Sir Roger Moore: In his own words

Beyond his acting career, Sir Roger Moore was an accomplished and witty raconteur. Here is a look at his best quotes, on Bond and beyond.

On fame

"Being eternally known as Bond has no downside. People often call me 'Mr Bond' when we're out and I don't mind a bit. Why would I?" [The Guardian, 2014]

On his acting technique

"You just have to look at the lines, say them, and don't bump into the furniture." [Cambridge Edition]

On talent

"I believe any talent I have, any gift I possess, is merely loaned to me by a greater being." [My Word Is My Bond, 2009]

On his upbringing

"My father believed in toughness, honesty, politeness and being on time. All very important lessons."

On his interpretation of Bond

"I came into it after it was very well-established and, obviously, I couldn't play it in the same way so I had to have a different approach. And I am a lighter sort of actor than Sean [Connery]." [BBC TV interview, 1985]

• Sir Roger Moore dies aged 89

• A life in pictures

• Obituary: Sir Roger Moore

• Sir Roger Moore: One Lucky Fellow

• Sir Roger Moore on Desert Island Discs

On working with Grace Jones

"Is it fun? Well, if you keep out of the way of her feet and her handbag, yes." [Starlog, 1985]

On why Bond is unrealistic

The Bond situations to me are so ridiculous, so outrageous. I mean, this man is supposed to be a spy and yet everybody knows he's a spy. Every bartender in the world offers him martinis which are shaken and not stirred. What kind of serious spy is recognized everywhere he goes? It's outrageous. [Starlog, 1985]

On playing pranks during filming

"I am absolutely evil with Desmond Llewelyn who plays Q because I secretly rewrite all of his dialogue before a scene and get the director to give him whole pages of this terrible technical junk which is impossible to learn. And he still falls for it? Yes, it gets him every time." [007 magazine, 1987]

On the theatre

"I think if you don't get nervous then it's going to be flat. It just makes you concentrate. The first thing before you walk on a stage, it's like doing a play: 'Oh my God, what's the first line?' The first line is to take a deep breath, step forward and allow the exhalation of the breath and out will come the words." [Yorkshire Post, 2013]

On Daniel Craig

"Daniel Craig is a far grittier Bond. I think that makes him a more real Bond. He's so good at being gritty. I mean he looks like a killer. Whereas, I look like a decrepit lover." [Plymouth Herald]

On his decision to quit the Bond series

"I became very conscious that I was getting long in the tooth to play the great lover... Not that I ever needed Viagra." [EW, 2008]

On retirement - or otherwise

"There's an old saying that actors don't retire until the phone stops ringing. It depends on what there is for an old gentlemen to do. I'm not about to run around and do acrobatics, so if I can find something witty to do, I'd love to do it." [BBC News, 2013]

On death

"My attitude about death is, going into the next room, and it's a room that the rest of us can't get into because we don't have the key. But when we do get the key, we'll go in there and we'll see one another again, in some shape or form, or whatever." [NPR, 2014]

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