Tributes have been lavished on Roger Moore who sadly passed away at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer. Moore was widely known for his portrayal of James Bond. In fact, he played James Bond in seven feature films between 1973 and 1985 which is more than any other actor who played the British spy. He was synonymous with Bond and brought a suave nature to the character, so now seems as good a time as any to celebrate some of his best films in the iconic franchise.

Very sad news. Roger Moore passed away at the age of 89. He was my favorite #JamesBond 😥 pic.twitter.com/xJCVOQcbR8 — Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz) May 23, 2017

‘The Spy Who Loved Me’

Widely considered to be the best of Roger Moore’s Bond films, ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ was the tenth instalment in the Bond franchise and the third to star Roger Moore.

Released in 1977, the story focuses on Bond’s attempt to thwart Karl Stromberg, a megalomaniac who wants to destroy the world and create a new civilisation under the sea.

Elements of the Film such as the gadgets, the sets, Barbara Bach’s performance as Anya Amasova and Carly Simon’s iconic song ‘Nobody Does It Better’ were praised by critics and helped make the film a staple in the Bond franchise. Moreover, it was the first appearance of iconic Bond villain Jaws, played by Richard Kiel. All of this combined to make ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ Roger Moore’s favourite Bond film.

‘Live and Let Die’

‘Live and Let Die’ was the film which saw the debut of Roger Moore as James Bond. Released in 1973, Moore was coming into the role with a lot of pressure on him.

He was following on from George Lazenby’s failed outing as Bond and Lazenby himself was the replacement for Sean Connery.

Connery was beloved as James Bond and it was tough for any actor to replace him. Yet, in ‘Live and Let Die’, Moore made the character of James Bond his own and, with the help of the legendary title track performed by Paul McCartney, he abetted this film into becoming a fan-favourite.

Additionally, it set the foundation for Moore to play James Bond for as long as he did.

Honourable Mentions

While ‘Live and Let Die’ and ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ are the staple Bond films in the Roger Moore era, a lot of Bond fans have affinity for ‘Moonraker’ and ‘For Your Eyes Only’. It is safe to say that Roger Moore brought a lot to the role of James Bond.

Moreover, Roger Moore's career outside of James Bond is also worthy of recognition, especially when you look at his work in 'The Saint' which was a popular TV show in the 1960s. His role as Lieutenant Shawn Fynn alongside Richard Burton and Richard Harris in 'The Wild Geese' also helped Moore achieve the legendary status that he had in the entertainment industry. Undoubtedly, he will be sorely missed.