Sir Roger George Moore

Sir Roger George Moore, KBE (born 14 October 1927), is an English actor, perhaps best known for his role as British secret agent James Bond in the official film series between 1973 and 1985, and also as Simon Templar in The Saint between 1962 and 1969. Moore was born in Stockwell, now part of the London Borough of Lambeth, in London. The only child of George Alfred Moore, a policeman, and Lillian "Lily" (née Pope), a housewife, he attended Battersea Grammar School, but was evacuated to Holsworthy, Devon, during the Second World War.

He was then educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. He then attended the College of the Venerable Bede at the University of Durham, but never graduated. At 18 years old, shortly after the end of the war, Moore was conscripted for national service. He was commissioned as an officer and eventually became a Captain. Moore served in the Royal Army Service Corps, commanding a small depot in West Germany. He later transferred to the entertainment branch (under luminaries such as Spike Milligan), and immediately prior to his national service, there was a brief stint at RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), during which his fees were paid by film director Brian Desmond Hurst, who also used Moore as an extra in his film Trottie True.

Moore was a classmate at RADA with his future Bond colleague Lois Maxwell, the original Miss Moneypenny. The young Moore first appeared in films during the mid to late-1940s, as an extra. Moore's film idol as a child was Stewart Granger. As a 17-year-old, Moore appeared as an extra in the film Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), finally meeting his idol on the set. Moore later worked with Granger in The Wild Geese.

Career

• Early work (1945–1961)

In the early 1950s, Moore worked as a male model, appearing in print advertisements for knitwear (earning him the amusing nickname "The Big Knit"), and a wide range of other products such as toothpaste – an element that many critics have used as typifying his lightweight credentials as an actor. His earliest known television appearance was on 27 May 1950, in Drawing Room Detective, a one-off programme. Presented by veteran BBC announcer Leslie Mitchell, it invited viewers at home to spot clues to a crime during a playlet, whose actors also included Alec Ross (first husband of Sheila Hancock) and Michael Ripper.

Although Moore won a contract with MGM in the 1950s, the films which followed were not a success and, in his own words, "At MGM, RGM (Roger George Moore) was NBG [no bloody good]." His starring role in The Miracle, a version of the play Das Mirakel for Warner Bros., had been turned down by Dirk Bogarde. Eventually, it was television in which Moore made his name. He was the eponymous hero in the serial Ivanhoe, a very loose adaptation of the romantic novel by Sir Walter Scott, and he also appeared in the series The Alaskans, as well as playing Beau Maverick, an English-accented cousin of frontier gamblers Bret Maverick (James Garner) and Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) in Maverick.

• The Saint (1962–1970)

Worldwide fame arrived after Lew Grade cast Moore as Simon Templar in a new adaptation of The Saint, based on the novels by Leslie Charteris. Moore said in an interview, during 1963, that he wanted to buy the rights of Leslie Charteris's character and the trademarks. He also joked that the role was supposed to have been meant for Sean Connery who was unavailable. The television series was made in the UK with an eye on the American market, and its success there (and in other countries) made Moore a household name – and in spring 1967 he eventually had reached the level of an international top star. It also established his suave, quipping style which he would carry forward to James Bond. Moore would also go on to direct several episodes of the later series, which moved into colour in 1967.

The Saint ran from 1962 for six series and 118 episodes, making it (in a tie with The Avengers) the longest-running series of its kind on British television. However, Moore grew increasingly tired of the role, and was keen to branch out. He made two films immediately after the series had ended: Crossplot, a lightweight 'spy caper' movie, and the more challenging The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970). Directed by Basil Dearden, it gave Moore the opportunity to demonstrate a wider versatility than the role of Simon Templar had allowed, although reviews at the time were lukewarm, and both did little business at the box office. Despite the initial reviews, The Man Who Haunted Himself is now considered a very underrated film, and the role is considered one of Moore's finest performances among his fans.

• The Persuaders (1971–1972)

Television lured Moore back to star, alongside Tony Curtis, in what has become another cult series, The Persuaders! It featured the adventures of two millionaire playboys across Europe. It was for this series that Moore was paid the then unheard-of sum of £1 million for a single series, making him the highest paid television actor in the world. However, Lew Grade claimed in his autobiography Still Dancing, that Moore and Curtis "didn't hit it off all that well". Curtis refused to spend more time on set than was strictly necessary, while Moore was always willing to work overtime.

According to the DVD commentary, neither Roger Moore, an uncredited co-producer, nor Robert S. Baker, the credited producer, ever had a contract other than a handshake with Lew Grade. They produced the entire 24 episodes without a single written word guaranteeing that they would ever be paid.

The series failed in America, where it had been pre-sold to ABC, but it was successful in Australia and in Europe. In Germany, where the series was aired under the name Die Zwei, it became a hit through a special funny dubbing that only barely used the original translations of the dialogues. And in Britain it was also popular, although on its premiere on the ITV network, it was beaten in the ratings by repeats of Monty Python's Flying Circus on BBC1. When Channel 4 repeated both The Avengers and The Persuaders! in 1995, it was generally agreed[citation needed] that the latter, which had not been seen for many years, had not aged as well as the former.

It has not been seen on any of the five main UK terrestrial channels since. Since then, The Persuaders! has enjoyed something of a renaissance both on television and DVD, with the 'rivals' Moore and Curtis reuniting to provide commentaries on the most recent issues. In France, where the series (entitled Amicalement Vôtre) had always been popular, the DVD releases accompanied a monthly magazine of the same name.

• James Bond (1973–1985)

Because of his successful television shows, in particular the long-lasting series The Saint, Roger Moore was unavailable for the James Bond franchise for a considerable time. His participation in The Saint was not only as actor, but also as a producer and director, and he also became involved in developing the series The Persuaders! As Roger Moore frankly explains in his autobiography My Word Is My Bond (2008) on page 172, he had neither been approached to play James Bond in Dr. No, nor had he felt that he had been considered. It was only after Sean Connery had declared that he would not play Bond any longer that Moore became aware that he might be a contender for the role. But after George Lazenby was cast instead and then Sean Connery played Bond again, he didn't consider the possibility until it seemed abundantly clear that Connery had in fact stepped down as Bond for good.

At that point he was indeed approached and accepted the producer's offer in August 1972. Moore says in his autobiography that he had to cut his hair and lose weight, but although he resented that, he was finally cast as James Bond in Live and Let Die (1973). Moore played Bond in 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); and A View to a Kill (1985). Moore is the longest-serving James Bond actor, having spent twelve years in the role (from his debut in 1973, to his retirement from the role in 1985), and having made seven official films in a row. He is also the oldest actor to play Bond: he was 45 when he started, and 58 when he announced his retirement on 3 December 1985.

James Bond was different during this era because times had changed and the scripts were different. Authors like George MacDonald Fraser provided scenarios in which 007 was a kind of seasoned, debonair playboy who would always have a trick or gadget in stock when he needed it. This was designed to serve the contemporary taste. In 2004, Moore was voted 'Best Bond' in an Academy Awards poll and won with a large 62% of votes in late 2008.

During Moore's Bond period he starred in 13 other films, including the thriller Gold (1974) and unorthodox action film The Wild Geese, and even made a cameo as Chief Inspector Clouseau, posing as a famous movie star, in Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) (for which he was credited as "Turk Thrust II"). However, most of these films were not critically acclaimed. Moore was widely criticised by anti-apartheid campaigners for making three movies in South Africa under the Apartheid regime during the 1970s.

• Post-James Bond career (1985–present)

Though most of Moore's career post-Bond has been devoted to UNICEF, he continued to work in diverse productions. In 1990 he appeared in writer-director Michael Feeney Callan's television series My Riviera, and in 1991 in the film Bed and Breakfast. Thereafter, he appeared less regularly. In the words of his friend Michael Caine, with whom he co-starred in the unsuccessful Bullseye! (also 1990), "Now he can't get a job." At the age of 74, Moore played against type with his portrayal of a flamboyant homosexual in Boat Trip (2002).

The satirical British TV show Spitting Image once had a sketch in which their latex likeness of Moore, when asked to display emotions by an offscreen director, does nothing but raise an eyebrow. Moore himself has stated that he thought the sketch was funny, and took it in good humour. Indeed, he had always embraced the 'eyebrows' gag wholeheartedly, slyly claiming that he "only had three expressions as Bond: right eyebrow raised, left eyebrow raised and eyebrows crossed when grabbed by Jaws." Spitting Image continued the joke, featuring a Bond movie spoof, The Man with the Wooden Delivery, with Moore's puppet receiving orders from Margaret Thatcher to kill Mikhail Gorbachev, and many other comedy shows of that time ridiculed Moore's acting, Rory Bremner once claiming to have had a death threat from an irate fan of Moore's, following one such routine.

Moore confirmed he has completely retired from acting in an article for The Sunday Telegraph magazine in April 2009. In a commercial for London's 2012 Olympic bid, Moore once again suited up as James Bond. He appeared alongside Samantha Bond, who played Miss Moneypenny in the Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan era. He still appears regularly on chat shows, chiefly to promote the work of UNICEF. In 2009, Moore appeared in an advert for the Post Office.

He also played the role of a secret agent in the Victoria Wood Christmas Special on BBC1 show over the festive period in 2009. Filming all his scenes in the London Eye, his mission was to eliminate another agent whose file photo looks just like Pierce Brosnan. In 2012 he is taking to the stage for a series of 7 "Evenings With" in UK theatres.

Moore was shocked by the poverty he saw when filming Octopussy, his sixth film as James Bond, in India in 1983. His friend Audrey Hepburn had impressed him with her work for UNICEF, and consequently he became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1991. He was the voice of 'Santa' in the UNICEF cartoon The Fly Who Loved Me. Moore was involved in the production of a video for PETA that protests against the production and wholesale of foie gras. Moore narrates the video. His assistance in this situation, and being a strong spokesman against foie gras, has led to the department store Selfridges agreeing to remove foie gras from their shelves.

• Personal life

Moore left his first wife, skater Doorn Van Steyn, for singer Dorothy Squires, who was 13 years his senior and was, at that time, considerably more famous than he was, and they lived together for a short time in Dafen, Llanelli, South Wales. In turn, while filming in Italy in 1961, he abandoned Squires (who sued him for attempted reinstatement of conjugal rights) for Italian actress Luisa Mattioli. He lived with Mattioli until their marriage in 1969, after Squires finally granted Moore a divorce. Moore has a daughter and two sons with Mattioli. Moore unexpectedly[citation needed] ended this marriage in 1993, later marrying former Côte d'Azur neighbour, the Danish-Swedish multi-millionaire Kristina 'Kiki' Tholstrup.

Moore's daughter Deborah Moore played Chief Inspector Hannah Bernstein in two films based on the Sean Dillon novels of Jack Higgins, and later made a guest appearance as a flight attendant in Die Another Day. Elder son Geoffrey Moore is an actor and used to own a restaurant in London; he also co-starred in his father's movie Sherlock Holmes in New York as a son Holmes never knew he had). Younger son Christian Moore is a film producer.

For a period after early success in The Saint, Moore lived in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, then moved to Surrey before relocating to Hollywood. In the 1960s he lived at Gordon Avenue, Stanmore, Middlesex within reach of the Elstree Studios and in the 1970s in Denham, Buckinghamshire, close to Pinewood Studios. During filming of The Spy Who Loved Me, "villain" Curt Jürgens made the offer to Moore to spend some time at his home in Gstaad, Switzerland, which Moore enjoyed having taken up skiing. When he married Kiki Tholstrup, he set up a routine of spending winters in Crans-Montana, Valais (Switzerland) and summers at his apartment in Monaco. After 15 years in Gstaad, he now resides in the winter at his chalet in Crans-Montana, Valais.

Moore was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1994 and following surgery is now in remission, Moore also has a pacemaker which was fitted in 2006 after he collapsed whilst on stage in New York. Moore is a lifelong supporter of the Conservative Party, and he publicly endorsed the party during the 2001 general election campaign. In 2011 Moore gave his support to Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and his policies on the European Union, claiming: "I think he's doing absolutely wonderfully well, despite the opposition from many members of his own party. Traitors, I call them. I mean any hardliner within the Conservative Party who speaks out against their leader. You should support your leader."

Moore has a friendship with some of the Danish royals; Prince Joachim and his then-wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg invited him and his wife Kiki to attend the christening of their youngest son, Prince Felix. On 24 May 2008 he and his wife attended the wedding of Prince Joachim and his French fiancée Marie Cavallier. He is also known to be a friend of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. On 1 and 2 July 2011 he and his wife attended the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock.

• Honours

In 1999, Moore was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) on 14 June 2003. The citation on the knighthood was for Moore's charity work, which has dominated his public life for more than a decade. Moore said that the citation "meant far more to me than if I had got it for acting... I was proud because I received it on behalf of UNICEF as a whole and for all it has achieved over the years".

On 11 October 2007, three days before he turned 80, Moore was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work on television and in film. Attending the ceremony were family, friends, and Richard Kiel, with whom he had acted in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. Moore's Star was the 2,350th star installed, and is appropriately located at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2008, the French Government appointed Moore a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

• Awards

For his charity work

• 2008: Dag Hammarskjöld Award (from the UN) 
• 2005: UNICEF Snowflake Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award 
• 2003: German Federal Service Cross: for his work battling child traffickers as special representative to UNICEF 
• 2003: Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire 
• 1999: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) 

Lifetime achievements awards

• 2008: Commander of the National Order of Arts and Letters (France) 
• 2007: Hollywood Walk of Fame 2004: TELEKAMERA ("Tele Tydzien" Lifetime Achievement Award, Poland) 
• 2002: Monte Carlo TV Festival (Lifetime Achievement Award) 
• 2001: Lifetime achievement award (Filmfestival, Jamaica) 
• 1997: Palm Springs film festival, USA, Lifetime Achievement Award 
• 1995: TELE GATTO (Italian TV; Lifetime Achievement Award) 
• 1991: GOLDEN CAMERA (German TV; lifetime achievement award) 
• 1990: BAMBI (Lifetime Achievement Award from the German magazine BUNTE) 

For his acting

• 1981: OTTO (Most popular Film Star; from German Magazine BRAVO) 
• 1980: SATURN Award (Most Popular International Performer) 
• 1980: GOLDEN GLOBE: World Film Favorite-Male 
• 1973: BAMBI (shared with Tony Curtis for "The Persuaders", from the German magazine BUNTE)
• 1973: BEST ACTOR IN TV, award from the French magazine TELE-7-JOURS, shared with Tony Curtis for "The Persuaders" 
• 1967: ONDAS-AWARD (Spanish TV for "The Saint") 
• 1967: OTTO (Most popular TV-star for "The Saint"; from German magazine BRAVO

Moore wrote a book about the filming of Live and Let Die, based on his diaries. Roger Moore as James Bond: Roger Moore's Own Account of Filming Live and Let Die was published in London in 1973, by Pan Books. The book includes an acknowledgment to Sean Connery, with whom Moore has been friends for many years: "I would also like to thank Sean Connery – with whom it would not have been possible." Moore's autobiography My Word is My Bond (ISBN 0061673889) was published by Collins in the US in November 2008. It was published in the UK by Michael O'Mara Books Ltd on 2 October 2008 (ISBN 9781843173182). "Bond On Bond" is published in October 2012 to tie in with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films, and is a picture book based on Moore's own memories, thoughts and anecdotes about all things 007.

• Filmography

Year	Title	Role
1945	Perfect Strangers	Soldier
	Caesar and Cleopatra	Roman Soldier
1946	Gaiety George	Member of the Audience
	Piccadilly Incident	Guest sitting at Pearson's table
1949	Trottie True	Stage Door Johnny
1951	One Wild Oat	Bit Part
1953	Robert Montgomery Presents	French Diplomat
1954	The Last Time I Saw Paris	Paul
1955	Interrupted Melody	Cyril Lawrence
	The King's Thief	Jack
1956	Diane	Prince Henri (later King Henry II)
	Ford Star Jubilee	Billy Mitchell
	Goodyear Television Playhouse	Patrick Simmons
1957	Matinee Theater	Scottish man/Randolph Churchill
1958	Ivanhoe	Ivanhoe
1959	The Third Man	Jimmy Simms
	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Inspector Benson
	The Miracle	Capt. Michael Stuart
	The Alaskans	Silky Harris
	Maverick	Beau Maverick
1961	The Sins of Rachel Cade	Paul Wilton
	Gold of the Seven Saints	Shaun Garrett
	The Roaring 20s	14 Karat John
1962	Romulus and the Sabines	Romulus
	No Man's Land	Enzo Prati
1962	The Saint	Simon Templar
1968	The Fiction Makers
	Vendetta for the Saint
1969	Crossplot	Gary Fenn
1970	The Man Who Haunted Himself	Harold Pelham
1971	The Persuaders!	Lord Brett Sinclair
1973	Live and Let Die	James Bond
1974	Gold	Rod Slater
	The Man with the Golden Gun	James Bond
1975	That Lucky Touch	Michael Scott
1976	Street People	Ulysses
	Shout at the Devil	Sebastian Oldsmith
1977	Sherlock Holmes in New York	Sherlock Holmes
	The Spy Who Loved Me	James Bond
1978	The Wild Geese	Lieutenant Shaun Fynn
1979	Escape to Athena	Major Otto Hecht
	Moonraker	James Bond
1980	North Sea Hijack	Rufus Excalibur ffolkes
	The Sea Wolves	Captain Gavin Stewart
	Sunday Lovers	Harry Lindon
1981	The Cannonball Run	Seymour Goldfarb as Roger Moore
	For Your Eyes Only	James Bond
1983	Octopussy
	Curse of the Pink Panther	Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau
1984	The Naked Face	Dr. Judd Stevens
1985	A View to a Kill	James Bond
1989	Fire, Ice and Dynamite	Sir George Windsor
1990	Bullseye!	Sir John Bevistock
1992	Bed & Breakfast	Adam
1995	The Man Who Wouldn't Die	Thomas Grace
1996	The Quest	Lord Edgar Dobbs
1997	The Saint	Voice on Car Radio
	Spice World	The Chief
1999	The Dream Team	Desmond Heath
2000	The Secret KGB UFO Abduction Files	Himself
2001	The Enemy	Supt. Robert Ogilvie
2002	Alias	Edward Poole
	Boat Trip	Lloyd Faversham
2004	The Fly Who Loved Me	Father Christmas
2010	Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore	Tab Lazenby
2011	A Princess for Christmas	Edward, Duke of Castlebury

Source : Wikipedia.