Sir Roger Moore, the third actor to take on the legendary mantle of James Bond, has died of cancer at the age of 89.
A star of the TV screen during the mid 20th-century — in starring roles such as Ivanhoe, Maverick, and most famously as Simon Templar in The Saint — Moore achieved global fame when he replaced George Lazenby as the new star of the James Bond franchise. Moore played the hero — a suave, more humorous bent on the iconic British spy in comparison to his predecessors — across seven feature films between 1973 and 1985, covering franchise classics like The Man with Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me.
Moore is survived by his wife Kristina, and his three children, who released a statement on their father’s passing that you can read below.
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