James Bond Star Roger Moore Dies at 89 Following Brief Battle with Cancer

Chris Tilly
TV Movies
TV Movies

Roger Moore – star of multiple James Bond movies and a screen star for more than 70 years – has died at the age of 89, following a brief battle with cancer.

Born in London in 1927, Moore first found fame on the small screen in Ivanhoe, before landing the lead role in hit shows The Saint and The Persuaders.

Playing Bond

He then made the transition into movies, landing the role of James Bond in 1973 and retaining it for 22 years. In that time he made seven Bond movies – Live and Let Die, The Man With the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A View to a Kill.

Moore’s take on the character was more light-hearted than predecessors Sean Connery and George Lazenby, his raised eyebrow becoming as iconic as 007’s Aston Martin and Walther PPK.

“Being eternally known as Bond has no downside,” Moore once told the Guardian. “People often call me ‘Mr Bond’ when we’re out and I don’t mind a bit. Why would I?”

Post-Bond

Roger Moore, feeding a pig in Spice World.

Post-Bond his acting roles were few and far between, with Moore popping up in the likes of Spice World and Boat Trip, and lending his silky tones to animated films like The Magic Snowman and Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.

Away from the camera, Moore was awarded a CBE in 1999 and was knighted in 2003, while he spent a good deal of his later life working as a goodwill ambassador for Unicef.

His children announced Moore’s death via a statement that said: “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce that our father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland following a short but brave battle with cancer. The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.”

Chris Tilly
Freelance writer. At this point my life is a combination of 1980s horror movies, Crystal Palace football matches, and episodes of I'm Alan Partridge. The first series. When he was in the travel tavern. Not the one after.