One of the biggest James Bond stars of all time, Sir Roger Moore was quite emotional after David Niven passed away on July 29, 1983, aged 73, after suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Roger Moore opens up on David Niven
Roger Moore remembered David Niven in 2014 and he said that he misses Niven and couldn’t watch his movies without ‘shedding a tear’ as reported by Express:
“The saddest thing about ageing is that most of my friends are now ‘in the other room.’ I miss David Niven the most. I still can’t watch his films without shedding a tear.”
Niven played Sir James Bond in the spy comedy/parody movie adaptation of Ian Fleming’s original novel, Casino Royale. In the flick, he worked with some major Hollywood stars, including Deborah Kerr, Orson Welles, Woody Allan and Peter Sellers. Years later, Moore and Niven worked together in a couple of films, including Escape to Athena and The Sea Wolves. On the sets of these movies, they got to know one another very well.
Moore played James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985, but his friendship with Niven was not just a professional courtesy. He revealed he even owned a large keepsake to remember Niven even decades after his death. “There’s a bronze bust of him in my study,” he said. “Given to me by his son, David Jr.”
Niven was never forgotten as James Bond – even if his film didn’t sit squarely within the franchise’s “official” run of movies. In fact, he was the first person Ian Fleming wanted as 007 in a film adaptation of his character. Moore was also never forgotten as one of the most prolific Bond actors to date. Before he died on May 23, 2017, he looked back on playing the role for almost 15 years.
