Sir Roger Moore’s unseen home videos

He had a licence to appeal on display, together with his sultry voice and suave, chiselled beauty. However in personal, actor Sir Roger Moore – who performed James Bond in seven movies – was equally as snug behind the digital camera.

A brand new BBC documentary to air on Christmas Day will reveal never-before-seen dwelling video footage, filmed by Sir Roger himself, of his household and really well-known associates – together with actor Kirk Douglas and singer Olivia Newton-John.

A younger Sir Elton John can also be noticed descending from the skies in a helicopter prepared for lunch with Sir Roger and different celeb friends – the likes of Joan Collins and David Attenborough.

Sir Roger’s son Geoffrey, who discovered the outdated video cassettes within the cabinets and storage at his household’s dwelling in Switzerland, remembers the gathering in France nicely.

He performed a recreation of tennis with Sir Elton, he remembers, in an unique interview for BBC Information, earlier than the singer flew off to Cannes to movie the music video for his hit music, I am Nonetheless Standing.

Sir Roger additionally received behind the digital camera to movie far more intimate events together with his three youngsters – Geoffrey, Deborah and Christian – and their mom, his third spouse, Italian actress Luisa Mattioli.

Bringing the recollections of the previous again to life once more on display proved poignant for Geoffrey and his siblings.

“I believe the best way he was simply filming was as any father would movie his youngsters. It was only a household man recording, documenting a time,” says Geoffrey.

“I believe it was additionally as a result of [the camera] was a brand new toy, so he needed to make use of it.”

Rising up, being surrounded by stars from the silver display was regular for Geoffrey.

“I imply [Frank] Sinatra was very near the household and we used to spend so much of Thanksgivings and Easters collectively. Kirk Douglas, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, they have been all very, very expensive associates.”

Sir Roger’s daughter Deborah remembers her father could not sustain with Frank Sinatra’s consuming and would secretly pour his whisky into the plant pots.

The household would watch comedy duo Morecambe and Clever on TV on a Friday evening, says Geoffrey, after which Eric and Ernie would come over for Sunday lunch.

He additionally remembers assembly Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery – the primary James Bond – in addition to stars from Hollywood’s golden age, akin to Fred Astaire and Olivia De Havilland.

“I imply, if I take into consideration how fortunate we have been… to the purpose the place even Roger would say, ‘Goodness, have a look at that, we have Gene Kelly sitting there. Is not that great!'”.

However regardless of being surrounded by stardom, Sir Roger was very “self-deprecating”, says Geoffrey.

“I at all times say, the larger the expertise, the smaller the limousine. And he was extremely humble,” he says.

On the finish of a day’s filming, Sir Roger would merely get pleasure from watching TV together with his household in his dressing robe and slippers.

“His deal with was baked beans on toast,” says Geoffrey. “He did not want caviar.”

Sir Roger got here from humble beginnings. He grew up in Stockwell in south London. His father was a police officer and his mom labored in a tearoom. He crafted his aristocratic English accent on the Royal Academy of Dramatic Artwork (Rada) and earned cash modelling knitting patterns.

His large break got here in 1962, enjoying Simon Templar within the TV sequence, The Saint.

Geoffrey remembers the telephone name his father acquired when he came upon he had been chosen to take over the position of Britain’s most well-known undercover agent.

The final three digits of Sir Roger’s telephone quantity simply occurred to be 007.

“He answered the telephone with ‘007’, as a result of that is what you do, and the voice mentioned, ‘That you’re Roger,'” says Geoffrey.

Sean Connery was the closest to writer Ian Fleming’s depiction of the character in his spy novels, says Geoffrey, as in “I will sleep with you and kill your boss tomorrow”.

“Whereas, Roger did not need to fireplace a gun actually,” says Geoffrey, “he simply form of killed them with appeal.”

He at all times had a really sardonic method, says Geoffrey, and that was his interpretation, he provides.

“Let’s make James Bond Roger Moore,” he says, “[as] against Roger having to play a employed gun who’s licensed to kill. And I believe he was extra like ‘licensed to thrill.'”

This took an infinite quantity of expertise, says Geoffrey.

Of the Bond movies that starred Sir Roger, Geoffrey says his father’s favorite was The Spy Who Liked Me.

Rising up on film units was incredible, remembers Geoffrey, however having James Bond as your father attracted fairly a little bit of consideration on the college run.

When Sir Roger got here to choose him up from college someday, he remembers the automotive was immediately surrounded by pupils – eager to catch a glimpse of the star.

“I assumed, ‘Oh, okay, he is identified, I am not the one one which sees him on the field,'” he says.

However dwelling within the public eye could possibly be tough when there was a scandal.

Geoffrey remembers a telephone name his father made to him one morning, letting him know the papers had received maintain of the story that he was leaving his mom.

“I mentioned, ‘Properly, thanks for the heads up! How lengthy have I received?'” says Geoffrey.

The press had already surrounded his mom’s home. It creates “a small scar to see that your ache is uncovered,” says Geoffrey. “I believe that is the worst a part of being well-known.”

After his break up from Luisa, Sir Roger went on to marry his fourth spouse, Kristina Tholstrup, in any other case referred to as Kiki. He had additionally been beforehand married to actress {and professional} ice skater Doorn van Steyn and singer Dorothy Squires.

Sir Roger died in 2017 on the age of 89. In his later years, actress Audrey Hepburn had requested him to tackle her humanitarian work for the youngsters’s charity Unicef, says Geoffrey.

“It says quite a bit about his love for humanity, his love for youngsters. And that, I believe, might be his biggest position.”

From Roger Moore with Love shall be broadcast on Wednesday 25 December at 21:00 GMT on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.