Why Roger Moore Stayed James Bond For So Long

The tale of why Roger Moore stayed James Bond for such a long time is one of Agent 007’s more legendary stories. With a record-breaking seven movies in the Eon era, Moore became the eldest Bond actor, as well as the one to appear as James Bond the most times. Making him the oldest 007 spy on screen was a memorable choice, but Roger Moore held onto James Bond for notable reasons.

Sir Roger Moore took up the reins from the previous Bond, Sean Connery, who retired his role as 007 with 1971’s Diamonds are Forever. Beginning in 1973, Roger Moore wowed audiences with his debut as the new James Bond in Live and Let Die. At 58 years old, Moore finally left the role in 1985’s A View to a Kill, having played Bond for 12 years. As his Bond movies earned over $1 billion, Moore cemented his name as a definitive James Bond for decades to come.

The reason that Roger Moore retained the James Bond title for over a decade was due to the actor’s top physical abilities, plus Moore’s choice to remain 007 of his own volition. The London-born Moore expressed pride in playing the role well into his fifties, purposely staying fit and active enough to continue playing the very physical role of James Bond. In a rare turn, Moore was not forced to leave the coveted Bond role by the studio. Instead, Sir Roger Moore left when he chose to and only when he was ready to pass the torch to someone else. Moore’s astonishing and astonishingly successful embodiment of Bond earned him the right to leave on his own terms. When asked about retirement and any problems regarding doing James Bond stunts at his age, Roger Moore explained, “It wasn’t because of the physical stuff.” Instead, it was his realization that other aspects of playing James Bond were a young man’s game that he left.

In later years, Moore confessed, “Physically I was okay, but facially I started looking…” He explained he’d started noticing the leading ladies in his films looked young enough to be one of his grandchildren. He also came to the realization that he had been playing the same role for 12 years. Post-007, the James Bond star did not act on screen for another five years. However, he remained in front of the camera until 2017, always eager to practice his craft, even if not playing James Bond.

Timothy Dalton was cast in the role of James Bond after Roger Moore’s departure. His debut came just two years after Moore’s finale, in 1987’s The Living Daylights. Nonetheless, Roger Moore is an outstanding example of what it means to be a memorable James Bond. Reaching an age that is unmatched by any other Bond actor, Moore took on the role for a period of time only recently met by Daniel Craig. Clearly, Sir Roger Moore stayed on as James Bond for so long because he knew what it took to make 007 his very own.

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