Sir Roger Moore Dead: James Bond Actor Dies At 89

James Bond actor Sir Roger Moore has died aged 89, his family has confirmed. In a statement posted on the actor’s official social media accounts it was revealed that Moore had passed away in Switzerland after a “short but brave battle with cancer”.

Moore was the third actor to play British secret agent James Bond, in seven feature films released between 1973 and 1985.

Sir Roger Moore was born and raised in south London. He received a certificate from the Royal Society of Arts and worked briefly in cartoon animation. While working as a film extra he was offered a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He subsequently joined the Cambridge Arts Theatre, which led to roles in London’s West End.

After some success in film and television productions, he became more widely recognized with his role as Simon Templar in the British television series The Saint. In 1973 he first played special agent 007 in the film Live and Let Die. He went on to star in another six hugely successful Bond films: The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A View to a Kill.

With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated. pic.twitter.com/6dhiA6dnVg

— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) May 23, 2017

From UNICEF:

Sir Roger Moore, KBE, was one of UNICEF’s longest serving Goodwill Ambassadors.

Sir Roger, a popular British film, television and stage actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Simon Templar in The Saint and as secret agent James Bond, was introduced to UNICEF by the late Audrey Hepburn. “My curiosity got the better of me after Audrey Hepburn introduced me to UNICEF,” he said. “I wanted to find out more than just the facts and figures.” He was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on 9 August 1991.

Sir Roger’s first mission for UNICEF was to Central America, where he visited projects for children in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Over the years, his work with UNICEF also took him to Brazil, Ghana, Jamaica, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Philippines and Mexico. He brought attention to the desperate conditions facing some of the world’s most vulnerable children and was a compelling voice on issues such as children’s rights, HIV/AIDS, landmine injuries, child labour and iodine deficiency.

In November 2012 Sir Roger was presented with the first-ever UNICEF UK Lifetime Achievement Award which then became the Roger Moore Lifetime Achievement Award in celebration of his dedication to UNICEF, both as a generous fundraiser and a global advocate for children’s rights. On receiving the award, Sir Roger said “I am perhaps best known for my role as Bond, but my role as Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF is the one I am certainly most passionate about. It is beyond doubt that it’s the children and dedicated staff on the ground who deserve medals, but I am absolutely honored and would like to thank UNICEF for this truly humbling award.”

Sir Roger Moore was devoted to serving the world’s children for over 25 years and remained dedicated to UNICEF right up until his death.