Sir Roger Moore: Michael Caine leads tributes as Pinewood dedicates stage to late 007 star

Pinewood Studios dedicated one of its sound stages to the late Roger Moore in an emotional, star-studded ceremony yesterday.

The memorial was unveiled one day after what would have been Moore’s 90th birthday.

Lady Moore and the couple’s three children were among around 300 people in attendance for the private ceremony, delivering an emotional speech about how proud the Bond star would have been to see his name so prominently immortalised on the lot.

The Countess of Wessex officially opened the stage, and Sir Michael Caine, a long-time friend of Moore, delivered a speech too.

Also in attendance were Dame Joan Collins, Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, Stephen Fry, Stefanie Powers, Sir Tim Rice and David Walliams, along with former Bond girls Madeline Smith, Gloria Hendry and Lynn-Holly Johnson.

The Lotus Espirit, that was turned into a submarine with the flick of a switch in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me,’ was also on display for the memorial.

The studio said: “Pinewood is honoured to have dedicated and named one of its newest stages after the late Sir Roger Moore. It will be forever known as ‘The Roger Moore Stage’. A celebration of his life was held today with family and friends. Nobody did it better.”

Pinewood ushered in the Bond franchise with the first movie ‘Dr No’ being made there in 1962.

Moore would go on to make all but one of his Bond films at the studio through the 70s and 80s, from ‘Live and Let Die’ in 1973 through to ‘A View To A Kill’ in 1985.

He had kept an office at Pinewood since 1970 up until his death, calling the place his ‘second home’.

On the occasion of Pinewood’s 80th anniversary last year, he said: “As someone who has had an office at the studio since 1970, and having first worked there in 1946, I like to think I know Pinewood quite well – and of course because I made all but one of my Bond films, The Persuaders and half a dozen other movies there too.

“Many was the time I’d walk into the grand ballroom restaurant and see Christopher Reeve in his Superman costume having lunch, the Carry On gang laughing away around their table and of course the great Cubby Broccoli hosting a table of international journalists all keen to know more about the latest Bond.

“It’s my second home and always will be.”

He died at his home in Switzerland on May 23 this year, following a short battle with cancer. He was 89.

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