Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 24 May 2017

Roger Moore had prouder achievements than playing James Bond

ROBERT BARR the series, which also aired only child of a policeman,
Associated Press in the United States, ended Moore had studied paint-
JILL LAWLESS in 1969, his partnership with ing before enrolling in the
Associated Press its producers had made Royal Academy of Dra-
LONDON (AP) — Sir Roger him a wealthy man. matic Art. He played a few
Moore saw more to life He succeeded even as small roles in theater and
than a well-mixed martini. critics scorned. His per- films before his mandatory
“I felt small, insignificant formance opposite Lana army duty, then moved to
and rather ashamed that Turner in the 1956 movie Hollywood in the 1950s. He
I had traveled so much “Diane” was likened by appeared opposite Eliza-
making films and ignored Time magazine to “a lump beth Taylor in 1954’s “The
what was going on around of English roast beef.” In Last Time I Saw Paris” and
me,” he would say years the 1970s, New York Times with Eleanor Parker in “In-
after starring in seven reviewer Vincent Canby terrupted Melody” the fol-
James Bond movies and dismissed Moore’s act- lowing year.
upon accepting a role that ing abilities as having “re- In 1970, he became man-
his friend Audrey Hepburn duced all human emotions aging director for Euro-
inspired him to take on, to a series of variations on pean production for Fa-
goodwill ambassador for one gesture, the raising of berge’s Brut Productions.
UNICEF. the right eyebrow.” With the company, he co-
Moore, who died Tuesday He was more inspired when starred with Tony Curtis in
at age 89, didn’t seem to helping others. He became “The Persuaders!” for British
take Bond that seriously the UNICEF ambassador in television and helped pro-
even while playing him. 1991 and five years later duce “A Touch of Class,”
Burdened with following attended the World Con- which won a best-actress British actor Roger Moore, playing the title role of secret service
Sean Connery as Agent gress Against Commercial Oscar for Glenda Jackson. agent 007, James Bond, is shown on location in England in 1972.
Associated Press
007, Moore kept it light, Sexual Exploitation of Chil- q
using a wry, amused tone dren, and disclosed that he
and perpetually arched too had been a victim.
eyebrow as if he had land- “I was molested when I was
ed on the set by accident. a child — not seriously —
Connery embodied for mil- but I didn’t tell my mother
lions the role of Bond as the until I was 16, because I felt
suave drinker, womanizer that it was something to
and disposer of evil. Moore be ashamed of,” he told
didn’t so much inhabit the The Associated Press at the
character as look upon him time. He gave no details,
with disbelief. but said it was important to
“To me, the Bond situa- encourage young victims
tions are so ridiculous, so not to feel guilty.
outrageous,” he once said. “They’re being exploited.
“I mean, this man is sup- We have to tell them that,”
posed to be a spy and yet, Moore said.
everybody knows he’s a In 2003, he was knighted
spy. Every bartender in the by Queen Elizabeth II, not
world offers him martinis for his acting, but for his hu-
that are shaken, not stirred. manitarian work. Moore re-
What kind of serious spy is ceived the Dag Hammar-
recognized everywhere he skjold Inspiration Award for
goes? It’s outrageous. So his contributions to UNICEF
you have to treat the hu- and was named a com-
mor outrageously as well.” mander in France’s Nation-
The handsome, dark- al Order of Arts and Letters
haired actor had long, full in 2008, an award he said
lives before and after his was worth “more than an
debut as Bond, in 1973. Oscar.” In a statement
He was remembered Tuesday, UNICEF execu-
warmly by fans of the tive director Anthony Lake
popular U.S. 1950s-60s TV praised Moore as one of
series “Maverick” as Be- the “great champions for
auregarde Maverick, the children.”
English cousin of the Wild “In his most famous roles as
West’s Maverick broth- an actor, Sir Roger was the
ers, Bret and Bart. He also epitome of cool sophistica-
starred in the 1959 U.S. se- tion; but in his work as a UNI-
ries “The Alaskans.” In Eng- CEF Goodwill Ambassador,
land, he had a long-run- he was a passionate - and
ning TV hit with “The Saint,” highly persuasive — advo-
playing Simon Templar, the cate for children,” Lake
enigmatic action hero who wrote. “He once said that
helps put wealthy crooks in it was up to all of us to give
jail while absconding with children a more peaceful
their fortunes. By the time future. Born in London, the