Co-star recalls Roger Moore: the man who was golden fun

Now, the on-set secrets of the making of The Man with the Golden Gun - which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 - have been spilled by cast members Master Toddy and Joie Vejjajiva, who played a martial arts student and Cha respectively.

Master Toddy was just 17 when he filmed the blockbuster, set in Thailand, Macau and Hong Kong, and he has party animal Moore to thank for giving him his first beer and teaching him to properly enjoy a cigar during the many nights he took the cast out.

"We were with him, every night partying, party every night," said Master Toddy, who now runs his own Muay Thai academy schools. 

"I'm 17 years old, I've never drunk before and he got me to drink beer and I get drunk - teach me how to smoke a cigar. 

"We had a lot of great times, wonderful times. It was a fantastic time."

Vejjajiva was only 15 during filming so she did not drink with Moore when they shot the movie, which also starred Maud Adams and Britt Ekland. 

However, she has described Moore - who passed away in May 2017, aged 89 - as an "amazing" man who was always friendly to everyone who worked on the Bond film.

"He was amazing," she told the Really, 007! podcast.

"He would talk to us, join us. I would take my guitar to set and he would pretend he was playing my guitar with the kung fu guys and the karate guys. 

"He was a really, really nice guy. We were just all equal."

It is not the first time Moore has been remembered fondly for being such a gentleman on set.

Stuntman Andy Bradford worked with him across his various James Bond films including Octopussy and recalled the actor taking his time to get to know everyone on set.

"Roger Moore talked to everybody," he has said.

"On the set he talked to tea ladies. He knew their names.

"He'd talk to anybody, flirt with anybody. He was great. 

"I really have so much respect for him."