Roger Moore
Roger Moore KBE (born 14 October 1927) is a English actor and film producer. He is perhaps best known for portraying two British action heroes, Simon Templar in the television series The Saint from 1962 to 1969, and James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985.
Moore was born in Stockwell, London (sometimes referred to by Moore in interviews as Saint Ockwell). The only child of George Moore, a policeman, and Lillian “Lily” (née Pope), a housewife, he attended Battersea Grammar School, but was evacuated to Holsworthy, Devon during World War II and was then educated at Dr Challoner’s Grammar School. He then attended the College of the Venerable Bede at the University of Durham. Upon turning 18, shortly after the end of the war, Moore was conscripted for National Service. He was commissioned as an officer and eventually became a Captain. In his usual self-deprecating style, he claimed that his commission was because he physically fitted the stereotype of an officer, rather than having any outstanding ability or leadership skills. Moore served in the Royal Army Service Corps, commanding a small depot in West Germany.
Moore left his first wife, skater Doorn Van Steyn, for singer Dorothy Squires, who was several years his senior but was, at that time, considerably more famous than he was, and they lived together for a short time in Dafen, Llanelli, South Wales. In turn, while filming in Italy in 1961, he abandoned Squires (who sued him for attempted reinstatement of conjugal rights) for italian actress Luisa Mattioli. He lived with Mattioli until their marriage in 1969, after Squires finally granted Moore a divorce. Moore has a daughter and two sons with Mattioli; his son Geoffrey Moore is also an actor and owns a restaurant in London. Daughter Deborah Moore made a guest appearance as a flight attendant in Die Another Day. Again, he unexpectedly ended this marriage in 1993, later marrying former Cote d’Azur neighbour, the Danish-Swedish multi-millionaire Kristina ‘Kiki’ Tholstrup.
Moore lived in Royal Tunbridge Wells for a period after early success in The Saint, and then moved to Surrey before relocating to Hollywood. During filming of The Spy Who Loved Me “villain” Curd Jürgens made the offer to Moore to spend some time at his home in Gstaad, which Moore enjoyed having taken up skiing. When he married Kiki Tholstrup, he set up a routine of spending winters in Gstaad, and summer at his apartment in Monaco. After 15 years in Gstaad, he now resides in the winter at his chalet in Crans-Montana, Valais.
Moore was involved in the production of a video for PETA that protests against the production and wholesale of foie gras. Moore narrates the video.
In 1999, Moore was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) on June 14, 2003. The citation on the knighthood was for Moore’s charity work, which has dominated his public life for more than a decade. In perhaps his final riposte to the critics, Moore said that the citation “meant far more to me than if I had got it for acting… I was proud because I received it on behalf of UNICEF as a whole and for all it has achieved over the years”.
