five generations of his family lived in the remote fishing village of Hillswick.
Her great-grandfather William S Manson born in 1867 ran the local general store and his son William Jnr – Shirley’s grandfather – was the first in line to move away from Shetland.
He went on to serve with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and on his travels met Shirley’s grandmother, Margaret Allan Mitchell who taught Maths at Boroughmuir School in Edinburgh.
Their son John is Shirley’s father and yesterday the 71-year-old said he was also looking forward to the exhibition.
He said: “This comes at a difficult time for Shirley as she lost her mother just before Christmas.
“But it’s nice to think that she can trace her family roots back.”
Three further Scots are to be included as part of the exhibition later this year, but the organisers have refused to divulge who they will be.
The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 4.30pm until July 17.
