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Former James Bond star Sir Roger Moore has died in Switzerland at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer, his family has announced.


Roger Moore in his role as James Bond CREDIT: 

A message shared on the actor's official Twitter account read: "With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated."


Sir Roger Moore


'Thank you Pops for being you'

The statement continued: "It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer.

"The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone."




They continued: "We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows and his passionate work for Unicef, which he considered to be his greatest achievement.

"The affection our father felt whenever he walked on to a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London's Royal Festival Hall.

"The capacity crowd cheered him on and off stage, shaking the very foundations of the building just a short distance from where he was born.


Starring in 1978 film The Wild Geese CREDIT:  ALLSTAR/CINETEXT/RANK


"Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people.

"Our thoughts must now turn to supporting Kristina at this difficult time, and in accordance with our father's wishes there will be a private funeral in Monaco."

The statement was signed by Sir Roger's children, Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian.

Sir Roger on 007

Sir Roger was the longest-serving actor to play the womanising MI6 agent, having portrayed 007 in seven films.

He held the title for a total of 14 years, from 1972 - when he was officially confirmed as 007 - to 1986, when his successor Timothy Dalton was formally announced.


Sir Roger in Moonraker, 1979 CREDIT:


In total he spent 5,118 days as James Bond and starred in seven films, beginning with Live And Let Die in 1973 and ending with A View To A Kill in 1985.

Current 007 actor Daniel Craig is the second longest-serving Bond, having so far spent 4,239 days playing the secret agent.

In brief | Roger Moore as Bond
Moore starred in seven James Bond films and spent 12 consecutive years in the role:

* 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)

Moore was officially unveiled as James Bond at a press conference at the Dorchester Hotel in London on August 1 1972.

"I think that I've got an even-money chance to make it," he told reporters. "After all, I've been around a long time in this business. I did The Saint on television for seven years."

He would end up playing 007 for twice that long.


Sir Roger in the Ivanhoe TV series in 1958 CREDIT:  EVERETT/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK


Last year during a question-and-answer session at London's Southbank Centre, he admitted that, despite winning the coveted role of the martini-swirling spy, one part he wished he had landed was Lawrence of Arabia.

He said: "I remember Bob Baker and I going to see Lawrence of Arabia and coming out both being very depressed and saying 'We might as well give up the business', because they had made the best movie that had ever been made."

The debonair star, who added a distinct light-hearted touch to the 007 role, also admitted that, while he thought Sir Sean Connery had been the greatest Bond, fans were "lucky" to have the current star of the franchise, Daniel Craig.

He said: "I think that Sean was obviously the great Bond.

"He was obviously the right person, he brought the right personality to the performance, otherwise Bond would not have gone on past the first six that he did. He was a tremendous Bond.

In quotes | Roger Moore

* On acting: "Acting? It was left eyebrow raised, right eyebrow raised."

* On his work ethic: "[My children] say I worked hard, but I never worked hard. I enjoyed it. Going into an office or being a miner. That’s work.”

* On being Bond: "I'm the worst Bond, according to the internet. Generally hated! I was too funny, too light. Didn't take it seriously enough."

* On alternative careers: "I would have loved to study medicine but I was lucky to have come into the profession that I loved. I may not have been very good at it, but I loved it.”

* On who would win in a fight between James Bond and The Saint: "I think Bond would win because Bond is allowed to use things other than fisticuffs and wasn't as straightforward as Templar."

* On featuring in an Amy Winehouse lyric: "I probably just rhymed with door. Or she couldn't find anything to rhyme with Connery."

* On ageing: "The wonderful thing about age is that your knees don't work as well, you can't run down steps quite as easily and obviously you can't lift heavy weights. But your mind doesn't feel any different. I read the obituary columns and I think: 'Oh goodness, he was only 93!'"


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