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I grew up in the 80’s.
And in the 80’s, if you were a young boy looking for a role model on how to be a bad-ass renaissance man who could handle anything and never crack under pressure, nobody did it better than this guy:
Roger Moore as James Bond.
Whether it was rolling into the Italian Alps in his Lotus Esprit Turbo, parachuting on skis over his enemies, battling off Jaws, or staring death in the face with the gorgeous Melina Havelock, Roger Moore exemplified coolness, charm and unconquerable adaptability.
There are those who will insist that Sean Connery was the only “real” Bond, but I beg to differ. I actually think Connery’s Bond was a little more one-dimensional. He was cold, hard-to-reach, and mysterious. (Which of course made him irresistibly sexy and admirable to many.) But Moore’s version was more vulnerable. He was more open. He let his boyish side show more, never afraid to crack a joke when hanging out with Q. And he wasn’t afraid to smile.
So now that sadly Roger Moore’s time on this planet has come to an end, I’d like to revisit all the lessons I learned from a youth full of watching him in Bond movies.
1. Make a grand entrance. If you’re going to show up somewhere, do it in style. Let everyone know what kind of man you are. Arrive in a tux. Or a submarining sports car. Or by parachute. Barring none of those on hand, always carry a rakish wit and an inquisitive mind.
2. Have some manners. The world is full of brutes and rogues. Being courteous, charming and well-dressed and will help you negotiates the ups and downs of many a tangle.
3. Always be prepared. You can never know what’s around the corner. So while having an armament of exploding pens definitely helps, most of all, prepare an exit plan before you enter any situation.
4. Keep your cool. You might be looking at a no-win situation, but freaking out about it certainly won’t help. Those trying to strong-arm you will become greatly discouraged if you fail to appear rattled.
5. Be decisive. There are some moments in life when hesitation can be the end of you. Sometimes it’s a sniper in a tree, sometimes it’s a fast-approaching crocodile, sometimes it’s a girl at the end of the bar. But if you wait, you might miss only your window of opportunity.
6. Improvise. Had your gun shot out of your hand while being chased on skis? No problem, place your remaining ski pole between two branches to form a clothesline to snap the assailant’s neck as he rides through. Battling villains on an ice rink with no weapons? Use the Zamboni to smash them into submission. There’s always an ace up your sleeve when you think on your feet.
7. Sometimes you have to gamble. Not everything in life is 100% predictable. But the odds favor the bold. When you’re down on your luck, sometimes you have to double down and roll the dice.
8. Never lose your sense of humor. As Moore is deep in a car chase evading murderous thugs in South America, the misadventure sends their car tumbling through the woods, end-over-end. To which Moore quips: “Love a drive in the country.” When things are bleak, there’s always time to laugh.
9. Don’t be afraid to change plans. A modern man knows that life can change on you in an instant. Roll with the changes and remain fluid. Rigidity is death.
10. Know you’re always being watched. It might be assassins, might be admirers, but know that someone is always looking at you and making as assessment. What that impression becomes is up to you.
11. Sometimes you have to surrender in order to win. Occasionally, one must accept being temporarily captured or bested by one’s rival. But once behind enemy lines, the damage you can do from within might be far more instrumental in your eventual victory than staying safe on the outside. Always remember: this too, shall pass.
12. Show some vulnerability. A demonstration of warmth, openness and emotion might help you turn adversaries into allies. Your enemy’s mistress might be your next co-conspirator.
13. There’s always a way out. When things look darkest, when you’re suspended over a shark tank, just thrown out of a plane without a parachute, or just facing a roomful of sword-toting assailants, there is a solution. Insist that it’s close at hand, that you just haven’t found it yet, and don’t rest until you have it in your sights.
Here’s to you, Roger Moore. You inspired us in more ways than you may know. Thanks for a lifetime of fighting till the end.
YouTube/PonAdidas
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Photo: Getty Images
Reading your piece about Roger Moore gave me another slant on the career of this actor whose passing you noted. It took me back many years to a period following my UCLA graduation when I was an low-level office boy at MGM in Culver city. During my 5 1/2 months in the studio’s publicity dept., I took a lot of friends-of-friends of people in management on prescribed tours of the lot. We visited sound stages mainly; it was only if they were considered “important” for whatever reason that I was directed to take any of these people to lunch in… Read more »
Interesting story. Funny, I never saw him in those two pieces. I’d seen him in a few other movies (Bed & Breakfast), and yes, thought he was “good” but not quite as awe-inspiring as in Bond. But I think the following might be true of his career: When you’re James Bond, tons of movie directors/ writers never even send you their scripts, because, “Hey, audiences will never see you as anyone but James Bond.” So I think these guys just don’t get great scripts sent their way after being Bond. And maybe the reason he wasn’t so great was because… Read more »
I think your response was very well taken. And, you know, being a movie star is equivalent to managing a business. In that you have to use your gut judgment to decide which project to say yes to and which to shun. And there are so many factors—pressure from agents/producers/writers/directors/other actors. And some projects look great on paper and fizzle on execution. Others are sketchy and half-baked when offered…only to become award winners on execution. I marvel that any actor is able to craft a successful, up-rising career. My point about Roger was that, way back then, he was simply… Read more »