James Bond: Sir Roger Moore died 1 year ago today – Family and 007 franchise pay tribute

On May 23, 2017 the 89-year-old star passed away “after a short but brave battle with cancer.”

The suave eyebrow-raising star was known for his tongue-in-cheek take on James Bond in the 1970s and 1980s.

To date Sir Roger is the longest serving actor to play 007, having starred in seven Bond movies between 1973 and 1985.

Although his record in terms of time is set to be broken by the incumbent Daniel Craig once his fifth film, the untitled Bond 25, is released in November 2019.

Marking the first anniversary of his death, Sir Roger’s family have written a message through his official Twitter account.

The tribute read: “One year ago today we lost a man who was so very special to so very many people.

“A friend, a colleague, a father, a husband and a hero.

“May his legacy and memory never fade. X.”

Meanwhile the James Bond franchise’s official Twitter account also wrote a tribute.

It read: “On this day last year, Sir Roger Moore passed away. He played James Bond a record seven times starting with LIVE AND LET DIE in 1973.”

The text was accompanied by a black and white picture of Sir Roger as Bond, with the words “Nobody Does It Better.”

Fans will know this refers to the theme tune from 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, a film regarded by many to be one of the franchise’s very best.