Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
(born May 16, 1953 in Navan, County Meath, Ireland)
Bond Films: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999)
Other Notable Work: The Long Good Friday (1980), Manions of America [miniseries] (1981), Remington Steele [TV series] (1982-1987), The Fourth Protocol (1987), The Deceivers (1988), Mister Johnson (1991), The Lawnmower Man (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Love Affair (1994), Robinson Crusoe (filmed but unreleased), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Mars Attacks! (1996), Dante's Peak (1997)
Pierce Brosnan and his family moved to London in 1964 (the year Goldfinger was released and Ian Fleming died). Brosnan ran away from home as a teenager and joined a traveling circus as a fire-eater.
Pierce later became a commercial artist. But after a friend of his introduced him to acting, Brosnan was immediately enthralled. It wasn't long before he left his job and became an actor, studying at the Drama Centre in London for three years.
Brosnan made his stage debut in 1976 with a role in a production of Wait Until Dark, but his real breakthrough came when he portrayed McCabe in Tennessee Williams' Red Devil Battery Sign. This was the turning point in Pierce's acting career. After a few more stage roles, he made his television debut in The Long Good Friday, which received positive reviews.
The role that later helped to win Brosnan the lead in Remington Steele was that of Rory O'Manion, in the miniseries The Manions of America. The story revolved around Rory, an immigrant who must learn to be successful in modern American society.
As Remington
Steele, the hero of the long-running series of the same name, Pierce portrayed
a Bond-ish detective who was (in some ways) fabricated by a female detective.
Brosnan's natural charm and sophistication in the role had people talking
of a future James Bond. He was also described by People magazine
as "the new Cary Grant".
Even Cubby Broccoli said (after meeting Pierce and his girlfriend Cassandra Harris) "He's my guy [to replace Roger Moore when he decided to retire]". Cassandra, who would be Brosnan's future wife, played Bond Girl Countess Lisl in For Your Eyes Only.
While working on Steele in Los Angeles, Pierce was also becoming increasingly popular in made-for-cable movies, where he usually played an action hero. He also starred in quite a few miniseries during that time.
As Roger Moore mulled over retirement as 007, and ratings for Remington Steele quickly dropped, many fans everywhere cried out for Pierce Brosnan as the next James Bond. But MTM (the producers of Steele) insisted that Brosnan was still obligated by contract to hold out and finish his series. During that time, Pierce declined any rumors that he was set to be the next 007, despite constant questioning on talk shows and conferences.
Because of these difficulties between Brosnan's long-running television show and his possibilities as Bond, Timothy Dalton was announced as the fourth James Bond and fans were initially disappointed. They had been envisioning Brosnan as 007 for four years and counted on him to get the role they had hoped for him.
Brosnan passed the time until his Bond opportunity by finishing his contract with NBC and MTM and by appearing in television commercials for Coca-Cola, usually spoofing secret agents. He also starred in a few films, but the world was still anxious to see Pierce's 007.
Timothy Dalton made two Bond films and resigned from the role due to litigation difficulties, which postponed the Bond series for six years. Now was the time for Brosnan to step in and save the franchise from extinction, which he did in 1995's GoldenEye. This, the seventeenth official Bond film, was more successful than any of the preceding 007 escapades. His role even won him a Best Actor Prize at the 1996 Blockbuster Awards.
Pierce's first wife Cassandra died in 1991 of ovarian cancer. It is because of this that Brosnan is a diligent fund-raiser for cancer victims. He has four children: Charlotte, Christopher, Sean (with Harris) and Dylan (with his second wife, Keely Shaye Smith).
What Brosnan Did For Bond: Many fans feel that Pierce Brosnan saved the James Bond series after its six-year hiatus. Brosnan has said that he intends to play 007 halfway between Roger Moore's interpretation and Sean Connery's, while adding his own flair to the role. He portrays a naturally confident, suave, and professional James Bond. Pierce has also kept the sharp edge of danger that Timothy Dalton relied upon during his 007 era.