Roger Moore (1927) British actor
Profession: secret agent James Bond
Trademark: the rising eyebrow
Young Roger Moore (born October 14, 1927 in Stockwell, south London) studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, although the son of a policeman first had plans to become a painter and also served in the British army at the end of World War II.
He moved to the United States after his education 'though in 1953, getting his first movie roles in Hollywood. Moore got appearances in major MGM films like The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954), Interrupted Melody (1955), The King's Thief (1955) and Diane (1956), but he earned his initial large fame thanks to television.
Roger Moore played in the television series Ivanhoe, The Alaskans, Maverick and most importantly The Saint. In the last series, he played the debonair Simon Templar, a.k.a. The Saint himself, a modern day Robin Hood. Because of his starring role in this immensely popular series, he was asked to play James Bond in 1969, but a contract prevented that.
But a few years later, Moore was available and cast for Live and Let Die (1973), succeeding Sean Connery as Agent 007. According to many, Moore was closer to screenplay writer Ian Fleming's original concept of Bond, as a disenfranchised member of the British establishment, than Connery's more horsing around version.
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- 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)
As you can see, Roger Moore played James Bond on seven occasions, one more than his friend Sean Connery, who is second on the list of Bond engagements. Moore was followed by Timothy Dalton, and has had few worthwhile movie appearances since his retirement from 007 (the best known being Spice Girls: The Movie). Children in need received most of Moore's attention, after he became UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on the recommendation of close friend Audrey Hepburn in 1991. An interesting fansite exists at http://www.therisingeyebrow.com/.
Editors Note:
Moore's family announced his death in Switzerland, on 23 May 2017 from cancer that had spread to his liver and lungs after a brief battle.