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Biography
Moore, the son of George Alfred Moore, a London police
constable, was born in a relatively poor area of London.
Just before World War 2, Moore was evacuated with his mother
to Sussex, but later drifted back to London only to be evacuated
to Buchinghamshire a few mothers later. There he attended
Dr. Challoner's Grammar School, while his father was still
working in London in the midst of war.
He was best at art and drawing subjects at school and after
leaving, he landed a job at Publicity Picture Productions
who specialised in animated cartoons. He was earning £3.50
a week filling in and tracing cartoon animations and running
errands. After one disastrous day Moore made a mistake of
some celluloid and forgot some errands, he was fired.
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While he was out of work it was suggested to him
that he make a bit of money as an extra for a film
called Caesar and Cleopatra. On Roger's third day
in the studio, he was approached by the co-director
of the film Brain Desmond Hurst who asked him if he
would like to become an actor. Roger simply couldn't
refuse and Hurst told him, that if he could get financial
support from his family for the time being, he would
pay the fees for Moore to the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Arts.
His days at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts were
among the happiest days of his life. In 1945 after
the war, Roger was called up for mandatory service
and was sent to officer training. At the end of his
service he married Doorn Van Steyn, a girl he met
at RADA.
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Roger wasn't an instant success in the theatrical profession,
but did get one month of work in the film Trottie True.
After a few small parts in films, he tried modelling and
found that is was a good way to earn a living. His first
big break came when he understudied for the play The Little
Hut. In America, he starred in a few television plays until
his first film, MGM's "The Last time I saw Paris"
starring Elizabeth Taylor.
Moore had then starred in many TV series including "The
Saint" and finally in the series "The Persuaders",
even after he promised himself he would never do another
television series. When he had finished his role in "The
Persuaders", his career as James Bond got off to a
kick start when he received a telephone call from producer
Harry Saltzman. Looking for a new 007, Saltzman asked Roger
if he would accept the offer, to which he agreed. He was
required to loose weight and have his hair cut shorter for
the role. He starred as 007 in Live and Let Die, after success
in the film, he went on to star in "The Man with the
Golden Gun".
Roger had once said "I think Bond films are great
- escapist entertainment, expensively made" very true
at that, a good thing for Moore was that he felt he was
being paid for having fun and living out his fantasies.
After seven films, he became a veteran of Bond films, starring
as James Bond more times than any other actor. He started
to think the audience were getting sick of 'Roger Moore
stars as James Bond 007' and also thought the films would
become dirty if he, at 57 continue starring as Bond romancing
young women.
In recent times Moore has hosted a number of TV specials,
his latest roles were in the Jean Claude Van Damme film
"The Quest" and much to the disgust of many Bond
fans, the Spice Girls movie. Moore is now mainly involved
with the charity UNICEF, which he became involved in through
his long friendship with Audry Hepburn.
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