Sir Roger Moore: Nobody Did It Better

A celebration of the life and career of Sir Roger Moore

Decades ago, I found my six-year-old self reluctantly seated in a packed cinema hall, I sensed eager anticipation and excitement in the air. It was my first ever trip to the pictures and the purpose of it all was still quite unclear. My sole item of interest was a carton of flavored popcorn. Quite soon the place turned dark, and the giant white wall before me was illuminated with white blinking dots that evolved into the interiors of a gun barrel through which was seen a man dressed in a tuxedo walking briskly, then rather unexpectedly he fired his gun causing a boom that reverberated across the hall quite soon blood was splattered all over. The combination of intriguing visuals, an enthralling background score, and the eruption of cheers from the audience captivated me completely. I may have dropped my popcorn, but I could scarcely be bothered. What a way to be introduced to the enchanting world of cinema.

As the film began our hero found himself in flight and in the arms of a beautiful girl when he is rudely interrupted by the sole pilot of the plane who intends to destroy the cockpit flying system and make an abrupt mid-air exit. A fistfight ensues leading to both men being ejected out of the fuselage and into the clear blue skies, it is our hero is the one without a parachute. After a thrilling sky fight that left me biting my nails, the chute was secured by our hero and he was on his way to land safely without even a crease to his blazer jacket.  

The villain of the piece, one Hugo Drax, had rather modest plans; total destruction of the planet earth, and the creation of a "new master race”. What he hadn't planned for was our tough and resourceful hero armed with his wits, a handful of gadgets, and a bevy of very pretty girls. In a matter of hours that concluded with an epic space battle, the sinister plan was thwarted, the villain was eliminated and our hero once again found himself in the arms of another beautiful girl as his space vessel hurtled back to earth. It all seemed like a perfect fairy tale.

The film in question was the eleventh entry in the James Bond series Moonraker and 007 played by Sir Roger Moore. This was my very first cinematic experience, it was love at first sight with the movies, life would never ever be the same. 

Sir Roger’s first claim to fame was playing the lead in the swashbuckling TV Series Ivanhoe. However, global superstardom was achieved with the action spy thriller TV Series The Saint where Sir Roger played the mysterious globe-trotting troubleshooter Simon Templar, the program ran for seven years and played forever all over the world in reruns. 

More success with followed with the role of James Bond as Sir Roger played the Bollinger drinking, womanizing super spy in seven spectacular films. 

Being gifted with even features, standing over six feet, two inches tall, and rich baritone voice (with an uppercut English accent), Sir Roger would be typecast as gentleman ‘heroes’. Always impeccably dressed, always charming, always getting the loveliest of girls, always eliminating the most sinister villains of all shapes and sizes, usually unflappable while mouthing the wittiest of one-liners. 

When asked to analyze his remarkable career and his acting abilities, unlike most narcissistic superstars, Sir Roger was remarkably self-effacing, claiming his acting range has always been something between the two extremes of “raises the left eyebrow” and “raises the right eyebrow”. 

In his usual self-deprecating style, he attributed to luck and the fact that he 'worked cheap' as a reason for his success. When asked about his acting technique he said it was all about being prepared to “get up in the morning, say your lines, and not trip over the furniture.” 

The best acting is when it seems effortless, real, and in the moment. Sir Roger, despite his often self-effacing humor, had certainly mastered this art of acting without performing, thanks to his uniquely expressive countenance and distinct voice.  As Sir Roger often noted, roles that challenged his potential were rare. 

But when the opportunity was presented, Sir Roger always rose to the occasion. He was exceptional as protagonist and his evil alter ego the dark and very underrated thriller The Man Who Haunted Himself, this is recommended viewing for fans of horror/thrillers. He was also in fine form as the troubled psychiatrist in The Naked Face and he showed great acting prowess as the eccentric, cat-loving, misogynist, anti-terror squad leader in North Sea Hijack. 

He was also very good in films such as Gold, The Wild Geese, Shout At The Devil, and The Sea Wolves (shot in Goa, India) that presented him with roles that were darker and more realistic than 007. He relished parodying his version of James Bond in The Cannonball Run. Another absolute favorite is Bullseye where Sir Roger teamed up with his longtime friend Sir Michael Caine in a comedy of errors laugh riot.

Quite often the best craftsmen are those who do not make a big deal of their craft and their struggle to achieve perfection, they just turn up and do their bit without providing us a litany of effort and dedication. Possibly be an attribute of the great generation of World War 2, if they could fight the Nazis and sacrifice themselves for a greater cause, nothing else can ever be worth boasting about. 

His memoirs aptly entitled ‘My Word is My Bond’, had Sir Roger chronicle his journey from humble beginnings to global superstardom, like Sir Roger himself the book was witty, self-deprecating, and devoid of any dirt dishing or mudslinging. 

He followed it with 'Last Man Standing' that chronicled many hilarious anecdotes during his stellar career in Hollywood. Then there was ‘An Evening with Sir Roger’ tour that saw him regale audiences as he talked with his biographer and answer many questions from fans.

Off-screen, Sir Roger said his most satisfying mission was as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Sir Roger was a fervent advocate and fundraiser for the welfare of children. He traveled extensively as he promoted the importance of education, healthcare, sanitation, and clean water. Sir Roger received numerous recognitions for his work against child trafficking as a special representative to UNICEF. 

Sir Roger was also an animal rights advocate, personally financed a campaign against foie gras where he narrated a documentary that depicted the barbaric force-feeding of ducks that causes enlargement of their liver, which is used to produce foie gras. This documentary and the campaign proved effective in persuading major stores in the UK to remove foie gras from their shelves. 

In recognition of his stellar career and his humanitarian work, Sir Roger was conferred with numerous recognitions including the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999 and the Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 2003.

A few years back I holidayed in the city of Udaipur, India, where an elderly guide narrated an account related to the Bond film Octopussy that was shot in the city. 

During the shoot, fans would descend onto the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of the proceeding causing a great deal of disruption. To keep matters under control, a constabulary force was deployed and makeshift jute rope boundaries were used to restrain people from crossing over.  

Inevitably, for some of the fans, the enthusiasm would get the better of them causing them to trespass. This would incur the wrath of the police constables who would strike them with their bamboo sticks which would not only be very painful but also could cause very serious injuries. 

One such display of force caught Sir Roger's attention, he then walked over to the crowds signed autographs, posed for pictures with the fans (including the constables), and requested the police to restrain themselves; never again were the fans struck. 

The guide said this act of kindness from Sir Roger made him an honorary son of Udaipur, calling him Roger Singh. To this day thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the city of Udaipur because of its James Bond connection. Many hotels in Udaipur still screen Octopussy every evening in preparation for city tours, so people can follow in the footsteps of 007.

The news of Sir Roger's sudden passing saddened me more than I could ever anticipate,  I found myself engulfed with a feeling of permanent loss. Largely because his films were a significant part of growing up, with Sir Roger is gone, a fun part of our life seems to have melted into thin air forever.  It is hard to accept our icons as mere mortals. Perhaps because they are frozen in time on celluloid. 

How can the very man who siped martinis, romanced a bevy of lovelies, and took on tough bad guys ail and depart?  "Don't worry, he is James Bond, he will never die" was what somebody told me during one of the tense moments of a Moore Bond film. Alas, this doesn't apply to real life as well.  

But it would be gravely unfair to end on a somber note, Sir Roger lead a wonderful life and brought joy to so many all over the world. His great life deserves nothing but a grand celebration. Sir Roger will live forever through his films, books, and videos of his appearances. His legacy will also continue to live due to the numerous lives he touched and affected by his tireless work of charity. 

Finally, here is Sir Roger regaling his audience with a delightful hilarious rendition of 'It Looks Like Rain In Cherry Blossom Lane' by composer Joe Burke and lyricist Edgar Leslie. This is how he should be remembered, a great entertainer with a great heart. Here’s raising a toast to a great life lived both on and off-screen.

Nobody did it better!