Former James Bond and soap actor Bryan Marshall has died aged 81, his agent has confirmed.

Marshall is well known for playing Commander Talbot alongside Roger Moore in the Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.

He was born in Battersea, London, and began his career in the 1960s, also appearing alongside Michael Caine in Alfie.

He also appeared in Neighbours and Home and Away and hosted crime show Australia’s Most Wanted in 1989.

In The Spy Who Loved Me, he played a submarine captain whose vessel was captured at the start of the film.

He had lived and worked in Australia for more than 20 years before his death.

His agent Esta Charkham today tweeted: ‘So sad that my dear old chum Bryan Marshall has gone on ahead.

‘A wonderful actor – he was so good you never noticed how good he was.