Roger Moore, James Bond Actor, Passes Away Aged 89

British actor Sir Roger Moore, popularly known for playing James Bond, has died aged 89, his family announced. He played the famous spy in seven Bond films including Live and Let Die and A View to a Kill.

According to his family who confirmed the news on Twitter, he had died after "a short but brave battle with cancer".

"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 statement from his children read.

"We are all devastated," Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian said, adding: "Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people."

The actor took the character of James Bond in a more humorous way  than his predecessor Sean Connery. He also won fame as the smooth-talking adventurer Simon Templar in British television show The Saint in the 1960s and starred alongside Tony Curtis The Persuaders in 1970.

Along with his famous Bond role, Moore was also known for TV series The Persuaders and The Saint.

Also well known for his humanitarian work - he was introduced to Unicef by the late Audrey Hepburn and was appointed as a goodwill ambassador in 1991.

Moore's children said he considered the UNICEF work -- for which he was given a knighthood in 2003 -- his "greatest achievement".

"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," they added.

"The affection our father felt whenever he walked on to 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."

They said their prayers go out to his fourth wife, Kristina, adding that the private funeral will be in Monaco.