Roger Moore dead at 89: James Bond actor passes away after short battle with cancer

Acting legend Sir Roger Moore has died. Best known for playing James Bond on the big screen, Moore passed away following a short battle with cancer, his family confirmed in a statement on Tuesday (23 May). He was 89.

A statement posted on the actor's official social media accounts read: "With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated."

"The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified with words alone," the statement continued.

"We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows and his passionate work for UNICEF which he considered to be his greatest achievement.

"The affection our father felt whenever he walked onto a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London's Royal Festival Hall."

Moore rose to prominence after playing 007 in seven Bond films including Live and Let Die and the Spy Who Loved Me. Having played the spy for 12 years, he remains the longest-serving actor in the role.

His death comes months after the death of his stepdaughter Christina Knudsen. In an emotional message to his fans, the Hollywood legend said that he had been left heartbroken after Knudsen – who was the daughter of his fourth wife, multi-millionairess Kiki Tholstrup − passed away aged just 47. "Our beautiful daughter Christina (aka Flossie) lost her battle with cancer 25 July at 10am. We are heartbroken," he told his 52.5k followers, adding: "We were all with her, surrounding her with love, at the end."