007 Turns 80

Doubly favored in this genre for once having played Simon Templar (aka The Saint) on television, and later portraying concupiscent British secret spy James Bond in seven Agent 007 feature films, actor Roger Moore turns 80 years old today.

Recapping Moore’s Bond years (1973-1985), Gerald So offers some thoughts and interesting tidbits about the actor in his blog today:

In that time, Moore broadened Bond’s sense of humor and thus his appeal. No one can wrinkle his nose and smirk with disdain better than Sir Roger.

By the same token, Moore is probably most responsible for turning Bond into a caricature, a reputation that followed the character until 2006’s Casino Royale. Moore hates shooting firearms, which caused him to ruin countless Bond takes. All the scenes that involve running in his seven Bond movies were performed by doubles as he felt he looked awkward running. He hates being wet while acting, not the best quality for someone playing a Royal Navy commander.

At the same time as we’re applauding Moore for filling the shoes of Templar and Bond, though, we shouldn’t forget that he also played Lord Brett Sinclair, an aristocratic Englishman who teamed up with oil exec and playboy Danny Wilde (Tony Curtis) to solve crimes in the 1971 UK series The Persuaders!; and later, he donned a deerstalker and pipe as Arthur Conan Doyle’s Great Detective in the 1976 teleflick Sherlock Holmes in New York. All of these roles combined give him near-exalted status in this genre.

If you would like to send the nose-wrinkling Sir Roger a birthday greeting today, you can do so here.