|
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE (born May 16, 1953 or May 16, 1951) (most sources say 1953 including Brosnan's own website and a birth certificate that Brosnan's agent posted online, however many of Brosnan's freinds and family have said in interviews that Brosnan was actually born in 1951) is an Irish film actor and producer. He is best known for portraying the James Bond secret agent character in four spy films: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day. He is credited with reviving the James Bond film series after the two critically acclaimed, but commercially unsuccessful Bond films of Timothy Dalton.
Pierce Brosnan was born in Navan, County Meath or Drogheda, County Louth, (depending on the source) Republic of Ireland and was raised in England. In the mid-1980s, he became a television star in the USA as the eponymous character of the NBC detective series Remington Steele.
Brosnan's first wife, the Australian actress Cassandra Harris, died of ovarian cancer, in 1991, after eleven years of marriage. In 2001, Brosnan remarried, to American journalist Keely Shaye Smith.
In July 2003, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Brosnan an honourary OBE for his "outstanding contribution to the British film industry". As an Irish citizen, he is ineligible to receive the full OBE honour, which is awarded only to a British subject.
On September 23, 2004, Pierce Brosnan was naturalised as a US citizen. He is the father of three American sons, and has lived in the United States for more than twenty years.
James Bond Franchise
Pierce Brosnan as James Bond 007 In 1986, with Roger Moore's retirement from the role of James Bond, Pierce Brosnan (whose Remington Steele series had just ended), was announced as Moore's successor. The publicity revived the Remington Steele program, and Brosnan backed out of the role, which then went to Timothy Dalton. Dalton made two, critically popular, but commercially unsuccessful James Bond films: The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989). Legal squabbles about ownership of the film franchise resulted in cancellation of the the 1991 James Bond film (rumoured title: The Property of a Lady)and the start of the series' six-year hiatus. During that time, Timothy Dalton announced his disinterest in playing James Bond, which returned the role to Pierce Brosnan, in 1994.
Aware of the danger of being typecast as James Bond, Pierce Brosnan asked Eon Productions, when accepting the role, to be allowed to work in other projects between Bond series films. The request was granted, and for every Bond series film, Brosnan usually appears in two mainstream films, including several he has produced. For a time, rumour was that Brosnan's Bond contract forbade his wearing a tuxedo in any non-Bond film; that rumour was false.
James Bond Films
Mindful that afficionados and critics both were unhappy with middle-aged actor Roger Moore's playing James Bond, Pierce Brosnan said Casino Royale would be his final James Bond series film. In early 2004, the media began questioning whether or not Brosnan would reprise the role. The Daily Mail published an article in February 2004 claiming Eon Productions had sacked Brosnan, and were seeking a newer, younger actor (per an anonymous Eon source)that was picked up by newspapers and websites, world-wide. Days later, the rumour officially was denied by Eon, by Brosnan, by MGM, and by the agent of (rumoured Brosnan successor) Hugh Jackman. Despite the denials, in July 2004, Entertainment Weekly quoted Brosnan, "That's it, I've said all I've got to say on the world of James Bond; Bond is another lifetime, behind me." Summer of 2004 saw a stream of potential 007s, most rumoured, some (falsely) announced as "the next James Bond", though Eon Productions have yet to officially announce anyone; so far, the contenders are: Australians and Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana, Britons Clive Owen, Christian Bale, Adrian Paul, James Purefoy, Jude Law, Gerard Butler, and longshot Orlando Bloom.
In September 2004 Brosnan said Entertainment Weekly misquoted him; he had meant he was done talking about James Bond. In October 2004, however, Brosnan claimed he'd been fired from the series, and that "its absolutely over". Regardless, rumour persists as to who assumes the James Bond role; late gossip, November 2004, has Pierce Brosnan backing fellow Irishman Colin Farrell as his successor; Farrell laughed at the notion, suggesting only that Brosnan joked.
In February 2005 Brosnan posted on his website that he was finished with the Bond role. This, combined with Eon's recent press release, has largely confirmed the rumours.
Selected Filmography
External links
|
