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Roger Moore
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Sir Roger George Moore KBE (born 14 October 1927) is an English actor. He is perhaps best known for portraying two British action heroes, Simon Templar in the television series The Saint from 1962 to 1969, and James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He has been a UNICEF ambassador since 1991. He has the distinction of being the final guest star to appear on the The Muppet Show, in the show's last episode in 1981.
e was born in Stockwell, London (sometimes referred to by Moore in interviews as Saint Ockwell).
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Encyclopedia
Sir Roger George Moore KBE (born 14 October 1927) is an English actor. He is perhaps best known for portraying two British action heroes, Simon Templar in the television series The Saint from 1962 to 1969, and James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He has been a UNICEF ambassador since 1991. He has the distinction of being the final guest star to appear on the The Muppet Show, in the show's last episode in 1981.
Early life
Moore was born in Stockwell, London (sometimes referred to by Moore in interviews as Saint Ockwell). The son of George Moore, a policeman, and Lillian "Lily" (née Pope), a housewife, he attended Battersea Grammar School, but was evacuated to Holsworthy, Devon during World War II and was then educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School. He then attended the College of the Venerable Bede at the University of Durham. Upon turning 18, shortly after the end of the war, Moore was called up for National Service. He was commissioned as an officer and eventually became a Captain. In his usual self-deprecatory style, he claimed that his commission was because he physically fitted the stereotype of an officer, rather than having any outstanding ability or leadership skills. 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 for by flamboyant, openly gay 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 (1950–1960)
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. Barring interviews, Moore has not worked for BBC television since.
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 cousin of frontier gambler Bret Maverick (James Garner) in Maverick.
The Saint (1961–1969)
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, but didn't have enough money. 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 1961 for six seasons 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 (1971). 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.
After The Saint (1969–1973)
Television lured Moore back to star, alongside Tony Curtis, in what has become another cult series, The Persuaders!. Even more light-hearted in tone than The Saint, 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 refusing to spend more time on set than was strictly necessary, while Moore was always willing to work overtime.
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 dialogs. 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 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)
There are many apocryphal stories as to when Moore's name was first dropped as a possible candidate for the role of James Bond. Some sources, specifically Albert R. Broccoli from his autobiography When The Snow Melts, claim that Moore was considered for Dr. No, and that he was Ian Fleming's favorite for the role after apparently having seen Moore as Simon Templar in The Saint; however, the series did not begin airing in the United Kingdom until October 4, 1962 one day before the premiere of Dr. No, although it's possible that the show began filming before or around the film.
Other sources, such as the commentary for the special edition DVDs, claim that Moore was passed over for Bond in favour of someone who was older. As Moore is older than Sean Connery, this is probably not true. Publicly, Moore was not linked to the role of 007 until 1967, when Harry Saltzman claimed he would make a good Bond, but also displayed misgivings owing to his popularity as Simon Templar. Nevertheless, Moore was finally cast as James Bond in Live and Let Die (1973).
Roger Moore's twelve years as Simon Templar earned him enough popularity (and credibility) among fans of detective fiction to earn many Bond fans' acceptance, despite the inevitable comparisons to Connery. 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)
To date, 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 made seven official films. (Connery also made seven, but his last Bond film, Never Say Never Again (1983), was not part of the "official" EON Productions series.) He is also the oldest actor to play Bond: he was 45 when he debuted, and 58 when he announced his retirement on December 3, 1985, as it was agreed by all involved that Moore was too old for the role by that point (he had actually tried to leave the role after For Your Eyes Only). Moore himself was quoted in the contemporary press as saying that he felt embarrassed to be seen making love scenes with beautiful actresses who were young enough to be his daughters.
Moore's James Bond was light-hearted, more so than any other official actor to portray the character. Connery's style, even in its lighter moments, was that of a focused, determined agent. Moore often portrayed 007 as somewhat of a playboy, with tongue firmly in cheek, but also as a very capable and seasoned detective. The humour served Moore and his fans well through most of his Bond tenure.
Although often considered a 'lightweight', owing to never having had a significant stage career or having appeared in serious dramas, Moore can boast a dramatic education at RADA, the prestigious London drama college. However, Moore only attended for six months in 1945. In 2004, Moore was voted 'Best Bond' in a poll and won with a large 62% of votes whilst in late 2008, he also topped another poll on moviefans.com beating new Bond star Daniel Craig with 56% of votes.
Post-James Bond career and UNICEF (1985–present)
His post-Bond acting career has been light. In the words of his friend Michael Caine, with whom he co-starred in the unsuccessful Bullseye! (1990), "Now he can't get a job." At the age of 74, Moore was given the chance to go against type with his portrayal of a flamboyant homosexual in Boat Trip (2002).
In 1983, his life changed when filming his sixth film as James Bond in India. Shocked at the poverty in India, he became interested in the Third World humanitarian effort. 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.
Now in his early eighties, Moore appears only occasionally in film or television, notably as Lord Edgar Dobbs in The Quest (1996) and an episode of the American TV series Alias in 2002. 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.
On October 11, 2007, (3 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, whom he had acted with 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.
Personal life
Moore left his first wife, skater Doorn Van Steyn, for singer Dorothy Squires, who was several years his senior but was, at that time, considerably more famous than he was. In turn, while filming in Italy in 1961, he abandoned Squires (who sued him for attempted reinstatement of conjugal rights) for actress Luisa Mattioli, living with her until their marriage in 1969. Moore has a daughter and two sons with Mattioli; son Geoffrey Moore is also an actor and owns a restaurant in London. Daughter Deborah Moore made a guest appearance as a flight attendant in Die Another Day. Again, he unexpectedly ended this marriage in 1993, later marrying former Cote d'Azur neighbour, the Danish multi-millionaire Kristina 'Kiki' Tholstrup.
Moore lived in Royal Tunbridge Wells for a period after early success in The Saint, and then moved to Surrey before relocating to Hollywood. During filming of The Spy Who Loved Me "villain" Curd Jürgens made the offer to Moore to spend some time at his home in Gstaad, which Moore enjoyed having taking up skiing. When he married Kiki Tholstrup, he set up a routine of spending winters in Gstaad, and summer 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 involved in the production of a video for PETA that protests against the production and wholesale of foie gras. Moore narrates the video.
In 1999, Moore was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) on June 14, 2003. The citation on the knighthood was for Moore's charity work, which has dominated his public life for more than a decade. In perhaps his final riposte to the critics, 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".
Roger appeared on BBC The One Show on Wednesday 3rd December 2008
Royal Circles
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 May 24, 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 H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Awards
For his charity work
- 2008: Dag Hammerskjöd-Medal (from the UN)
- 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
- 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)
Publications
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 October 2nd 2008 (ISBN 9781843173182) .
Filmography
External links
- - contains articles on Roger's work with UNICEF as well as his entertainment career
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