MARY COLLINSON 1952-2021

orn in Sliema, Malta, Mary and her sister Madeleine became the first identical twins to be’s Playmates of the Month. As they pursued a glamour modelling career in the UK, they were approached by Hammer to star opposite Peter Cushing in 1971’s – the studio had seen the shoot and sensed a marketing gimmick. Mary played Maria Gellhorn in this third chapter of the Karnstein trilogy, inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic vampire tale . She also made appearances in (1970), (1970) and (1971) before moving to Milan to continue modelling. “ turned into what I still think of as the best experience of our lives,” remembered Mary, who regularly met Hammer fans at memorabilia shows. She survived her twin, who passed away in 2014.