Roger Moore, most well-known for his seven movies as James Bond, passed away earlier this week at age 89. It was a long, grand life for this military officer and well-known actor, who in addition to acting served as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations/UNICEF and was knighted by the Queen for his charitable work.
Moore was the Bond that i grew up with in the 1970s, with great movies like Live and Let Die, and The Spy Who Loved Me. Unlike other Bond actors, Moore genuinely enjoyed playing the role and while not all of the movies stand up as classics, for me, Moore was Bond.
In a MegaCorp meeting a few years ago, I named Moore/James Bond as my ‘celebrity wannabe’. If you’ve read this blog for long enough, you’ve certainly noticed the lifestyle themes of adventure, global travel, high-tech gadgetry, and fast cars in my writing. While I am a suburban Dad, I like to think I still can tap into a 007 inspiration. We enjoyed a trip to Japan last summer which recalled some of the sights and gadgets of The Man with the Golden Gun.
I love the Roger Moore quote I am including today. There is no reason not to approach early retirement with a graceful love of life at the same time we fight the limitations that come with age. Like Moore – or James Bond – I am always trying to live a great story!
FYI … Here is a ranking our family did of all of the James Bond movies. We watched all of them a few years ago and assigned a score to each – and to each Bond:
Image Credit: 1981, For Your Eyes Only
MrFireStation 
Sean Connery was, is, and always will be for me — 007! That’s because I’m a Boomer. But Roger Moore was a justly beloved Bond (including by me!) I imagine Ian Fleming would say Mr. Moore was more the type he had in mind. RIP Sir Roger. Licensed To Thrill!
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Agree that most of the Connery movies are better than the Moore movies. Both, however, overstayed the quality of their performances in the role. Two interesting facts: Although Moore replaced Connery, Moore was 3 years older. Also, they were good friends and it was rumored that Moore almost appeared at the end of Connery’s Never Say Never Again to deliver the title line. That would have been cool!
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Grew up with Moore, but still see Connery when I think of 007!
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Connery is the original, so he will always be the face of Bond.
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I’m a fan of the older bond movies over the newer ones. Love the political incorrectness from that era. Sean Connery is still my favorite Bond character. Although Roger Moore was not my favorite, his Bond movies were lots of fun to watch. He will be greatly missed.
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