Michael Lonsdale (Hugo Drax)

Michael Lonsdale playing Hugo Drax

Born in Paris, France on 24th May 1931

Starred In Moonraker (1979)

Film information

Hugo Drax played by Michael Lonsdale is the main villain of Moonraker. When James Bond is sent to California to investigate the hijacking of the Moonraker shuttle, he meets Hugo Drax at his château.

After a brief meeting Drax tells his henchman Chang, to see that some harm comes to the secret agent. Surviving the exceptional speeds of the centrifuge operated by Chang, Bond later stays at the Drax residence. With the help of Corinne Dufour, Bond manages to find Drax’s safe where he finds a clue to the next part of the puzzle. While the next morning Bond travels to thank Drax for his hospitality, Drax arranges once more to kill Bond, once more being unsuccessful.

Apart from briefly in Venice, Drax is not seen until much later in the film. He re-appears when he regretfully greets Bond at his hidden Amazonian headquarters. Planning to cook Bond and Dr Holly Goodhead by placing them underneath Moonraker 5 before it lifts off, Drax fails once more when they just manage to escape through a ventilation shaft. With the help of Jaws and the US Marines, Bond and Dr Goodhead are able to take control of Drax’s space station. Bond amusingly tells Drax to “take a giant leap for mankind" after he shoots him with the Wrist Dart Gun and encourages him out the airlock.

Character information

Billionaire Hugo Drax owns Drax Industries who construct space shuttles. With every single brick shipped from France, Drax lives in a magnificent château in California surrounded by every luxury imaginable. With plans to destroy the world, this megalomaniac intends to become the leader of a new master race by re-populating the world with ‘perfect’ subjects stationed aboard Drax’s space station. With enterprises in Venice and Brazil working towards this goal, Drax utilises other companies who unwittingly help him get one step further to realising this evil plan.

A cold and emotionless man, Drax likes to have control over everything. Highly cultured, Drax is a connoisseur for the finer things in life and surrounds himself with immense luxury, food, drink and beautiful women. §