Roger Moore Found 'The One' after Marriages to 3 Formidable Women: A Gay Icon, Skater & an Actress

Roger Moore's journey to finding "the one" was not smooth, as he went through three marriages and divorces. Inside the actor's journey to finding his fourth wife.

Before his demise, Roger Moore was known as one of the most accomplished movie stars. A Hollywood icon, he appeared in many productions, including "Maverick," "Ivanhoe," "The Saint," and "The Persuaders."

Although he featured in the above movies, his career reached a higher level following his role as "James Bond" in the over 50 years series.

Overall, he was one of the best-loved actors. Apart from his stellar career, Moore was famous for his good looks, which many female fans adored.

Unfortunately, he did not have much luck with women as he married and divorced thrice before finding the "one." Here are details about the actor's wives, marriages, and parenthood.

ROGER MOORE'S FIRST MARRIAGE TO AN OLDER SKATER WITH A WIFE

Although Moore was an accomplished actor, he had a terrible childhood. Born on October 14, 1927, the star frequently fell ill. When he was five, he became sick with a fever, and his condition was so bad that the doctor told his parents:

"I'll be back in the morning to sign the death certificate."

Apart from falling ill, Moore also dealt with being called mean names by his father, a policeman. When the actor was 15, he left school to work as a trainee animator in a movie publicity house. Eventually, Moore was fired, and he decided to pursue acting.

At 17, he had joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he met his first wife and Ice Skater, Doorn Van Steyn. At the time, Van Steyn was six years older than Moore, but their ages did not bother them.

They started dating, and in 1946, they tied the knot at Wandsworth Town Hall. Sadly, the marriage was anything but blissful. Moore's career had stopped making progress, and by 1950, he began posing as a knitwear model.

Van Steyn was forced to ice skate worldwide to foot their bills, and she considered Moore a failure."You'll never be a star. Your face is too weak, your jaw's too big, and your mouth is too small," Van Steyn told Moore.

Later on, the actor would reveal that all they did was argue noisily. "All we ever did was row," Moore said. As time progressed, Van Steyn continued to be mean to the actor, and their marriage slowly fell apart.

The ice skater once poured a pot of tea over Moore's head and dumped his clothes in the bath. But the straw that broke the camel's back was when she bit his hand outside a West End Theatre. After staying married for seven years, the union ended.

ROGER MOORE'S SECOND MARRIAGE TO A SINGER WHO SOON BECAME VERY JEALOUS

Moore first met his second wife and Singer Dorothy Squires at a drunken party in the latter's Bexley mansion in Kent. The most famous female solo star at the time, Squires, took an interest in the actor. He flirted with her, and he took her to bed by the end of the night.

Squires was strongly attracted to Moore and decided to put her career on hold to make him a star. So, the pair went to New York, where Moore landed TV works and roles on Broadway. In 1953, he married the singer in New Jersey.

After their wedding, the actor landed more roles, including a seven-year Hollywood contract with MGM. Soon, he became a star, with many starlets flocking around him. At that point, Squires became jealous, and many arguments began to ensue.

Sadly the age difference of 12 years between the duo did not help matters, as Moore's co-stars mocked him for it. They would say:

"Don't forget to invite Roger Moore and his mother."

The issues in their marriage did not stop Moore's career from progressing. At 31, he landed his first starring role in "Ivanhoe," after which other roles followed.

MOORE'S THIRD MARRIAGE STARTED WITH ADULTERY AND ENDED SIMILARLY

While Moore's marriage kept crumbling, his career kept skyrocketing. In 1961, She landed the role of Romulus in "Romulus and the Sabines." The actor flew to Rome to film while Squires was on tour in Australia. On set, he met his co-star, Luisa Mattioli.

Moore spoke no Italian, and Mattioli spoke no English, but language was not a barrier. Soon, the lair started dating, and the actress became pregnant with their child. After filming, they settled in London, but Moore did not tell Squires he had left her.

Unfortunately, the actor's doctor relayed the news to Squires, but she did not believe it until she intercepted letters addressed to Moore from Italy. One of them read:

"You say Dorothy does not believe in our love. Show her this letter."

Despite seeing the letters, Squires did not file for divorce; rather, she sued Moore for loss of conjugal rights. Irrespective of everything, the actor continued to thrive in his career.

In 1968 at a BAFTA dinner, the compere Kenneth More Made a friendly joke about Moore and "his wife, who is much more attractive than he is."

Squires sued More and ITV, and after the court case, she and Moore finally divorced after being married for 15 years. Despite their strained relationship, the actor never got over the guilt of betraying the woman that made him a star. Moore revealed:

"Life is full of regret. Have you got 15 hours? I don't have many regrets I'd talk about, but yet, I regret that."

Eventually, the actor let go of the guilt by paying for Squires's care when she was dying from cancer thirty years later. He also later revealed that Squires was a gay icon, but he was a hundred percent heterosexual.

In 1973, several years after their split, Moore bagged the James Bond role. He was worried that the public would not accept him as Connery's replacement, so he began a fitness regime. Eventually, "Live and Let Die" became the most successful bond movie.

Unfortunately, as Moore's career reached its peak, his marriage with Mattioli ended in 1993, after 31 years. The actor abandoned her at Geneva Airport and later told her he was in a relationship with her closest friend, Kristina Tholstrup.

Mattioli's reaction was not much different from Squires's. She said of Moore, "He's dead to me. He serious mad. Now he is nobody. He does not exist."

After their divorce, Moore made his first phone call to Squires in two decades. She asked the actor about Tholstrup thus, "Have you found the right one, at last, Roger? Is this the one for you?" In his response, Moore said, "This is the one."

INSIDE ROGER'S FOURTH MARRIAGE TO KRISTINA AND THEIR FAMILY LIFE

Before his demise, Moore was married to Kristina Tholstrup for 15 years. Speaking of how they met, the actor said: "When I met her, she was a neighbor, and though I felt a strong attraction to her, I thought, 'That won't go anywhere.' But when I had the prostate problem, I thought, 'This is the direction my life has to go.'"

At the time, Moore was still married to Mattioli, Tholstrup's close friend. However, the pair still dated and tied the knot in a secret ceremony in Copenhagen. Speaking of the marriage, he noted:

"We didn't tell anyone when we were getting married – no family, no one. Either you make a song and dance of it, or you do it very quietly. We went to a little church and had three choristers."

"In Denmark, you do a little wedding waltz after the ceremony, so we did that, then the priest made us two martinis, and I had lots of oysters back at the hotel.

It was a wonderful day," he added. Moore revealed that his kids were not disappointed with his relationship and marriage to Tholstrup. He explained:

"They all knew the deep affection Kristina and I had for one another. They thanked her for making me so content."

Moore also made it known that he took his wife to California to meet close friends like Frank Sinatra and Gregory Peck. The actor said of the moment:

"There was a very touching moment when Greg met her for the first time. He put his arms around her and said, 'Thank you for making my friend so happy.'"

Unfortunately, Moore and Tholstrup did not welcome any kids, but the former was a doting father to three children he shared with Mattioli — Deborah, Christian, and Geoffrey.

He always spoke candidly about being a father and the experiences he had with his kids. Speaking about an experience with his first child, Deborah, the Hollywood icon confessed:

"I remember when she was three weeks old, I was driving and stopped at a traffic light. A car pulled alongside me, and I was sitting there with a huge grin on my face. I thought, 'God, they must think I'm slightly cuckoo.'"

Apart from being a father, Moore was a grandfather to five grandchildren. He opened up about his role as a father and grandfather. In his words:

"I wasn't a particularly good husband, but I'm an OK father and an OK grandfather. It's a growing family. Kristina also has a daughter and a son, and two grandsons. I have no aggravation at the moment. Growing up is when you become very happy with the person you're with."

Overall, it is safe to say Moore lived a fulfilled life. He passed away in May 2017, aged 89. His family and other celebrities paid tributes to the great actor. He will always be remembered.