We bring you the facts about the former James Bond…
LOVE PUNCH is released in Irish cinemas this week, and stars Pierce Brosnan as one half of a divorced couple – the other half being Emma Thompson – who joins forces with his ex to win back money that was stolen from them. LOVE PUNCH is Brosnan’s second film this year so far, after A LONG WAY DOWN, so we gathered together some facts about the actor.
1. Scars Never Die
Brosnan has a scar on the right side above his top lip, from when he was hit by a stunt man while making TOMORROW NEVER DIES.
2. Bond in the Blood?
The very first film he claims to have seen is the James Bond movie, GOLDFINGER. If this is so, then it seems that there was a lifelong connection between Brosnan and his most famous role.
3. The Remington Steele Affair
One of Brosnan’s first roles was in the TV series REMINGTON STEELE. His character was a career criminal turned private investigator, with an amazing knowledge of and obsession with classic cinema. In the episode REMINGTON STEELE: TO STOP A STEELE, Steele equates the case he is working on to THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR starring Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen. Sixteen years later, Brosnan starred in the remake of that movie with Rene Russo.
4. Not Good Enough?
Although Brosnan may be most famous for his turn as James Bond, he revealed this week, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, that he felt his Bond films were never good enough. “I felt I was caught in a time warp between Roger and Sean…It was a very hard one to grasp the meaning of, for me. The violence was never real; the brute force of the man was never palpable. It was quite tame, and the characterization didn’t have a follow-through of reality, it was surface. But then that might have had to do with my own insecurities in playing him as well.”
5. Citizen of the World
Brosnan became an American citizen on 23 September 2004 but still plans to keep his Irish citizenship. Phew! Brosnan said “my Irishness is in everything I do. It’s the spirit of who I am, as a man, an actor, a father. It’s where I come from.”
6. Same Love
Pierce Brosnan is a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage, gay adoption, gun control and protecting the environment. In fact, Brosnan was named Best-dressed Environmentalist by the Sustainable Style Foundation in 2004.
7. Pike + Brosnan 4eva!
Brosnan’s film A LONG WAY DOWN is his third collaboration with Rosamund Pike, following Pike playing Miranda Frost in DIE ANOTHER DAY and Sam in THE WORLD’S END.
8. Dress to Impress
After being chosen to play James Bond, Brosnan wasn’t allowed to wear a tuxedo in any other film. This posed a problem for the wardrobe staff of THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR.
9. Keep The Faith
Although Brosnan keeps his faith personal, he has spoken out at his education by the Christian Brothers in Ireland, saying; “I grew up being taught by the Christian brothers, who were dreadful, dreadful human beings. Just the whole hypocrisy. And the cruelness of their ways toward children.”
10. Ignorance is Bliss
Pierce Brosnan had no idea what MAMMA MIA! was about when he signed on to play Sam. The producers told him it was being filmed in Greece and Meryl Streep was starring. Brosnan said he would’ve signed on for anything involving Streep, since he saw her as ‘that gorgeous blonde I fancied terribly in Drama School.’
THE LOVE PUNCH is in Irish cinemas from April 18th
Words: Brogen Hayes