Man shares heart-warming childhood memory of meeting Sir Roger Moore… and it’s the most James Bond thing ever
Marc Haynes, from London, first met the 007 star at Nice airport in 1983 when he was seven years old
A SIR Roger Moore fan has shared a touching anecdote about his two meetings with the James Bond actor.
Marc Haynes, from London, wrote on that he first met the 007 star at Nice airport in 1983 when he was seven years old.
Delighted to see the 'secret agent', Marc persuaded his grandfather - who was accompanying him at the time - to ask Moore for an autograph.
He revealed: “My grandad had no idea who James Bond or Roger Moore were, so we walked over and he popped me in front of Roger Moore, with the words, ‘My grandson says you're famous. Can you sign this?’”
Moore signed his name on the back of Marc's plane ticket and the excited youngster returned to his seat.
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“I'm ecstatic, but as we head back to our seats, I glance down at the signature. It's hard to decipher it but it definitely doesn't say 'James Bond',” he said.
Marc heard his grandad go up to Moore and say “you’ve signed the wrong name” – before seeing the actor's face “crinkle up with realisation”.
Moore then beckoned the boy over and said: “'I have to sign my name as 'Roger Moore' because otherwise...Blofeld might find out I was here.'
"He asked me not to tell anyone that I'd just seen James Bond, and he thanked me for keeping his secret. I went back to our seats, my nerves absolutely jangling with delight.
“My grandad asked me if he'd signed 'James Bond.' No, I said. I'd got it wrong. I was working with James Bond now.”
Years later, Marc met Moore again on a UNICEF project.
He reminded him of their airport encounter, to which Moore chuckled and replied: "Well, I don't remember but I'm glad you got to meet James Bond."
After the event finished, Moore told Marc: "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."
Marc added: “I was as delighted at 30 as I had been at 7. What a man. What a tremendous man.”
More than 32,000 people have liked Marc's post since it was uploaded on Tuesday.
It was also shared on Twitter by @teamfaceplant and racked up more than 11,000 retweets.
The Sun Online has contacted him for comment.
Sir Roger Moore died yesterday after a “short but brave” battle with cancer, his children announced.
An emotional statement from his family said: “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 has surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone.”
Michael Ball, Piers Morgan and Mia Farrow are among celebrities who have tweeted their condolences to the acting hero.
Marc Haynes' touching Roger Moore ancedote in full
As a seven year old in about 1983, in the days before First Class Lounges at airports, I was with my grandad in Nice Airport and saw Roger Moore sitting at the departure gate, reading a paper.
I told my granddad I'd just seen James Bond and asked if we could go over so I could get his autograph. My grandad had no idea who James Bond or Roger Moore were, so we walked over and he popped me in front of Roger Moore, with the words "my grandson says you're famous. Can you sign this?"
As charming as you'd expect, Roger asks my name and duly signs the back of my plane ticket, a fulsome note full of best wishes. I'm ecstatic, but as we head back to our seats, I glance down at the signature. It's hard to decipher it but it definitely doesn't say 'James Bond'.
My grandad looks at it, half figures out it says 'Roger Moore' - I have absolutely no idea who that is, and my hearts sinks. I tell my grandad he's signed it wrong, that he's put someone else's name - so my grandad heads back to Roger Moore, holding the ticket which he's only just signed.
I remember staying by our seats and my grandad saying "he says you've signed the wrong name. He says your name is James Bond." Roger Moore's face crinkled up with realisation and he beckoned me over.
When I was by his knee, he leant over, looked from side to side, raised an eyebrow and in a hushed voice said to me, "I have to sign my name as 'Roger Moore' because otherwise...Blofeld might find out I was here."
He asked me not to tell anyone that I'd just seen James Bond, and he thanked me for keeping his secret. I went back to our seats, my nerves absolutely jangling with delight. My grandad asked me if he'd signed 'James Bond.' No, I said. I'd got it wrong. I was working with James Bond now.
Many, many years later, I was working as a scriptwriter on a recording that involved UNICEF, and Roger Moore was doing a piece to camera as an ambassador. He was completely lovely and while the cameramen were setting up, I told him in passing the story of when I met him in Nice Airport.
He was happy to hear it, and he had a chuckle and said "Well, I don't remember but I'm glad you got to meet James Bond." So that was lovely.
And then he did something so brilliant. After the filming, he walked past me in the corridor, heading out to his car - but as he got level, he paused, looked both ways, raised an 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."
I was as delighted at 30 as I had been at 7. What a man. What a tremendous man.