Although Roger Moore's name was mentioned in the original Bond casting search, his commitment to the TV series The Saint prevented him from being seriously considered for the role. But he did eventually take over from Connery in 1973 with Live And Let Die and brought his own touches to the role of 007. Although older than Connery, Moore was born in 1927, he nevertheless brought a youthful charm to the part. He had established a reputation in TV series like Maverick, Ivanhoe, and The Persuaders for combining action and light comedy. His Bond, which really came into it's own in The Spy Who Loved Me, was more relaxed and lighter than Connery's and he brought a tongue-in-cheek humor to the series which gave the films a different dimension as they developed. He also continued to work outside the series appearing in such action thrillers as The Wild Geese and North Sea Hijack. He was in seven Bond films in all, spanning a period of 12 years which ended with A View To A Kill released in 1985.