Roger Moore (1927-2017)
Hello movie bloggers, I regret to inform you that British film and television actor Roger Moore, known for being Simon Templar in the television show "The Saint" and his longest-serving portrayal of secret agent James Bond in the film series from 1973 to 1985, has passed away after bravely losing his battle with cancer on May 23rd, 2017, at 89 years old. I have nothing against the late movie star except that he wasn't the best actor to play 007 but was more British, less brutal and memorable than any interpretation conceived by Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
Moore's early years of acting began in 1945 when he was an extra in the film "Caesar and Cleopatra". Moore had his first televised appearance in 1949 and found work modelling for print advertisements. In 1954, he landed a seven-year contract with MGM and got third billing and supporting roles in "Interrupted Memory", "The King's Thief", and "Diane". The latter film flopped, and the studio released Moore two years later. A few years later, Moore starred in one-hour parts of episodes of numerous TV programs and little-known movies. Moore's involvement with television grew as he featured in lead roles, including "Ivanhoe", "The Alaskans", and "Maverick". Moore starred in the lead role of Simon Templar in the television spy-fi drama "The Saint" by producer Lew Grade. The show aired in 1962 in the UK and America, the latter of which earned widespread attention. Because of its success, Moore obtained international stardom in 1967. The series was in black-and-white before it went to colour in 1967 and ran for six seasons with 118 episodes. In addition to his main acting, Roger Moore also directed several episodes. In 1971, Moore starred in another espionage thriller series opposite Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders". Unlike his previous fame in "The Saint", the series was a success only in the UK and Australia but never in America, where it was pre-sold to ABC and failed.
Hello movie bloggers, I regret to inform you that British film and television actor Roger Moore, known for being Simon Templar in the television show "The Saint" and his longest-serving portrayal of secret agent James Bond in the film series from 1973 to 1985, has passed away after bravely losing his battle with cancer on May 23rd, 2017, at 89 years old. I have nothing against the late movie star except that he wasn't the best actor to play 007 but was more British, less brutal and memorable than any interpretation conceived by Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
Moore's early years of acting began in 1945 when he was an extra in the film "Caesar and Cleopatra". Moore had his first televised appearance in 1949 and found work modelling for print advertisements. In 1954, he landed a seven-year contract with MGM and got third billing and supporting roles in "Interrupted Memory", "The King's Thief", and "Diane". The latter film flopped, and the studio released Moore two years later. A few years later, Moore starred in one-hour parts of episodes of numerous TV programs and little-known movies. Moore's involvement with television grew as he featured in lead roles, including "Ivanhoe", "The Alaskans", and "Maverick". Moore starred in the lead role of Simon Templar in the television spy-fi drama "The Saint" by producer Lew Grade. The show aired in 1962 in the UK and America, the latter of which earned widespread attention. Because of its success, Moore obtained international stardom in 1967. The series was in black-and-white before it went to colour in 1967 and ran for six seasons with 118 episodes. In addition to his main acting, Roger Moore also directed several episodes. In 1971, Moore starred in another espionage thriller series opposite Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders". Unlike his previous fame in "The Saint", the series was a success only in the UK and Australia but never in America, where it was pre-sold to ABC and failed.
In 1972, when producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli first contacted the actor following Sean Connery's retirement from the role of 007, Roger accepted their offer to portray that titular character in 1973, starting with "Live and Let Die". After its release, he continued with the character in several films. He was 45 years old in "Live and Let Die" and was 58 in 1985 when he retired from that role, becoming the long-running actor to portray James Bond. During his tenure as Bond, Moore had other movies in mind, such as "Gold", "The Wild Geese", "Escape from Athena", "North Sea Hijack", "The Sea Wolves", and "The Cannonball Run". He appeared in a cameo appearance as Inspector Clouseau on "The Curse of the Pink Panther" under the pseudonym. After retiring from being James Bond, Moore took a career hiatus for five years and would not continue to make more film appearances until 1990 in several movies. He was seen in other movies like "The Quest" with Jean Claude Van Damme and "Spice World" and was among the voice talents of "Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore".
Despite his celebrity status, however. Moore became a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF in 1991. Among other honours, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth as "Sir Roger Moore" for his "services to charity" in 2003. In 2008, he obtained a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Government.
To the family and friends of Roger Moore, we deeply miss him, and we are grateful to have seen his work, including James Bond. May he ever be immortalised?
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