Roger Moore

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Moore and Curtis in The Persuaders! (1971/72)

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Moore, Liv Ullmann and Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars

Sir Roger George Moore, KBE (born 14 October 1927) is an English actor known for his suave and witty demeanor. He is known best for portraying two fictional English action heroes, Simon Templar in the television series The Saint from 1962 to 1969, and, as Sean Connery's successor, James Bond in the phenomenally successful film series from 1973 to 1985. He has been a UNICEF ambassador since 1991.

Biography

Born in Stockwell, London, the son of a policeman, he attended Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England. During World War II, he served in the entertainment branch (above luminaries such as Spike Milligan). He first appeared in films in the 1940s, as an extra, and then was a leading man, notably in television. Besides having been The Saint, many episodes of which he also directed, Moore was Ivanhoe, the noble knight, appeared in the series The Alaskans, replaced James Garner as television's Maverick, the Wild West cardsharp, and was also featured as the leading man of The Persuaders! It was for this he was paid the then unheard of sum of one million pounds for a single series, making him the highest paid television actor in the world.

Since having filmed Octopussy in India in 1983, where he was shocked at the utter poverty on display, Moore has engaged in humanitarian work. His colleague Audrey Hepburn impressed him with her work for UNICEF, and consequently he became UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1991. He was the voice of "Santa" in the UNICEF cartoon "The Fly Who Loved Me." [1]

Moore was also involved in the production of an informative video for PETA that protests against the production and wholesale of foie gras. Moore narrates the video, which shows how ducks and geese are force-fed in order to appease the demand for the "delicacy."

In 1999, Moore was created a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), and a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) on June 14, 2003.

Now in his late seventies, Moore appears only occasionally in film or television, notably an episode of the American TV series Alias, in 2002.

Moore has a daughter and two sons with Luisa Mattioli; son Geoffrey Moore also is an actor, and owns a restaurant in London. Daughter Deborah Moore made a guest appearance as a flight attendant in Die Another Day.

Moore underwent major but successful surgery for prostate cancer in 1993, an event he later referred to as a life-changing experience. He had a pacemaker fitted after collapsing on stage in New York in 2003.

James Bond

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Roger Moore as James Bond 007

There are a lot of apocryphal stories as to when Moore's name was first dropped as a possible candidate for the mantle of James Bond. Some sources, specifically Albert R. Broccoli from his autobiography When The Snow Melts, claim that Moore was considered for Dr. No, and that he was Ian Fleming's favorite for the role after apparently having seen Moore as Simon Templar; however, this story is often debunked by fans and Bond-film historians, who point to the fact that the series did not begin airing in the United Kingdom until October 4, 1962 — only one day before the premiere of Dr. No. Other sources, such as the insert for the special edition DVDs, claim that Moore was passed over for Bond in favour of someone who was older. As Moore is older than Sean Connery, this is probably not true. Publicly, Moore wasn't linked to the role of 007 until 1967, when Harry Saltzman claimed he would make a good Bond, but also displayed misgivings due to his popularity as Simon Templar. Nevertheless, Moore was finally cast as James Bond in Live and Let Die (1973).

Moore's seven years as Simon Templar earned him enough popularity (and credibility) among fans of detective fiction to earn many Bond fans' acceptance, despite the inevitable comparisons to Connery, who was and is a friend of Moore.

After Live and Let Die, Moore also played the suave and sophisticated agent in:

• 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 a Kill (1985).

To date, Moore is the longest-serving James Bond actor at twelve years (from when he was signed in 1973, to his retirement from the role in 1985), and seven official films (Connery also made seven, but his last Bond film, Never Say Never Again (1983), is not part of the official EON Productions Bond series.) He is also the oldest actor to play Bond: he was 45 when he debuted and 58 when he announced his retirement on December 3, 1985, as it was agreed by all involved in the franchise that Moore had got too old for the role by that point. Moore himself was quoted as saying that he felt embarrassed to be seen doing love scenes with beautiful actresses who were young enough to be his daughters.

Moore's James Bond was light-hearted, more so than any other official actor to portray the character. Connery's style, even in its lighter moments, was that of a focused, determined detective. Moore often portrayed 007 as somewhat of a playboy, with tongue firmly in cheek. The humor served Moore and his fans well through most of his Bond tenure. Fans also relished the moments when his Bond was all business, especially in the more intense parts of The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, and Octopussy (when, despite wearing a clown getup, he defuses a bomb.) Despite all the commercial success, some Bond fans were unhappy at Moore continuing to play the character until his late fifties, and it is generally agreed that of the six actors to have played Bond, Moore's portrayal was the furthest removed from the character created by Ian Fleming. Moore has also been blamed by some for turning the Bond character into a parody of himself.

In a commercial for London's 2012 Olympic bid, Moore once again suited up as James Bond. He appeared alongside Samantha Bond, who played Miss Moneypenny in the Pierce Brosnan series of Bond films.

External links

• Sir Roger Moore's Official Website - contains articles on Roger's work with UNICEF as well as his entertainment career
• Classic Movies (1939–1969): Roger Moore
• Roger Moore profile

James Bond
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