Here’s a look at the life of British actor and UNICEF Ambassador, Roger Moore.
Personal:
Birth date: October 14, 1927
Death date: May 23, 2017
Birth place: London, England
Birth name: Roger George Moore
Father: George Moore, a police officer
Mother: Lily (Pope) Moore, homemaker
Marriages: Kristina Tholstrup (March 9, 2002-May 23, 2017, his death); Luisa Mattioli (April 11, 1969-December 1996 divorced); Dorothy Squires (July 6, 1953-November 26, 1968 divorced); Doorn van Steyn (December 9, 1946-March 1953 divorced)
Children: with Luisa Mattioli: Christian, 1973; Geoffrey, 1966; Deborah, 1963
Education: Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (1944-1945)
Military: British Army (1945-1948), 2nd Lt.
Other Facts:
He lived in London during the blitz of World War II.
Moore was a high school dropout.
Worked as a model.
Moore was MI6’s Agent 007 the longest. He played James Bond in seven films: “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).
Wrote three memoirs, “Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown,” “My Word is My Bond” and “One Lucky Bastard: Tales from Tinseltown.”
Timeline:
November 1, 1945 - Opening day of “Perfect Strangers” (aka “Vacation from Marriage”), his movie debut in which he is an uncredited extra. It is the first of seven consecutive uncredited roles.
1953 - Moves to the United States and makes his American television debut in the Hallmark Hall of Fame’s production of “Julius Caesar.”
October 4, 1962-March 5, 1969 - Stars as Simon Templar in the British television series “The Saint.”
June 27, 1973 - Premiere of, and first appearance of Moore as James Bond in “Live and Let Die.” At 46, he is the oldest of all the actors portraying Agent 007.
1983 - Appears in “The Curse of the Pink Panther” under the name of Turk Thrust II.
1985 - Last appearance as James Bond in “A View to a Kill.”
August 9, 1991 - He is appointed an International Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, succeeding Audrey Hepburn.
November 8, 1993 - Undergoes successful prostate cancer surgery.
January 1999 - He is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
May 7, 2003 - Collapses in New York during a performance of “The Play What I Wrote” and is fitted with a pacemaker the next day.
October 3, 2003 - He becomes Sir Roger Moore at the knighting ceremony with Queen Elizabeth II.
October 11, 2007 - Receives star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard.
September 2008 - Autobiography, “My Word is My Bond,” is released.
November 2009 - Appears in a PETA ad campaign against the force feeding of ducks and geese for foie gras.
September 4, 2014 - His autobiography, “Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown,” is released.
May 23, 2017 - Passes away at the age of 89.