Sir Roger Moore played British super-spy James Bond from 1973 to 1985 in seven 007 films. Moore died Tuesday at the age of 89 after a brief battle with cancer, so let’s look back at Roger Moore’s best Bond moments.
Sir Roger Moore’s career included roles as Ivanhoe and Simon Templar in The Saint, but he will forever be remembered for his 12-year stint as James Bond. Starting with Live and Let Die in 1973, Moore portrayed the daring British spy in six more films – The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985). At the age of 45, Moore was the oldest actor to play James Bond. He was 58 by the time he announced his retirement from the role.
Moore’s version of Bond was altered from Sean Connery‘s previous incarnation to reflect the tastes and sensibilities of the 1970s. His adventures were generally lighter with more humor, with villains ranging from a voodoo priest to seven-foot tall metal mouthed killing machine! This version of Bond was a debonair playboy who always had a trick or gadget up his sleeve to save the day. He also had a steady supply of witty one-liners on hand. While Connery played Bond as physically tough, Moore played him as smarter, with expertise on nearly every subject. Moore also brought his signature acting move to the role – the iconic eyebrow raise. He once joked that his acting range was “something between the two extremes of ‘raises left eyebrow’ and ‘raises right eyebrow’.”
Moore’s Bond has often topped the polls of ‘Best Bond,’ including one conducted for the Academy Awards in 2004. Two of his films – The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only – are considered to be among the best Bond films produced. However, Moore also holds the distinction of starring in the most poorly received Bond films – namely Moonraker and A View to a Kill.
