Sir Roger Moore, the seven-time film 007, celebrated his 84th birthday on Oct. 14. He’s the oldest of the cinema James Bonds. His 1973-1985 tenure tends to divide older fans who grew up with Sean Connery, with some (including members of our own staff) disliking Moore’s lighter touch.
Still, there’s little debate that his time as Bond was financially successful. His 007 debut, Live And Let Die, had a worldwide gross of about $161 million, the biggest Bond box office at the time, and the first 007 film to top 1965’s Thunderball at the box office. After The Man With The Golden Gun dipped, 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me set another 007 record (about $185 million) with 1979’s Moonraker topping that ($210 million). No 007 film did better until 1995’s GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan’s debut, at $356 million.
Fans of the Moore 007 don’t really care about statistics. Instead, they focus on how he helped keep the film series going. That doesn’t sound like much today but many wondered whether Bond could survive Connery’s departure(s). As a former 007, Sir Roger has been involved in humanitarian causes.
Of course, if you count televison, Sir Roger played 007 eight times. We’ve posted this before, but in honor of the actor’s birthday we’ll do it again:
Filed under: James Bond Films | Tagged: Financial performance of Roger Moore's James Bond films, Goldeneye, James Bond Films, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Roger Moore's 84th birthday, Roger Moore's TV performance as James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me | 1 Comment »
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