Roger George Moore was born on October 14, 1927, in Stockwell, London, England, to Lillian (Pope) and George Alfred Moore, a policeman. His mother was born in Calcutta, India, to a British family.
Moore initially wanted to be an artist, but he got into films full-time after becoming an extra in the late 1940s. He came to the United States in 1953 and received a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His initial foray met with mixed success, with movies like Diane (1956),Interrupted Melody (1955),and The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954).
Moore went into television in the 1950s, appearing in series such as Ivanhoe (1958),The Alaskans (1959),and Maverick (1957),as cousin Beau. He received his big breakthrough as The Saint (1962),which made him a superstar and led to a successful career.
Moore ended his run as The Saint and became one of the premier stars of the world, but he struggled to gain recognition in America. He attempted to change this by starring in The Persuaders! (1971) with Tony Curtis, but it did not catch on in the United States and was canceled.
Moore was next offered and accepted the role of James Bond, and once audiences got used to the change of style from Connery's portrayal, they also accepted him. He went on to star in another six Bond films, before bowing out after A View to a Kill (1985).
After relinquishing his role as Bond, Moore's workload tended to diminish a little, though he did star in the American box office flop Feuer, Eis & Dynamit (1990),as well as the comedy Bullseye! (1990),with Michael Caine. He did the overlooked comedy Bed & Breakfast (1991),as well as the television movie The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1994),and then the major Jean-Claude Van Damme flop The Quest (1996).
Moore was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on December 31, 1998, in the New Year's Honours for services to UNICEF, and was promoted to Knight Commander of the same order on June 14, 2003, in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to the charities UNICEF and Kiwanis International.
Roger Moore died of cancer on May 23, 2017, in Switzerland, at the age of 89.
