British actor Sir Roger Moore, who played secret agent James Bond in seven films — the most of any actor — died in Switzerland after a short battle with cancer. He was 89.
His family announced the his passing on Twitter Tuesday, saying “With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated.”
Per his wishes, his family is planning a private burial in Monaco, they said.
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
Playing the famous spy for 13 years throughout the 1970s and 80s, Moore appeared in Bond favorites including “Live and Let Die,” “The Spy Who Loved Me,” and “Octopussy.”
He was lauded for his lighter, more humorous take in playing Agent 007 than his predecessor, Sean Connery.
In playing the British agent with a voracious appetite for danger and sex, Moore became a millionaire as well as a heartthrob the world over.
Besides his role as Bond, Moore was best known for his 1960s TV series, “The Persuaders and The Saint.”
“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,” his children, Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian, said in a statement.
In addition to his three children, Moore leaves behind a wife, Kristina Tholstrup.
Moore was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 at the age of 75 as thanks for his charity work. In 2008, the French government appointed Moore a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and the same year he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Moore was first appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1991 and his charity work dominated his life throughout the final decades of his life.
