London, Dec 23 (Representative) The world may remember him as Bond 007, but off-camera and away from his daredevil espionage on the silver screen emerges a different side of this suave actor – a loving father, a humble man, an amateur cameraman capturing candid moments from his private life and a friend to the Hollywood’s elite. A new BBC documentary, “From Roger Moore With Love”, showcases never-before-seen footage filmed by Sir Roger himself. Unearthed by his son Geoffrey at their family home in Switzerland, the footage captures candid moments with his three children—Geoffrey, Deborah, and Christian—and their mother, Italian actress Luisa Mattioli. The recordings also document star-studded gatherings featuring luminaries like Kirk Douglas, Joan Collins, and a young Elton John, whose helicopter arrival for lunch before heading towards Cannes for filming “I’m Still Standing” epitomises the dazzling nature of Moore’s social circle, according to a report by BBC. Despite such grandeur, he was a simple man at heart, Geoffrey said, describing his father as very “self-deprecating”, “I always say, the bigger the talent, the smaller the limousine. And he was incredibly humble”. “His treat was baked beans on toast”. “He didn’t need caviar.” Born in Stockwell, South London, to a policeman father and a mother who worked in a tearoom, Sir Roger’s rise to stardom was remarkable. After honing his craft at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he became a household name as Simon Templar in “The Saint”. In 1973, he took over the mantle of James Bond, bringing his own unique charm and humour to the iconic role. Sean Connery was the closest to author Ian Fleming’s depiction of the character in his spy novels, says Geoffrey, as in “I’m going to sleep with you and kill your boss tomorrow”. “Whereas, Roger didn’t want to fire a gun really,” says Geoffrey, “he just sort of killed them with charm.”
Of the seven Bond films that starred Sir Roger, Geoffrey says his father’s favourite was “The Spy Who Loved Me”. Geoffrey recalls the surreal nature of their upbringing. The family shared Thanksgiving dinners with Frank Sinatra, watched comedy duo Morecambe and Wise on TV on Fridays, only for the comedians to join them for Sunday lunch. “I mean, if I think about how lucky we were… to the point where even Roger would say, ‘Goodness, look at that, we’ve got Gene Kelly sitting there. Isn’t that wonderful!'”. However, fame came with its own set of challenges, Geoffrey vividly remembers the day when his father called him to give him a heads up about a tabloid headline exposé regarding his parents\\ seperation. The press had already surrounded his mother’s house. It creates “a small scar to see that your pain is exposed,” says Geoffrey. “I think that’s the worst part of being famous.” After his split from Luisa, Sir Roger went on to marry his fourth wife, Kristina Tholstrup, otherwise known as Kiki. He had also been previously married to actress and professional ice skater Doorn van Steyn and singer Dorothy Squires. Sir Roger passed away in 2017 at the age of 89, leaving behind not just a legacy of iconic films but also a testament to his enduring humanity. Geoffrey believes his father’s greatest role wasn’t Bond but his work for children and his kindness toward others. “It says a lot about his love for humanity, his love for children. And that, I think, is probably his greatest role.” “From Roger Moore with Love” will air on Wednesday 25 December at 21:00 GMT and according to IST at 2:30am on Tuesday on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.