Having worked in the celebrity circuit for many years covering entertainment news, I’ve met and interviewed hundreds of celebrities. Although I met a few real stinkers (although won’t name them), most celebs were nice. A few stood out as being just really lovely namely Josh Brolin, Danny Boyle, Ralph Fiennes, Jeremy Renner and Keanu Reeves.
But the story I want to share isn’t mine but rather one that I read years ago and to this day just makes me smile whenever I’m reminded of it, not just because of the content but because it stars one of my all time favourite stars, so if you don’t mind I’d like to share this story.
It’s a terrific story told by a man called Marc Haynes, who remembered meeting Sir Roger Moore at Nice Airport in the South of France as a young (seven-year-old) boy in about 1983, in the days before they had First Class Lounges at airports. He was with his grandad and saw Roger Moore sitting at the departure gate, quietly reading a paper. Marc told his grandfather that he'd seen James Bond and requested to go get an autograph from the actor. His grandad had no idea who James Bond or Roger Moore was, so they walked over and he popped Marc in front of Roger Moore with the words, "my grandson says you're famous… can you sign this?" Sir Roger was quick to ask the young boy’s name and signed the back of his plane ticket with what Marc called "a fulsome note full of best wishes." Marc was ecstatic but as they headed back to their seats, he looked at the signature and saw that it didn't say 'James Bond' but rather 'Roger Moore'. Having no idea who 'Roger Moore' was, his heart sank and Marc told his grandad that he'd signed it wrong and that he'd signed someone else's name - so his grandad marches back to this imposter ‘Roger Moore’, holding the ticket which he's only just signed telling him that he’s signed the wrong name…
When the penny dropped, Sir Roger’s face crinkled up and he beckoned Marc over who when by his knee, leaned over the young boy, theatrically looked from side-to-side, raised is famous eyebrow and said in a hushed voice: “I have to sign my name as 'Roger Moore' because otherwise... Blofeld might find out I was here…”
The actor asked him not to tell anyone that he had seen James Bond and he thanked Marc for keeping his secret. Delighted, he went back to his seat with his grandad and when his grandad asked if he'd signed 'James Bond.' Marc said he hadn’t, but that it was OK, he’d just got it wrong.
After all, he was working with James Bond now…
Many years later Marc was working as a scriptwriter on a video project for UNICEF for which Sir Roger was a longstanding and devoted ambassador and was recording a piece to camera. According to Marc, the living legend was just being completely lovely and funny, putting everyone at ease as was his way. As they were setting up, Marc told Sir Roger the story of how the two of them had meet at Nice Airport all those years ago. Moore was charmed by the story but although confessing to not remembering it, he told Marc he was glad that he had got to meet his hero, James Bond.
But then, while leaving the shoot after the filming had finished, Sir Roger walked past Marc in the corridor as he was heading out to his car and as the two of them got level, he paused, theatrically looked both ways, raised his iconic 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.'"
What a legend… I wish I had got the chance to meet him, even just to get his autograph.
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