Roger Moore dead: Revisting Sean Connery's brutal critique of actor's James Bond portrayal

Archive interview shows Connery being asked to compare his interpretation with Moore's

Sir Roger Moore has died aged 89 after a "short but brave battle with cancer".

The news was announced by his family on Moore's social media accounts, after which fans began paying tribute to the beloved actor.

Moore's performance as iconic character James Bond is often held up against that of Sean Connery's, whom Moore replaced in the films from 1973 - 1984.

So it's worth revisiting this archive interview with Connery in 1983, where he revealed what he thought the "fundamental difference" between their portrayals of the character in a fairly brutal manner.

"I played Bond with the reality, credibility, and hopefully still encompassing stance and effect and what have you, and out of it some indigenous humour. And anything that happens is possible," he said.

"I feel that Roger - which I think he may have inherited in part from after Diamonds are Forever, where they were already getting into that area of too much hardware - that that was more important.

"His is a sort of parody of the character, as it were, so you would go for the laugh or the humour at whatever the cost of the credibility or the reality. I think that's basically the difference.

"I think he [Moore] took another direction with it that way and acquired an entirely different audience."

When told by the interviewer that he was more popular with both male and female audiences, Connery laughed and responded: "Well, you can't fight intelligence."

Meanwhile Moore said that Daniel Craig and Connery were "undoubtebly the best Bonds", placing himself behind those two and "a little bit behind George Lazenby" as the fourth best.

Connery played Bond in the first five films: Dr. No [1962], From Russia with Love [1963], Goldfinger [1964], Thunderball [1965] and You Only Live Twice [1967], then appeared in the role again for Diamonds Are Forever [1971].

Moore took on the role in 1973's Live and Let Die, and went on to star in a further six James Bond films.

His family have said that a private funeral will take place for the actor in Monaco, as per his wishes.