‘Nobody did it better:’ Tributes to debonair Bond star Sir Roger

● Veteran actor who brought humour to 007 role dies at 89

Former Bond girl Jane Seymour has led tributes to Sir Roger Moore, whom she fondly described as “my Bond”.

The 007 actor died in Switzerland yesterday at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer.

Seymour starred with Sir Roger in 1973’s Live and Let Die, his first as the M16 agent, and she spoke of her devastation upon learning of his death.

Along with a picture of the two of them together, the actress wrote on Instagram: “I am devastated to learn of Roger Moore’s passing.

“The first leading role I ever had as a Bond girl was such a new and frightening world and Roger held my hand and guided me through every process.”

She said he taught her “about work ethic and humility”, adding that he was “funny, kind and thoughtful to everyone around him”.

Adding to the tributes was TV star and Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen, who said she will remember her friend “with a smile”.

Sir Roger’s three children Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian confirmed the actor’s death in a post shared on his official Twitter account.

Sir Roger was the longestserving actor to play the womanising spy, having portrayed 007 in seven films.

Last year, during a question-and-answer session at London’s Southbank Centre, he admitted that, despite winning the coveted role of the martini-drinking secret agent, one part he wished he had landed was Lawrence of Arabia.

The debonair star, who added a distinct light-hearted touch to the 007 role,

0 Sir Roger Moore with The Spy Who Loved Me co-star Barbara Bach in Cannes in 1977 and, below in 2003 with his wife Kristina also admitted that, while he thought Sir Sean Connery had been the greatest Bond, fans were “lucky” to have the current star of the franchise, Daniel Craig.

While arguably best-known for his role as 007, Sir Roger will also be remembered for his work in TV’S The Saint in the 1960s.

Despite having been criticised somewhat throughout his decades-long career for having a lack of depth, Sir Roger remained self-deprecating.

He once said he could not act “in the Olivier sense”, although he described himself as a good technician.

Along with Bond films including Moonraker, A View To A Kill and The Man With The Golden Gun, Sir Roger appeared in movies as diverse as The Cannonball Run, Spice World, The Boat That Rocked and The Man Who Wouldn’t Die.

The James Bond International Fan Club said “nobody did Bond better”. Film organisations including the British Film Institute and Bafta also remembered him fondly on their social media accounts,

Pinewood Studios described him as a “force of nature”, adding that “his humour and spirit will be missed by all of us”.

Unicef paid tribute to Sir Roger, a long-term supporter and goodwill ambassador for the charity, in which they said the “world has lost one of its great champions for children”.

Fellow Unicef ambassador actor Ewan Mcgregor said: “You introduced me to Unicef over a decade ago and have been an inspiration to all of us.”