Pierce Brosnan

Born on May 16, 1953, in the small town of Navan, County Meath, Ireland. Pierce’s father, Thomas, left the family when Pierce was one year old and his mother, May, fled to London shortly after, leaving the young boy with his grandmother in Ireland. After an unsettled childhood, Pierce reunited with his mother in London when he was 11. The two lived in the suburb of Putney and Pierce attended school until 1969, then went to work as a commercial artist at a photographic studio. Inspired by a co-worker, Pierce joined The Oval House--an experimental theatre group--and eventually quit his job to pursue an acting career. In 1973, he enrolled at the Drama Centre in London, where he studied for three years.

Brosnan played on the London stage for several years (he was personally chosen by Tennessee Williams to create the role of McCabe in Red Devil Battery Sign) and in 1978, met and fell in love with fellow actress Cassandra Harris. They married on December 27, 1980, and Brosnan adopted her two young children, Charlotte and Christopher. Unfortunately, the new family hit hard times financially, relieved only by Brosnan's few small film roles. He played an IRA hitman in 1980’s critically acclaimed, The Long Good Friday and a bit part in The Mirror Crack’d with Elizabeth Taylor. However, a fortuitous event later that year rang like a great prophecy for future success. Brosnan met Albert Broccoli, producer of the infamous James Bond films, while Cassandra was playing Countess Liesl in For Your Eyes Only. Impressed with Brosnan’s dark good looks and polished charm, Broccoli immediately promised him the much-coveted role of Bond as soon as Roger Moore retired.

In the meantime, Brosnan finally got his break in the TV miniseries, The Manions of America, playing, appropriately, an Irish immigrant who makes it big in 19th century America. Having achieved success with an American audience, more promising roles beckoned from the hills of Hollywood. He moved his family to Los Angeles in 1981 in order to pursue a part in the TV series, Remington Steele, slated to debut in 1982. One audition earned him the role as the suave, smooth talking private eye in a show that would eventually become immensely popular. More personal and professional success ensued when Brosnan saw the birth of his first child, Sean William, in 1983, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Robert Gould Shaw in the BBC miniseries, Nancy Astor in 1984.

In its fourth season, Remington Steele began to loose steam and in 1986, NBC cancelled the show. This seemed to be perfect timing; Roger Moore had just retired from Bond and Brosnan was more than ready to take on the promised role. However, producers of Remington Steele retaliated against losing Brosnan by renewing the show for another season, destroying his chance at playing Bond in the next film. The tired Remington Steele was cancelled again after only six episodes, by which time Bond producers had chosen Timothy Dalton to play the next 007.

Tragedy followed on the heels of disappointment when Cassandra was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1987. She fought the disease for several years while Brosnan struggled to make ends meet in the difficult movie industry, appearing in John McTiernan’s Nomads, The Fourth Protocol with Michael Caine, and the poorly received Ismail Merchant production, The Deceivers. He achieved more success in television productions, playing the delightfully whimsical Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (1989). Cassandra died in Pierce’s arms in December of 1991.

Although beset by grief, Brosnan still had a family to support and continued making films including 1992’s cult classic, The Lawnmower Man, 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire with Robin Williams and Sally Field, and several made-for-cable movies. In 1995, Timothy Dalton announced that he would resign from Bond after making only two films. Producers immediately offered the role to Brosnan. His first Bond film, Goldeneye was a smash hit, becoming the most successful Bond film ever when it grossed over $350 million. More success ensued with 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies and 1999’s The World is Not Enough. Brosnan fit Bond like a long overdue glove, curling confidently around a license to kill.

Although it seemed like Brosnan was made to play 007, he continued to expand his repertoire appearing in the alien spoof Mars Attacks! (1996), the disaster-thriller Dante’s Peak (1997), and the low budget comedy The Match (1999). He also started his own production company, Irish Dreamtime, Inc., which produced The Nephew, a drama set in Ireland, and co-produced the hugely successful action-romance The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) with Rene Russo.

During an Entertainment Tonight interview in 1994, Brosnan met his fiancée, Keely-Shaye Smith—an ET correspondent. They have one son, Dylan Thomas, born in January 1997, and currently reside in Malibu Beach, California. The dashing-as-ever Brosnan became a grandfather at the age of 45 when his daughter, Charlotte, and her fiancé had a child in August 1998. He is under contract to make one more film in the polished shoes of Agent 007.