A businessman and a University of Leicester student who were brought together 30 years ago as the mysterious figures for the box on the revolutionary new game Mastermind, have been reunited for the first time since that historic day.
Distinguished-looking Bill Woodward was then the owner of a chain of hairdressing salons and young Hong Kong born Cecilia Fung was studying for a computer science degree at the University of Leicester. Little did they know that the photo session at Leicester studio would produce a result which was destined to cut across all international barriers and become one of the world’s most famous and enduring images.
Bill Woodward was catapulted into global recognition as he went on many promotional tours for the game – in fact even his passport was under the name Mr Mastermind! He discloses some of his secrets behind the photo-shoot including the fact that he was called upon to sit in only after a male model, originally booked, failed to turn up. Bill, who despite now being in his late seventies, looks remarkably unchanged from 1972, says that in addition to the photograph that was selected some were also taken with a cat sitting on his lap. The idea was scrapped, but not before the moggy had wet itself on his trousers.
Cecilia said that while strolling in Leicester with friends she was approached by people from an agency who wanted her for the shoot. “I was the usual impoverished student and jumped at the chance,” she says. In the studio it was discovered that the chosen dress was much too big for her. “They had to get a lady to lie on the floor behind me, out of shot but with her hand on my back, clutching the spare material so that the dress fitted properly”, she adds. Although Cecilia’s friends knew of the part in the Mastermind promotion, she has remained in the background until now. “Wherever I travelled throughout the world I have seen the Mastermind boxes in various forms with my face on them. However it wasn’t until a recent television series looking back to the 1970s and featuring Mastermind that I was made aware that Invicta would like to contact me”, she reveals.
Once contact had been established between Invicta and the two featured people it was decided to replicate the original photo-shoot. Both Bill and Cecilia said they were delighted to meet up again after so many years and recalled with great enthusiasm the day that the multi-award winning Mastermind image was born.
The press release was released by Invicta Plastics in June 2003. Invicta Plastics' original founder, Ted Jones-Fenleigh, is the one who first saw the potential of the Mastermind game invented by Mordechai Meirovitz, and went on to develop and manufacture it under the Invicta Games label.
Also interesting is how they used the same pose on several of their game boxes, even with different models:
Ew, looks like one of those before and after meth commercials.
That's what 30 years will do to you... so I guess if you don't want it to happen to you I'd suggest cryogenics or suicide. Just wait, you'll look the same. The more you know!
Did Cecilia shrink, or has she just given up wearing high heels after 30 years?
I perceive he may be slouching/reclining more in 1972. I also think there is a slight difference in camera angle. Head-on in 2003, while upward in 1972 might accentuate the difference between them.
That's what 30 years will do to you... so I guess if you don't want it to happen to you I'd suggest cryogenics or suicide. Just wait, you'll look the same. The more you know!
Nah I got that covered, every 30 years I transfer my life force into a buxom young virgin in a hideous arcane ritual.
That's really neat - thanks, Ender. My dad had Mastermind with that image on the cover, and it certainly left an indelible impression on me.
Ditto. As a 6-year-old this pic made me feel that this was a sophisticated test of will and intellect, suitable for the creme de la creme of society. Which I suppose it is! I miss this pic and the faux-wood board to the point that I refuse to buy the modern-looking current version.
Posted Mon May 25, 2009 8:25 pm
Thank you for sharing the new image. I still have the original game from the 70's. It got A LOT of play when I was growing up.
See the original Press Release about the reunion here:
http://www.le.ac.uk/press/press/landmarkreunion.html
A businessman and a University of Leicester student who were brought together 30 years ago as the mysterious figures for the box on the revolutionary new game Mastermind, have been reunited for the first time since that historic day.
Distinguished-looking Bill Woodward was then the owner of a chain of hairdressing salons and young Hong Kong born Cecilia Fung was studying for a computer science degree at the University of Leicester. Little did they know that the photo session at Leicester studio would produce a result which was destined to cut across all international barriers and become one of the world’s most famous and enduring images.
Bill Woodward was catapulted into global recognition as he went on many promotional tours for the game – in fact even his passport was under the name Mr Mastermind! He discloses some of his secrets behind the photo-shoot including the fact that he was called upon to sit in only after a male model, originally booked, failed to turn up. Bill, who despite now being in his late seventies, looks remarkably unchanged from 1972, says that in addition to the photograph that was selected some were also taken with a cat sitting on his lap. The idea was scrapped, but not before the moggy had wet itself on his trousers.
Cecilia said that while strolling in Leicester with friends she was approached by people from an agency who wanted her for the shoot. “I was the usual impoverished student and jumped at the chance,” she says. In the studio it was discovered that the chosen dress was much too big for her. “They had to get a lady to lie on the floor behind me, out of shot but with her hand on my back, clutching the spare material so that the dress fitted properly”, she adds. Although Cecilia’s friends knew of the part in the Mastermind promotion, she has remained in the background until now. “Wherever I travelled throughout the world I have seen the Mastermind boxes in various forms with my face on them. However it wasn’t until a recent television series looking back to the 1970s and featuring Mastermind that I was made aware that Invicta would like to contact me”, she reveals.
Once contact had been established between Invicta and the two featured people it was decided to replicate the original photo-shoot. Both Bill and Cecilia said they were delighted to meet up again after so many years and recalled with great enthusiasm the day that the multi-award winning Mastermind image was born.
Also interesting is how they used the same pose on several of their game boxes, even with different models: