Moore teases fellow Bond Connery

LONDON, United Kingdom – Roger Moore and Sean Connery had the same mission when they played British spy James Bond, but the screen legends are split on the issue of Scottish independence, The Times newspaper reported Monday.

Connery is a keen backer of the pro-independence Scottish National Party of First Minister Alex Salmond, while Moore is often cited as the “epitome of Englishness.”

“Scotland’s going to stay part of the UK despite the fact that Sean Connery wants it separate,” Moore told an audience at The Times Cheltenham Literary Festival.

Asked whether he was a quintessential Englishman, Moore replied: “Of course I have great pride in being English. We were brought up with the idea that ‘We are the best,’ which is not quite true. I’m proud to be British.

“I said English, but I meant British.”

He said he had teased Connery over his support for Scottish independence.

“I told him that he was responsible for the collapse of the (Royal) Bank of Scotland because he drew all his money in cash,” Moore said.

Connery, 82, played Bond 6 times between 1962 and 1971, while Moore, 84, did 7 Bond films between 1973 and 1985.

Salmond plans to hold a referendum in late 2014 on Scotland leaving the United Kingdom. – Agence France-Presse