Roger Moore ‘distraught’ about death of iconic Bond villain Richard Kiel

Roger Moore is among those mourning the passing of iconic Bond villain Richard Kiel.

“I am totally distraught to learn of my dear friend Richard Kiel's passing,” he tweeted Wednesday. “We were on a radio programme together just a week ago. Distraught.

“Can’t take it in,” he added.

The actors appeared in two 007 films together, 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me” and 1979’s “Moonraker,” in which Moore’s James Bond faced off against the steel-toothed villain Jaws, played by Kiel.

The 86-year-old actor recently spoke with BBC Radio Wales to share his remembrances of his late co-star.

I heard about three hours ago, and it came as quite a shock, because about a week ago, we were recording for BBC 4's ‘The Reunion’ program,” he said.

Moore said that Kiel, who called into the interview from his home in Fresno, Calif., “sounded very, very fragile.”

“We didn’t know this, (but) he had surgery the day before (for) his leg, he’d had a fall, and was still half-anesthetized. But he still, being the pro that he was, he'd come in to do the show.

“He was a really wonderful guy,” he added. “For me, the simplest way to describe him is that he was a big man with an even bigger heart.”