Sir Roger Moore dies aged 89

Sir Roger Moore, the British actor who became the third star to play James Bond, has died at the age of 89. Moore took on the part for the first time in 1973’s Live and Let Die, putting his own suave stamp on the role previously played by Sean Connery and George Lazenby.

Moore was already familiar to viewers as a man of action on the small screen, appearing in the title role of Ivanhoe (1958-59), as Simon Templar in The Saint (1962-69) and opposite Tony Curtis in The Persuaders! (1971-72).

He appeared seven times as Ian Fleming’s superspy 007, facing off against villains played by Christopher Lee (The Man with the Golden Gun), Curd Jurgens (The Spy Who Loved Me) and Christopher Walken (A View to a Kill), and romancing ‘Bond girls’ including Grace Jones (A View to a Kill) and Britt Ekland (The Man with the Golden Gun). After 1985’s A View to Kill, he retired from the role, leaving Timothy Dalton to take over.

Moore continued to appear in other films during this period, with notable releases including wartime actioners The Wild Geese (1978) and The Sea Wolves (1980) and the South Africa-set thriller Gold (1974).

Post-Bond, Moore’s on-screen appearances became rarer, as he turned his attention to charity work, becoming a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in 1991. Later roles tended to play on Moore’s debonair image as a English gentleman, notably opposite Michael Caine in the con-artist comedy Bullseye! (1990). His final cinema role was in the festive 2011 release A Princess for Christmas.

His autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, was published in 2008.

A full obituary will appear shortly.