James Bond actor Roger Moore dies aged 89

Roger Moore and wife Kristina Tholstrup at the wedding of
Prince Joachim of Denmark

James Bond star Sir Roger Moore has died at the age of 89 after
a “short but brave” battle with cancer.

His children, Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian, posted a message
on Moore’s Twitter account confirming that their father had died at
his home in Switzerland.

The actor played the 007 spy in seven Bond films including Live
and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me.

He became a tax exile from the UK in 1978 and has since split
his time between his Swiss Alpine chalet and other homes in France
and Monte Carlo.

With the heaviest of hearts, we must share
the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today.
We are all devastated. pic.twitter.com/6dhiA6dnVg

— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) May 23, 2017

The actor leaves behind a legacy for film fans as “the suavest
Bond”, says The Guardian. He also enjoyed a varied
eight-decade career in film and on television.

Born in 1927 in Stockwell, south London, to a policeman father,
Moore grew up in Battersea and then Devon, where he was evacuated
during the war.

Accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Moore studied
for two terms before being called up for national service in 1946
aged 18.

During a posting in Germany, the young officer became involved
in organising army entertainment. On leaving the army, he began
working as a model, taking bit-part acting roles.

Moore first became a household name for British audiences when
he played Simon Templar – the “Robin Hood of crime” – in the smash
hit series The Saint from 1962 to 1969.

He then starred in odd couple detective series The Persuaders as
aristocrat Lord Brett Sinclair.

In 1972, Moore was approached to replace Sean Connery as James
Bond. The resulting film, Live and Let Die, proved a box office
success on both sides of the Atlantic. It led to Moore remaining in
the role for six more films, making him the longest-serving Bond to
date.

Moore also starred in many Hollywood films, including The Wild
Geese in 1978 and the 1980 screwball comedy The Cannonball Run.

In 2003, he was knighted in the Queen’s birthday honours for his
work with the children’s charities Unicef and Kiwanis
International.

Married four times, Moore leaves behind his wife of 15 years,
Kristina Tholstrup, and three adult children from his second and
longest marriage to the Italian actress Luisa Mattioli.