marieclaire.com.au 215GETTY IMAGESRoger
Moore
Suave, sexy – and at one
time the highest-paid
actor in the world – the
man behind James Bond
had a softer side, too.
By Jacqueline LangT
he struggling English
actor was despondent.
At 23, Roger Moore
was broke, out of work,
and his marriage was
on the rocks. His wife,
Doorn Van Steyn, an actress and ice
skater he’d married five years earlier,
was fed up with his inability to land a
major part. “You’ll never be an actor!”
Van Steyn, six years Moore’s senior,snapped at the part-time knitwear
model. “Your face is too weak, your jaw
is too big and your mouth’s too small!”
The marriage soon ended – but
Moore’s acting career went on to flour-
ish. At one stage, he was the world’s
top-paid actor, his good looks and
smooth English charm amassing fans
across the globe. Had Van Steyn waited
just a couple more years, she’d have
watched her husband land a seven-yearcontract at MGM studios. By 1973,
Roger Moore was a household name,
landing the coveted role as the woman-
ising secret agent James Bond 007,
first played by Sean Connery. For seven
movies over 12 years, Moore played the
sexy spy in his trademark suave and
witty way, replacing Connery’s harder,
more macho style. In doing so, he
became the longest-serving 007 in the
franchise’s history. The role propelledLIFE STORIES