He’s in double-0 heaven
ROGER MOORE DIES
ROGER MOORE, the English actor who captivated audiences as the suave and unassailable superspy James Bond in seven of the franchise’s films, died Tuesday following a short battle with cancer. He was 89.
The beloved performer’s death was announced by his family with a statement posted to his official Twitter account.
“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, Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian, wrote in the statement.
“The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.”
A private funeral service will be held for the actor in Monaco, the family said.
Moore, who succeeded original Bond actor Sean Connery in the role in the 1970s, could never surpass him in the public eye as the definitive 007. But he gave the world-class secret agent an arch sense of humor that seemed like a commentary on the absurdity of the films.
“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 recognized everywhere he goes? It’s outrageous. So you have to treat the humor outrageously as well.”
Moore made his Bond debut in “Live and Let Die” in 1973, before going to star in 007 movies including “The Man With the Golden Gun” (1974), “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977), “Moonraker” (1979), “For Your Eyes Only” (1981) and “Octopussy.” (1983).
He hung up his character’s trademark tuxedo in 1985 after starring in “A View to a Kill” at 58 — the oldest man so far to be Bond.
Moore’s good looks, charm and his much-raised eyebrow were his trademarks as he softened the role of a professional assassin who always got the girl and foiled the supervillain’s attempts at world domination.
Born in 1927 in London, Moore got his start in acting with a series of smaller, often uncredited roles during the 1940s, before truly breaking out as a television actor in the late ’50s.
His first notable appearances happened in the series “Ivanhoe,” before landing a role as James Garner’s unlikely English-accented cousin on the Western “Maverick.”
In England, he had a longrunning TV hit with “The Saint,” playing Simon Templar, the enigmatic action hero who helps put wealthy crooks in jail while absconding with their fortunes. He also co-starred in the one-season TV show “The Persuaders!” with Tony Curtis.
“During my early acting years I was told that to succeed you needed personality, talent and luck in equal measure,” Moore told The Guardian three years ago. “I contest that. For me, it’s been 99% luck. It’s no good being talented and not being in the right place at the right time.”
His death was met with an outpouring of condolences from major figures within the film industry, including actor Pierce Brosnan, who took over the Bond role in the mid-1990s.
“You were a big part of my life, from ‘The Saint’ to James Bond . . . you were a magnificent James Bond and one that lead the way for me; the world will miss you and your unique sense of humor for years to come,” wrote Brosnan, who played Bond in four movies in the 1990s and 2000s.
The most recent Bond actor, Daniel Craig, also commemorated Moore with a short tribute shared by the official James Bond Twitter account.
“Nobody Does It Better — love Daniel,” read the tweet, which featured a photo of Craig and Moore standing together.
Moore did not appear in another film for five years after his final Bond flick. He had mostly taken on smaller roles for the remainder of his career.
Moore took major pride in his charity work in his later years, becoming a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in 1991. He had drawn inspiration from his close pal Audrey Hepburn’s contributions to the organization, which defends the rights of children.
Moore’s children said in their statement that the actor considered his work with UNICEF to be “his greatest achievement.”
In addition to his three children, Moore is survived by his third wife, Kristina.