Moore: I wanted to play villain, not 007

LONDON, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- British actor Roger Moore says he would have preferred playing a bad guy, not the iconic secret agent, in the James Bond franchise.

The 80-year-old actor played 007 in seven Bond movies in the 1970s and 1980s, more than any other star who has tackled the role.

"I would have loved to have been a villain, they had wonderful speeches like, 'The end of the world is about to come.' Bond just listens but doesn't really get to say anything," the Daily Telegraph quoted Moore as saying at an event to promote his autobiography "My Word is My Bond" at the Cheltenham literature festival.

"I'm the worst Bond, according to the Internet. Generally hated! I was too funny, too light. Didn't take it seriously enough," Moore told the Telegraph in an interview last month.