James Bond star Roger Moore dies aged 89

British actor Roger Moore, who played James Bond over two decades with a suave wit, died yesterday aged 89, drawing tributes for his portrayal of the womanizing superspy as well as for his charity work. "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," his children said in a statement published on Twitter.

"We are all devastated," Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian said, adding: "Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people." Moore shot to fame as the smooth-talking adventurer Simon Templar in British television show "The Saint" in the 1960s, and also starred alongside Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders" in the 1970s. But it was not until 1973, at the age of 45, that he won the role that for many fans would come to define him, as Ian Fleming's fictional secret agent James Bond.

Moore made his debut as 007 in "Live and Let Die", following it with six more films, only bowing out with 1985's "A View to a Kill". Known for his ironically raised eyebrow and deadpan quips, Moore's take on Bond was more tongue-in-cheek than that of his manly predecessor Sean Connery. "I'm not that cold-blooded killer type. Which is why I play it mostly for laughs," he once said. But with seven appearances as the character he fondly called "Jimmy Bond", he outgunned Connery and all the other actors to have played 007.

A genuine movie star

Moore was also one of the last of the old-school movie stars, who counted Frank Sinatra and David Niven among his friends and lived in luxury in Switzerland and the French Riviera. In later years he became known for his humanitarian work, notably through his activities as a UNICEF ambassador, helping raise funds for under-privileged children. "With the passing of Sir Roger Moore, the world has lost one of its great champions for children-and the entire UNICEF family has lost a great friend," said the UN agency's executive director Anthony Lake.

Moore's children said he considered the UNICEF work-for which he was awarded a knighthood in 2003 -- his "greatest achievement". "The affection our father felt whenever he walked onto a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London's Royal Festival Hall," they added. "The capacity crowd cheered him on and off stage, shaking the very foundations of the building just a short distance from where he was born." They said their thoughts were with his fourth wife, Kristina, adding that there would be a private funeral in Monaco.

'My Word Is My Bond'

Born Roger George Moore, on October 14, 1927 in the London suburb of Stockwell, he was the only son of a police constable and his wife, and had a happy childhood. "I've not done badly for a boy from Stockwell, where I used to gaze at the silver screen in wonderment, little realizing I'd be a part of this magical world," he wrote in his autobiography, "My Word Is My Bond." Duran Duran, the British band that provided the eponymous theme tune for "A View to a Kill", Moore's last turn as Bond, wrote in a tweet: "#RIP Roger."

Moore had found his own humorous way to sum up his final bow as Bond, which came when he was 57 years old. "The girls were getting younger and I was just getting too old," he said at a ceremony to award him a star on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame". Paying tribute, Hollywood star Russell Crowe remarked on Twitter that at the age 10 he tried to dress like Moore's breakthrough character Simon Templar. "Roger Moore, loved him," Crowe tweeted. Pinewood Studios, the British filming location west of London for most of the Bond films, described Moore as a "force of nature", adding that "his humor and spirit will be missed by all of us". — AFP

British actor Roger Moore and his new wife Italian actress Luisa Mattioli, are surrounded by the press as they dance at Caxton Hall in London following their wedding on April 12, 1969. — AP/AFP photos

In this May 20, 1977 file photo, actor Roger Moore, alias British secret agent James Bond, is accompanied by co-star Barbara Bach as they arrive for the screening of their latest 007 feature, "The Spy Who Loved Me," during the Cannes Film Festival at...

In this Sunday, Nov 17, 1996 file photo, three of the actors who played James Bond, Timothy Dalton left, Roger Moore, center, and Pierce Brosnan, at a London cinema to celebrate the life of Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, the American film producer behind...

This file photo taken on August 16, 1984 shows British actor, Roger Moore during the shooting of the film series "James Bond", "A view to kill", in Chantilly.

This is a Saturday, July 2, 2011 file photo of British actor Sir Roger Moore as he arrives at the Monaco palace for the religious wedding ceremony of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Princess of Monaco.

British actor Roger Moore (left) congratulates Albert R. Broccoli, producer of the James Bond movies, after Broccoli was awarded The Erwin Thalberg Memorial Award at the 54th annual Academy Award presentations at the Hollywood Music Center in Hollywood...

British actor Roger Moore, playing the title role of secret service agent 007, James Bond, is shown on location in England in 1972.

This file photograph taken on October 5, 1999 shows British actor Roger Moore (center) posing with actresses Traci Bingham (left) and Eva Halina in Cannes.

This is a April 22, 1996 file photo of veteran British actor Roger Moore, poses for a portrait, in the Studio City section of Los Angeles.

This file photo taken on April 12, 2000 shows British Oscar winner Michael Caine and actor Roger Moore (left) as they pose after presenting a mini-coach to a children's charity in London.

This is a July 8, 1968 file photo of British actor Roger Moore as he poses with Spain's most prized award, the Don Quixote Award, which was presented to him at the Spanish Embassy in London.

Picture taken on June 25, 2013 in Aachen, western Germany, shows British actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Roger Moore and his Danish wife Kristina Tholstrup waving from a carriage as they visit the CHIO World Equestrian Festival.