Actors

Roger Moore

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 22: Sir Roger Moore meets fans and signs copies of his book 'Bond on Bond' at HMV, Oxford Street on October 22, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images)

Roger Moore Biography

Sir Roger George Moore, was an English television and film actor, recognized for his performance in the series “The Holy” and for playing roles in the James Bond films. He was born on October 14, 1927, in London, England, and is the son of George Alfred Moore and Lillian Pope.

As a child, he began his studies at the Battersea Grammar School, but later he had to retire due to World War II; from there he went to Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire where he finished his elementary and high school studies.

Initially, he wanted to be a cartoonist, motivated by his first job in a magazine. However, shortly after he realized that he was not happy with what he was doing and decided to venture into the world of modeling and acting. With a clear objective, he started courses of Dramatic Art at the Royal School in London and simultaneously worked in theater and radio.

He appeared for the first time in films as an extra, during the mid and late 1940s. At the age of 17, he was extra in the film “Cesar and Cleopatra” (1945) where he met his idol Stewart Granger, with whom he worked years later in “The Wild Geese.”

In 1945, he went to military service, where he served in the Royal Army Service Corps as a second lieutenant and was later promoted to captain to perform work in Germany.

For the year 1953, he traveled to the United States, where he was part of the film of Jean Peters “Dangerous Hands.” He had a little step in the MGM studios, where the films he participated in were not successful.

He played the hero of the series “Ivanhoe” between 1958 and 1959, which was an adaptation of Sir Walter Scott’s romantic novel. He was also part of the series “The Alaskans” between 1959 and 1960, and “Maverick” (1959-1961).

Between 1962 and 1969, Roger Moore played the character of Simón Templar in the series “El Santo” (The Saint) by Leslie Charteris; the series was very famous and Roger Moore the most recognized character. In 1971, he played Lord Brett Sinclair in the series “The Persuaders” with Tony Curtis. The series treated two adventurous millionaires who solved mysteries and helped people, especially beautiful women, in trouble. In addition, he was present only in the first season that lasted 24 episodes.

After his stint in the series The Saint, he participated in the films “Crossplot” in 1969 and “Tinieblas” in 1970. A year later, he was part of the series “The Persuaders”, along with Tony Curtis; He worked on the series until 1972.

In 1973, his most important opportunity in the world of cinema came, as he had the opportunity to be chosen to play agent 007, James Bond, in “Live and let die” along with Jane Seymour as a female counterpart. His role continued in other films of the series such as: “The man with the golden gun” (1974), “The spy that loved me” (1977) with Barbara Bach, “Moonraker” (1979), “Only for your eyes” (1981); “Octopussy” (1983) and “A view to kill”(1985). When he turned 58 he could not play James Bond again, due to his advanced age.

By 1991, Roger Moore was named Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF, thanks to the help of his friend Audrey Hepburn who worked for the organization. After one year, in 2003 he was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and Knight of the Order of the British Empire.

On October 11, 2007, Roger Moore was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, thanks to his excellent performance in television and film. A year later, he was part of the movie “Agent Crush,” starring Brian Cox and Neve Campbell.

He was already retired from the cinema when in 2012 he was part of the advertising campaign to promote the Olympic Games in London.

Roger Moore died on May 23, 2017, in Switzerland, because of cancer that was slowly deteriorating. He was the actor who most often played the role of James Bond, after 12 years of work.