Roger Moore
English actor Roger Moore, downs a Martini, July 17, 1968. He portrayed the role of James Bond seven times. He died after a "short but brave battle with cancer" at the age of 89. Getty Images

English actor Sir Roger Moore, the star who portrayed James Bond seven times, died Tuesday after a “a short but brave battle with cancer.” He was 89 years old. Moore played the famous spy more than any other actor.

His children — Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian — took to Twitter to share the sad news. “With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated,” the post read.

While Moore was arguably the quintessential bond, actors like Daniel Craig, Sean Connery and Pierce Bronson also stepped in to play the debonair 007.

READ: Roger Moore Cause Of Death: James Bond Actor Dead At 89

Craig, the most recent actor to portray Bond, said he did not want to reprise the role after “Spectre,” telling Time Out Magazine in October 2015 he wasn’t interested. “I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists. No, not at the moment. Not at all. That’s fine. I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on,” he said

So if not Craig, then who? Many fans would love to see Irdis Elba, who would make history as the first black 007. Elba, however, said he was “too old” to play Bond in July 2016. Other possible options are Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleton.

But people shouldn't get their hopes up. The franchise’s producer, Barbara Broccoli, won’t be persuaded by public opinion.

“There’s this constant debate about who’s going to be the next Bond,” director Sam Mendes said in May 2016, according to the Telegraph. “The truth is - and here’s the headline: it’s not a democracy.” He added: “I can guarantee whatever happens with it, it will not be what you expect.”

Check out the full list of actors who played James Bond:

  • Daniel Craig: “Spectre,” “Skyfall,” “Casino Royale,” “Quantum of Solace,” and (rumored) “Bond 25.”
  • Sean Connery: “Goldfinger,” “Dr. No,” “From Russia with Love,” “Thunder Ball,” “You Only Live Twice,” “Never Say Never Again,” and “Diamonds Are Forever.”
  • Pierce Bronson: “GoldenEye,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “The World Is Not Enough,” and “Die Another Day.”
  • Roger Moore: “Live and Let Die,” “The Man with the Golden Gun,” “The Spy Who Loved Me,” “Moonraker,” “Octopussy,” “A View to a Kill,” and “For Your Eyes Only.”
  • Timothy Dalton: “License to Kill,” and “The Living Daylights.”
  • George Lazenby: “Oh Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”
  • David Niven: “Casino Royale.”
  • Barry Nelson: “Casino Royale.”

READ: What Is Clifton James Cause Of Death? Sheriff In James Bond Movies Dead At 96

The full statement from Moore’s three children in its entirety has been posted below:

“It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer. The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.

“We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows and his passionate work for UNICEF which he considered to be his greatest achievement.

“The affection our father felt whenever he walked onto a stage or in front of a camera buoyed him hugely and kept him busy working into his 90th year, through to his last appearance in November 2016 on stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The capacity crowd cheered him on and off stage, shaking the very foundations of the building just a short distance from where he was born.”

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella

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