The 'Bond' of a Lifetime: Pierce Brosnan Writes a Touching Tribute to Sir Roger Moore

We all know that as the most dangerous job in the world, being 007 isn't all martinis and unzipping women's dresses. However, for the men behind #JamesBond, it can be a trip to Hollywood superstardom. So far there have been seven actors to take on the moniker of our "shaken but not stirred" secret agent, and we are patiently waiting for an update on his 25th outing.

Away from the hype of Daniel Craig slipping on his tiny swimshorts again, the world of Bond is currently in mourning after the death of #RogerMoore. As the third man to play Bond, and having starred in seven films over 12 years as the longest serving actor, you can understand why the world of 007 is currently grieving his loss.

A Stirring Tribute

Moored passed away at the age of 89, and among the celebrity mourners was his Bond-in-arms #PierceBrosnan. Although Moore's tenure was replaced by Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, Brosnan later took over the franchise in GoldenEye and saved the country for the next seven years. Now, Brosnan has penned a beautiful letter to his fallen comrade in a guest column for Variety:

"He became James Bond — not an easy task for any man. As an actor he must have known the job at hand was Herculean, with an expectant world awaiting; who was next in line? Sean Connery had set the bar high, and George Lazenby, with mighty flair and a valiant heart, had given it his best. Now it was Roger’s turn. He knew his time was now, and he reigned over seven movies as James Bond with exceptional skill and comic timing laced with a stiletto vengeance. He knew his comedy, he knew who he was and he played onstage and off with an easy grace and charm. He knew that we knew."

He recalled the story of when his late wife, Cassie, was cast in For Your Eyes Only, while also touchingly revealing that, at the tender age of 12, Moore was the only man whose autograph he has ever asked for. Even when they met later, Brosnan was clearly struck by Moore's gravitas:

"By the time I came to stand on the stage as Bond, the performances of Sean Connery and Roger Moore were difficult to shake from my DNA. Roger came down to set one day on 'GoldenEye' and wished me well. I was still in awe of the man."

Moore's run may not have been the biggest highlight of Bond's 55 years on film, however, films like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker outshone lesser entries like Octopussy or A View to a Kill. Moore had us hooked with his gravelly one-liners and a simple eyebrow raise, cementing himself as a heartthrob of the era. As Brosnan continues:

“We fell in love with a magnificent actor. Never forgetting the audience, never letting the begrudgers in, Sir Roger enthralled the world for many years as Bond. Sir Roger played it to the end with impeccable good manners and a wicked sense of irony that was born of years upon the stage. He saved our world, for heaven’s sake, with his movies as James Bond.”

However, it wasn't just Bond, with his tireless work for UNICEF and even a role in Spice World (who can forget that), Moore always retained that twinkle in his eye, even in his twilight years. Sir Roger Moore will clearly be missed by than more than just the ranks of the Bondverse as he hangs up his Walther PPK for good.