Roger Moore: The Bond with Heart

When I was seven years old my parents took us on a road trip to Sarasota, Fl. Our hotel just happened to be adjacent to the beach house of a famed quarterback of the Miami Dolphins. There was no one bigger in my world, so naturally, we knocked on his door and asked for a picture with our new Polaroid camera.

I’ll never forget his response: “I’m really too busy.”

Even after pleading, he still refused and simply scribbled his name on a small piece of paper, which I naturally lost on my way back to the hotel. Even at the tender age of seven, I realized that this man could’ve been nicer. Fifteen seconds could have given a kid a lot of joy for a lifetime, but instead a golden opportunity was lost.

I recently read a story about a young boy who was traveling in Nice when he spotted actor Roger Moore, aka James Bond, in the airport lounge. He asked his grandfather to get an autograph which he did, yet when his grandson saw the name, he was confused because it wasn't signed James Bond.

Embarrassed, the grandfather explained to Roger Moore that he signed the wrong name. Surveying the situation, Moore called the little boy over, and quietly whispered, "I have to sign my name Roger Moore because otherwise, Blofeld (Bond's lifelong nemesis) could find out I was here." He then asked the boy not to tell anyone that he saw him, and thanked him for keeping his secret.

Naturally, the child was elated beyond words as he was now an integral part of Bond’s secret mission.

Fast forward many years later and this little boy grew up and became a scriptwriter on a recording that involved UNICEF, and who else but Roger Moore, the ambassador of UNICEF, walks into the studio. While the cameramen were setting up, he reminded Roger of the story of their first meeting in Nice. Roger said he didn't recall the incident but was very charming and wished him well.

After the filming, heading towards his car, Moore approached him, paused, looked both ways, 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."

The young man wrote: "I was as delighted at 30 as I had been at 7. What a man. What a tremendous man."

The difference between these two incidents is palpable. The indelible mark Roger Moore left on this child was so powerful that this story is still circulating on the internet years after his passing. Why? Because he took a few moments to go out of his comfort zone to make someone feel good. Plain and simple.

There’s no question that the Dolphin’s quarterback was busy that Sunday afternoon when I knocked at his door. Yet he failed to see how an extra 15 seconds that wouldn’t have made a difference to his life whatsoever would have made the world of difference to a seven-year-old boy.

Sir Roger Moore, a mega-famous international superstar, took the time to consider the feelings of another person because he chose to see beyond himself. I'm sure it's no coincidence that this characteristic made him the perfect ambassador for an organization providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

You have the opportunity to go beyond your comfort zone and effectuate change by making someone else's life better. It may be just a kind hello, inviting someone for a meal, complimenting someone’s hat, or simply listening to someone who’s in pain.

Maya Angelou once noted, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Well done Mr. Bond.

A version of this article originally appeared in the Jewish Press