James Bond Star Roger Moore Dies At 89

James Bond star Roger Moore has died after a short battle with cancer. The news was announced by his family, who released the following message via Twitter:

Moore was 89. He was the third actor to play James Bond, taking on the role in 1973, after Sean Connery and George Lazenby. Moore's first Bond movie was Live and Let Die, and he played 007 in seven films, including The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Moonraker. His final Bond movie was 1985's A View to a Kill. He remains the actor to have played the British spy the most times in official Bond movies.

Prior to 007, Moore was already famous for two iconic television roles. He starred as suave criminal Simon Templar in The Saint between 1962 and 1969, and alongside Tony Curtis for a single season in the comedy thriller The Persuaders in 1971. He earned $1 million for that series, which at the time made him the highest paid TV star in the world.

Moore received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 for his charity work. He spent 12 years as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.