Born in Clapham, London in 1927, the son of a London policeman, Sir Roger Moore attended Hackford Road Elementary School and then Battersea Grammar School. Evacuated to Worthing at the outbreak of World War II, he returned to London in 1943. After leaving school, Moore worked as a tracer/filler/office boy with the animation company Publicity Picture Productions. He was fired after a short time, and in 1944 he was accepted by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and attended for three terms. He then joined the Cambridge Arts Theatre Repertory Company.
In 1945, Moore was called up for National Service and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and then promoted to Captain in the Combined Services Entertainment. At the end of his Army service he worked as an assistant stage manager at the BBC Studios at Alexander Palace and supplemented his salary by working as an advertising model. Then came a small part in the West End stage production of Mister Roberts and an understudy role alongside David Tomlinson in The Little Hut. His American debut followed, and he appeared in A Pin to See the Peepshow on Broadway. It was then that Hollywood beckoned with an MGM contract. In 1957, he played the title role in "Ivanhoe," returning to England for a total of 39 episodes.
When Moore returned to Hollywood in 1958 he was put under contract by Warner Bros. and starred in the TV series "The Alaskans" and "Maverick." In 1962, Moore got his big break when he was cast as "The Saint," the most successful TV series at that time. Moore went on to star in "The Persuaders" television series with Tony Curtis in 1971.
The pinnacle of Moore's career came in 1972 when he was cast in the title role of the massively successful "James Bond" movie franchise. He continued in this cinematic series for a total of seven productions, slotting in a dozen feature films where time allowed.
Since 1991 when he was appointed a Special Ambassador to UNICEF, Moore, accompanied by his wife, has toured the world to speak at fundraising events. In 1999, he received the title Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF. He was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen's New Year Honors. In 2003, Moore was awarded a Knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honors for his charity work.
Recent years have seen Moore concentrating on his UNICEF work, but continuing to work in film, TV and stage when time allows. Most recently he has voiced a number of animated films, including "Here Comes Peter Cottontail," "The Fly Who Loved Me," "Agent Crush" and "Cats And Dogs II." He has also appeared in London's West End and on Broadway as special guest in The Play What I Wrote.
Moore resides in Monaco with his wife Kristina. He has three children from his former marriage, and four grandchildren.
