Sir Roger Moore, best known for playing James Bond, has died at 89

Sir Roger Moore, the actor best known for playing British spy James Bond, has died at 89, according to his children.

"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," Moore's children, Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian, wrote in a letter posted to the actor's Twitter account.

"The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone."

Born in 1927, Moore first became involved in show at 15, dropping out of school to become an animation apprentice. He was 18 when the army came calling. He served for nearly three years.

Moore first starred in a feature film as the British icon in 1973, playing Bond in "Live and Let Die." He would go on to cement himself as one of the major faces of the franchise, portraying the character in six more major Bond films including "Moonraker" and "For Your Eyes Only."

Once Moore was relieved of the Bond role, he starred in several more movies, but none that were anywhere near as successful as the Bond films. 

Moore had survived health scares before, including prostate cancer, heart problems, and, most recently, type-2 diabetes.

Plaudits and prayers are pouring in on Twitter from fans and celebs alike.