Sir Roger Moore, the actor best known for his role as James Bond, has died at the age of 89, his family has confirmed.
The family announced Sir Roger’s passing on Twitter, stating: “With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated.”
“Thank you Pops for being you, and being so very special to so many people,” his children said in a statement.
Sir Roger was known for his roles in several Bond films, including A View to a Kill, and Live and Let Die.
A private funeral will be held in Monaco for the star, who died in Switzerland, as per his wishes.
“The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone,” the statement read. “Our thoughts must now turn to supporting Kristina [his wife] at this difficult time. We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows and his passionate work for UNICEF which he considered to be his greatest achievement.”
While Sir Roger was best known for his role as Bond, he also played on the TV series The Saint and The Persuaders.
The actor was also a humanitarian and appointed a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in 1991.
Fellow UNICEF ambassador Ewan McGregor paid tribute to the late actor, saying in a statement: “Thank you, Roger, for having championed so tirelessly the rights of all children for the last 26 years. You’ve shown that we all have the power to make a change to the lives of the most vulnerable children.”
Other celebrities paid tribute to the actor, including Michael Caine, who said: “I am truly sad and think I will be in tears if I talk about him. Roger was the perfect gentleman, adored by all his friends.”
