Lupe Lamora

Lupe Lamora (presumably)
Character information
Age	22
Hair	Brown
Eyes	Brown
Height	5’9” (1.75m)
Dist. Features	Whip marks on back
Nationality	Isthmian (possibly)
Occupation	Sanchez's mistress
Affiliation	Franz Sanchez (Formerly) Hector Lopez
Status	Active
Behind the scenes
Role	Bond girl, Ally
Portrayed by	Talisa Soto
First seen	Licence to Kill (film)
Last seen	Licence to Kill (novelisation)

"Don't you men know any other way?"

― Lupe Lamora

Lupe Lamora is the fictional girlfriend of Latin American drug lord Franz Sanchez. The character serves as a secondary Bond girl in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill and was portrayed by American model and actress, Talisa Soto. The character also appears in John Gardner's accompanying novelisation.

Biography

Background

Lupe Lamora is the alleged name of a young woman from Latin America who won a beauty contest rigged by businessman and drug lord Franz Sanchez. After working as a croupier in the Casino de Isthmus, owned by Sanchez in the Republic of Isthmus, she eventually became the cocaine trafficker's mistress, although she is afraid of him and seeks to leave him. However, knowing that she cannot leave Sanchez without his permission and that he is watching her closely, Lupe is condemned to stay with him, sharing his life of luxury.

Licence to Kill (film)

Lupe Lamora is first seen in the pre-title sequence. Franz Sanchez pursues her to Bahamas, strangling a guard and catching her with another man, Alvarez. As an ironic gesture, Sanchez orders his enforcer Dario to cut out his heart and give to Lupe, whilst he personally whips her with a manta ray tail for her infidelity. Sanchez and Lamora then leave and attempt to escape, drawing the attention of the DEA, who call upon Felix Leiter and James Bond to help apprehend Sanchez.

Later, she is shown to be living in the Wavekrest, without Sanchez. Milton Krest uses this opportunity to harass her, much to her chagrin. At night, Bond approaches her with a knife, demanding to know the whereabouts of Sanchez. She protests that she does not know as he never told her. Bond sees his friend, Sharkey, dead outside, and leaves Lupe behind to take revenge on the henchmen who killed him.

Bond next encounters Lupe in the Casino de Isthmus in the Republic of Isthmus. Again, he asks to be taken to Sanchez, and this time she obliges.

She turns up, along with Sanchez, at the Hotel El Presidente, while Bond was still posing as a guest/potential member of Sanchez's cartel. She expresses her concern and love for Bond in front of a jealous Pam Bouvier and Q. Later she helps Bond surreptitiously escape, in return for helping her escape from Sanchez as well.

Finally, Bond encounters her again at the party at the end of the movie, after he has defeated Sanchez. She thanks him again for his help, and they kiss. This catches the attention of Bouvier, who sadly walks down to the pool alone. Bond, faced with a decision between two girls, ultimately chooses Bouvier over Lupe, instead setting her up with the President of Isthmus City.

Behind the scenes

Robert Davi, who played Sanchez, helped with the casting of Sanchez's mistress Lupe Lamora, by playing Bond in the audition. Talisa Soto was picked from twelve candidates because Davi said he "would kill for her".

Gallery

Lupe Lamora/Gallery

Trivia

• Lupe is notable in that while she shares a close affiliation with the film's main villain, Sanchez, she is an ally to Bond.
• Lupe dislikes Sanchez's pet iguana, but at the end, she holds it, saying iguanas are a girl's best friend, after taking the diamond necklace Sanchez gave it for herself.