‘James Bond’ actor dies
Handsome English actor succumbs to cancer
89-year-old Roger Moore dies in Switzerland after short battle with cancer.
LOS ANGELES: Roger Moore, the handsome English actor who appeared in seven films as James Bond and as Simon Templar on The Saint TV series, has died in Switzerland after a short battle with cancer. He was 89.
Moore appeared in more official Bond movies than his friend Sean Connery over a longer period of time, and while Connery’s fans were fiercely loyal, polls showed many others favoured Moore’s lighter, more humorous take on 007.
In 1972, Moore was asked to join Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He took on the mantle of 007 for 1973’s Live and Let Die, which would lead to six more turns as England’s top spy. In addition to reviving the franchise at the box office after waning prospects at the end of Connery’s run, the new James Bond relied on more humour in stories that cranked up the camp.
Moore as Bond began to shake off the Connery comparisons after 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me launched the series into super- blockbuster status, raking in more than US$185mil (RM796.01mil) worldwide.
Next up, the outer space-traveling Moonraker (1979) took inUS$202mil (RM867.29mil) and 1981’s For Your Eyes Only took US$194mil (RM 832.94mil).
Octopussy (1983) marked a downward turn in the franchise’s fortunes, with box office of US$183.7 (RM788.72mil), and 1985’s
A View to a Kill saw the actor ready to surrender his license to kill, taking in a little over US$150mil (RM644.02mil).
In 1962, Moore began playing one of the roles that would define his celebrity, dashing thief Simon Templar, who would steal from rich villains each week on The Saint.
He became a Unicef goodwill ambassador in 1991 and had been an active advocate for children’s causes. In 1999, he was honoured by the British government with the title Commander of the British Empire.