Roger Moore, the longest-serving James Bond in cinema history, shocked the world when he decided to walk away from the role that defined his career. But his decision to quit was only part of a much more complicated story—one that included a painful childhood secret he carried for decades and a series of turbulent marriages marked by abuse. Moore often downplayed his own talents, even ranking himself as only the fourth-best Bond behind Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, and George Lazenby. He once explained the difference between his portrayal and Connery’s, saying, “Sean played Bond as a killer and I played Bond as a lover,” adding that he only felt like a ruthless agent on Fridays, payday.
Raised as an only child in Stockwell, Moore grew up in modest circumstances. His father worked as a constable, and his mother, the daughter of a general, managed the household. Money was tight, but the family managed. From a young age, Moore was drawn to cinema, and at 16 he landed an apprenticeship as a cartoonist at an animation company.
That job ended quickly after he accidentally damaged valuable animation cells, and the company let him go immediately. But a better opportunity came through an unexpected connection. When a burglary took place at the home of director Brian Desmond Hurst, Moore’s father—a constable involved in the case—introduced his son to the filmmaker. Hurst offered the young Moore a role as an extra in Caesar and Cleopatra, and Moore seized the chance.
On set, Moore stood out immediately. At 6’4″ with golden hair and deep blue eyes, he drew a flock of female fans. Recognizing his charm, Hurst offered to support Moore’s attendance at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. There, Moore honed the suave persona that would later become his trademark, and he befriended Lois Maxwell, who would go on to play Miss Moneypenny opposite him in the Bond films.
It was also at RADA that Moore met Dawn Van Stein, a 26-year-old actress and single mother. At just 19, Moore married her, and it seemed like a fairy-tale beginning. But the marriage quickly soured. Van Stein grew frustrated with Moore’s struggling career, and the relationship turned abusive.
Moore later recalled her cruel words: “You’ll never make it as an actor. Your face is too weak. ” He said she would scratch him and once threw a teapot at him during an argument. After that incident, he decided he had had enough and left.
In 1952, Moore met singer Dorothy Squire, 12 years his senior. After divorcing Van Stein in 1953, Moore married Squire, but their marriage was also volatile. Moore claimed Squire was abusive as well, once smashing a guitar over his head during a fight. The couple also struggled with infertility, and Squire suffered heartbreaking miscarriages, which devastated Moore, who dreamed of becoming a father.
In 1961, Squire issued an ultimatum: leave America or the marriage was over. The couple moved to England, but Moore’s affair with Italian actress Luisa Mattioli, his co-star in Romulus and the Sabines, led him to leave Squire. An enraged Squire threw a brick through Moore’s window, and when police arrived, she reportedly told them, “It’s my heart that’s bleeding. ”
Squire then sued Moore for neglecting the marriage and dragged out divorce proceedings for nearly eight years.
During that time, Moore’s career took a major turn when he landed the lead role in the TV series The Saint. The show became a smash hit in England and across the Atlantic, making Moore a household name in more than 60 countries. In 1969, Squire finally granted Moore a divorce, allowing him to marry Mattioli. It was the start of a new chapter that would soon include the role of a lifetime.
In 1966, Eon Productions offered Moore the role of James Bond after Sean Connery stepped away. But Moore refused to even consider it until Connery had officially retired. When the time came, he was confirmed as the new Bond for Live and Let Die. Moore had mixed feelings about the role.
He had to lose weight and cut his hair, which he wasn’t thrilled about. But he was determined to make the character his own, crafting a Bond who was witty, charming, and didn’t take himself too seriously. The result was a fresh take on the spy that audiences immediately embraced. What made Moore’s Bond unique was his emphasis on personality over physicality.
He relied on clever wit more than sheer strength, striking a balance that worked well, especially in his debut film. But playing Bond came with its own challenges. Moore refused to run on camera, believing he looked awkward, and insisted on a body double for all running scenes. He also disliked guns, a fear that stemmed from a childhood accident and a military mishap.
He once said, “I’ve always hated guns and what they stand for. ”
A close friendship with actress Audrey Hepburn had a profound impact on Moore’s life. Hepburn became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, dedicated to providing clean water, food, and medicine to children worldwide. Moore was deeply inspired by her work and eventually chose to support the cause himself.
It was through this work that he found the courage to share a painful secret from his childhood. “I was abused as a child,” Moore bravely confessed. “Not severely, but I didn’t open up to my mother until I was 16 because I carried the weight of shame. ” He recognized the importance of using his star power to prevent other child victims from enduring the same overwhelming guilt he had felt.
After the success of his first Bond film, the studio made an attempt to make the character darker, which Moore disliked. The Man with the Golden Gun was a flop and almost ended the franchise. But when Moore returned as Bond in 1976, everything was revamped. A new director and screenwriter embraced Moore’s cheekier, more comedic Bond.
The result was The Spy Who Loved Me, which Moore called his best Bond film and the one he enjoyed making the most. Despite the film’s success, Moore wanted to quit. By his fifth outing as Bond, he had had enough and told producers he wasn’t keen on returning for a sixth film. But Warner Brothers announced a rival non-canon James Bond movie with Sean Connery, and Eon producers begged Moore to change his mind.
He did, and Octopussy outperformed Connery’s Never Say Never Again. There were other reasons Moore wanted out. He had a falling out with his co-star Grace Jones while filming A View to a Kill. He wrote in his autobiography that she played loud music during breaks, disrupting his sleep.
When asked about her, he said, “My mother once said if you have nothing good to say about someone, then say nothing at all. ”
Most importantly, Moore felt embarrassed about his age. At 57, he believed he was too old to keep playing Bond. “I was getting long in the tooth when the leading ladies came in and they were younger than my daughter,” he remarked.
“I thought, hmm, this is getting on a bit. And then God, I could have had them as granddaughters. It becomes rather disgusting, a dirty old man. ”
After stepping away from Bond, Moore took a five-year break from the big screen and threw himself into UNICEF work.
He received a knighthood, but then his health began to decline. At 66, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Though he made a full recovery, he emerged from the hospital as a changed man, no longer content with the choices of his life. Moore’s influence on cinema cannot be overstated.
He holds the record for the longest run as James Bond, and his portrayal reshaped the spy genre. The Bond series itself has had a massive impact on secret agent films, from Mission Impossible to Bourne to Kingsman. The Bond girls, too, became a phenomenon, presenting strong women who could handle themselves on missions. Bond’s lasting appeal comes from his ability to adapt with the times.
Connery rocked the 1960s swagger, George Lazenby added a touch of romance, and Moore made Bond perfect for the wild 70s. Each actor brought something special, making the character their own and cementing 007’s legendary status. As Moore’s story shows, Bond endures because of his timeless qualities and his journey toward greater depth and complexity.