Fans mourn Roger Moore, claimed by cancer at 89
Sir Roger Moore played James Bond in seven feature films. Photo: Getty
Former James Bond star Sir Roger Moore has died in Switzerland at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer, his family has announced.
A message shared on the actor’s official Twitter account read: “With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated.”
The statement continued: “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer.
“The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.”
Moore portrayed Bond on seven occasions, beginning with 1973’s Live and Let Die and finishing 12 years later in A View To A Kill.
The debonair star added a distinctly light-hearted touch to 007 when he took over from Sean Connery in 1973, finding humour in many aspects of the role.
“To me, the Bond situations are so ridiculous, so outrageous,” he once said.
“I mean, this man is supposed to be a spy and yet, everybody knows he’s a spy. Every bartender in the world offers him martinis that are shaken, not stirred. What kind of serious spy is recognised everywhere he goes?
“It’s outrageous. So you have to treat the humour outrageously as well.”
Moore also admitted that, while he thought Connery had been the greatest Bond, fans were “lucky” to have the current star of the franchise, Daniel Craig.
“I think that Sean was obviously the great Bond,” Moore said.
“Today, I think we’re very lucky to have Daniel Craig because he is quite extraordinary. I always say that Sean looked like a killer – but Daniel Craig would finish it off.
“When I saw Casino Royale, I thought that Daniel Craig did more action in the first seven minutes than I did in seven movies.”
Russell Crowe led the tributes to the actor on Twitter, writing simply: “Roger Moore, loved him.”
Roger Moore , loved him
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) May 23, 2017
Michael Caine said: “I am truly sad and think I will be in tears if I talk about him.
“Roger was the perfect gentlemen, adored by all his friends.”
In a statement, fellow Unicef ambassador and actor Ewan McGregor said: “Thank you, Roger, for having championed so tirelessly the rights of all children for the last 26 years.
“You’ve shown that we all have the power to make a change to the lives of the most vulnerable children.”
While best known for his role as 007, Sir Roger will also be remembered for his work in TV’s The Saint in the 1960s.
He once joked of his role as Simon Templar in the spy thriller series, which he also produced: “When I was doing The Saint on television I had two expressions; as Bond I’ve managed to work up to four.”
Some of Roger Moore’s classic Bond moments:
Roger Moore’s James Bond films:
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Moonraker (1979)
- For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Octopussy (1983)
- A View to Kill (1985)
– with Agencies