Roger Moore had prouder achievements than playing James Bond

In England, he had a long-running TV hit with "The Saint," playing Simon Templar, the enigmatic action hero who helps put wealthy crooks in jail while absconding with their fortunes.

In the 1970s, New York Times reviewer Vincent Canby dismissed Moore's acting abilities as having "reduced all human emotions to a series of variations on one gesture, the raising of the right eyebrow."

Moore received the Dag Hammarskjold Inspiration Award for his contributions to UNICEF and was named a commander in France's National Order of Arts and Letters in 2008, an award he said was worth "more than an Oscar."

In a statement Tuesday, UNICEF executive director Anthony Lake praised Moore as one of the "great champions for children."

"In his most famous roles as an actor, Sir Roger was the epitome of cool sophistication; but in his work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, he was a passionate - and highly persuasive — advocate for children," Lake wrote.

In 1970, he became managing director for European production for Faberge's Brut Productions.

With the company, he co-starred with Tony Curtis in "The Persuaders!" for British television and helped produce "A Touch of Class," which won a best-actress Oscar for Glenda Jackson.

He would make six more, The Man With the Golden Gun, ''The Spy Who Loved Me, ''Octopussy, ''Moonraker, ''For Your Eyes Only and A View to a Kill over the next 12 years.