Words: Jonathan Wells
Sir Roger Moore has died. Aged 89, and with one of the coolest, suavest and most fun acting resumes of any actor in the world, the British icon passed away in Switzerland after a “short but brave battle with cancer”.
In the world coverage that is destined to follow, the pictures of Sir Roger played and published over and over again will doubtlessly be of him in character as James Bond – his most famous role. But Moore had more than 007 strings to his bow, and here we celebrate the late, great actor’s wider contributions to the screen.
Generally acknowledged as the role which won Moore Bond, the actor’s starring turn in The Saint saw him achieve worldwide fame for the first time. After joking himself that the role had been written for Sean Connery – a nod to the Bond franchise – Moore began a 7-year tenure as a modern Robin Hood, stealing from criminals to teach them a lesson, and have some run on the side as well.
The first two series were broadcast in black-and-white, before the move to colour, and the role of Sinclair established Moore’s quick-witted and quipping style that he would later bring to the Bond franchise. Notably, Moore also became more active behind the cameras as the series went on – even going so far as to direct several episodes himself.
A shorter-running endeavour than The Saint, Moore also starred in the successful ABC western series Maverick. After playing the lead in a previous ABC series titled The Alaskans – which focused on the Klondike Gold Rush – Moore was approached to star alongside other members of the same fictional Maverick family in the new tale of cardsharps in the Old West, making his debut in the fourth season.
Ironically, this role too had been first offered to Sean Connery, leaving Moore to step into the breach and make the character his own. Playing alongside James Garner in the series, it is said that Maverick recycled unproduced scripts from Moore’s previous show, The Alaskans.
It may have been short-lived, but this series marked yet another step up in Roger Moore’s career – as it rocketed towards MI6 and 007. Paired with Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde, Moore here played an aristocratic British Lord and ex-racing car driver who reluctantly teamed up with Curtis’ ex-Naval New Yorker to solve cases that slip through the cracks of the judicial system.
Jet-setting playboys both, The Persuaders went from the French Riviera to a casino in Brighton solving cases, in some incredible cars. Sinclair drove a Bahama Yellow Aston Martin DBS – one of the most striking set of wheels ever to grace a screen and a great way to ease Moore into his partnership with the British brand.
In a brilliant send up of his then-established Bond, Moore stuck his tongue in his cheek and played the ‘heir to the Goldfarb Girdles fortune’ in the thoroughly camp and incredibly silly Cannonball Run in 1981. Alongside Burt Reynolds, Jackie Chan, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr (seriously, if you haven’t seen this film, it’s baffling) Moore sent himself up gloriously – showing he was most definitely a man who could take a joke.
Bond-like gadgets such as smoke screens, oil slicks and switchable number plates are used by Moore’s character in this story of a frantic cross-country car race, and – somewhat predictably – the British icon can be seen behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB5. He also wears a tuxedo virtually the entire time – because, why not?
His earliest breakout role, Moore was cast as Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe in a children’s program in the late fifties. Set during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart, Ivanhoe spent his time galloping around, helping right wrongs, get justice for those in need and thwarting the evil powers that had taken control of the country.
Essentially the family-friendly Saturday night viewing that we have today, Ivanhoe may seem a silly choice to end this list – but it sums up why Moore had such enduring appeal, typifies his career, and proves why he will be missed as an actor. He made any character dashing and heroic, was the epitome of a gentleman and was willing to throw himself into any role he landed.
As he later said of playing the knight, “I felt a complete Charlie riding around in all that armour” – but still, he played the part like any other – with gumption and gusto. As such, the British icon will leave a lasting impression on television and film history, and will be missed.
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