Roger Moore - `I will be the first Bond to kick the bucket`

Sir Roger Moore, 81, is best known for bringing tongue-in-cheek humour to the role of James Bond. He was knighted in 2003 for his work with Unicef and lives in Switzerland and Monaco with fourth wife Kristina. His autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, is out now in paperback. Metro caught up with Sir Roger for a brief interview...

What don’t you like about yourself?
My appetite and my waistline. I can’t do as much exercise as I used to and I still like to eat so I have to go through periodic days of not eating too much. It’s a huge bore.

Do you feel your age?
I try not to think about it too much, otherwise it may stop me doing what I want to do. I’ll stop stretching to reach things or I won’t run down the stairs because I may trip.

You’re the oldest ex-Bond. Do you think about kicking the bucket?
Yes, I am the oldest out of all of them so I imagine I will go first. I should have had someone else answer the phone and say you were five minutes too late.

You had your prostate removed more than 20 years ago. Were you scared?
There is a wonderful poem by Jorge Luis Borges that says: ‘If I could live my life again I would eat more ice cream and watch more sunsets.’ I do remember evaluating my life a little at that point and thinking perhaps I haven’t got that long.

What’s the secret to a good relationship?
If I knew, I wouldn’t have been married four times. I don’t know if my marriages taught me how to be a particularly good husband. I imagine I can be a pretty rotten one sometimes but I am very happy now.

You were once quoted as saying: ‘I enjoy being a highly overpaid actor.’
Of course I do, I would be a bloody fool if I didn’t.

What do you think of today’s celebrity obsession?
There used to be a mystique in theatre, long before the days of television. Actors were remote and didn’t come into contact with the audience. The same could be said of cinema and the major stars of old Hollywood. It all went wrong when people started to wear aprons and do home layouts in glossy magazines. It started a big intrusion into people’s lives. I never do them. I like shutting my door and enjoying my private life. Those ones in Hello! are terrible.

What has your work with Unicef taught you?
That many people have absolutely nothing and they have no hope. I remember my first field trip in the early 1990s; we were on our way back from Central America and we had a three-hour wait at Dallas Airport. Unicef had arranged a press conference so I could speak about what I had seen in Guatemala. A man in the audience spoke up and said [puts on Texan twang]: ‘Mr Moore, you talk about the poor, well, we have got poor in our country right here.’ And I said to him: ‘Quite frankly, you can kiss my a***. The poorest man in America is a multimillionaire compared to a poor man in the developing world.’

What do you think of Daniel Craig?
He is a terrific actor and a terrific Bond. I couldn’t believe the amount of grief he was getting before he even took the role. He’s a bloody good actor and a good-looking guy. He’s pretty tough.

Could your Bond beat his Bond in a fight?
ood God, no. I am even cowardly in real life.

What annoys you about Bond?
He’s not the most believable spy, is he? I still struggle to understand how James Bond can be a spy when he is recognised by everyone everywhere in the world. I mean, everybody knows he wants a Martini shaken not stirred. And that invisible car Pierce Brosnan had was a bit far-fetched.

Who is your favourite Bond girl?
I have her now.

One of my friends told me you were the boyfriend she always wanted, the dad she always wanted and now you’re the grandad she always wanted.
Well, I am still available for the next couple of years.

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