Over the years, there have been many actors who have taken a crack at the role of James Bond. From Daniel Craig to Sean Connery, every cinephile has their favourite 007 stars. However, it turns out that Rodger Moore may have everyone beat when it comes to being the people’s MI6 agent.
Mark Hayes – a scriptwriter from London – shared a childhood memory via Facebook, that proves that Moore was the perfect incarnation of Bond, period. Back in 1983, a seven-year-old Hayes met Moore by chance at Nice Airport, and went over with his Grandfather to ask for the 007 alumni’s signature. But, much to the child’s dismay, the actor signed his real name instead of ‘James Bond’. This prompted Hayes to corner Moore and ask him to correct his mistake.
Seeing the child’s confusion about his on-screen and real identity, Moore decided to fully lean into his role and gave Hayes an unforgettable chance – to work for James Bond in real life. “When I was by his knee, he leant over, looked from side to side, raised an eyebrow and in a hushed voice said to me, “I have to sign my name as ‘Roger Moore’ because otherwise…Blofeld might find out I was here,” Hayes wrote in his social post.
“He asked me not to tell anyone that I’d just seen James Bond, and he thanked me for keeping his secret,” Hayes continued. “I went back to our seats, my nerves absolutely jangling with delight. My grandad asked me if he’d signed ‘James Bond.’ No, I said. I’d got it wrong. I was working with James Bond now.”
Hayes would meet Moore again years later while working as a scriptwriter on a recording that involved UNICEF. The scriptwriter mentioned in passing his childhood interaction with the star, who was happy to have left Hayes with a memory but claimed: “Well, I don’t remember, but I’m glad you got to meet James Bond.”
But what would Bond be if not a master at espionage? Moore did, in fact, remember Hayes and decided that even if the seven-year-old he had once met was grown, he would again fully lean into his role of secret agent.
“After the filming, he walked past me in the corridor, heading out to his car,” Hayes shared. “But as he got level, he paused, looked both ways, raised an eyebrow and in a hushed voice said, “Of course, I remember our meeting in Nice. But I didn’t say anything in there because those cameramen – any one of them could be working for Blofeld.”
Not many stars would go to such lengths for their fans, and we doubt there will be another Bond actor who would be so dedicated to the character and his fans again.