THE NEW BOND
The date: Wednesday, June 8, 1994. The place: Regent Hotel, London. Time: 12 PM. Around 350 journalists and other media people were gathered in the place to see the new face of the well-known secret agent James Bond, immortalized by four actors on the big screen and created by the pen of Ian Fleming. The media was ready to see the face of the man who would be known as the Bond for a new generation...
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"The new James Bond: Mr. Pierce Brosnan", announced a spokesperson and the camera flashes enlightened a tall, handsome and beardy man in a dark suit. A man who was shortly afterwards playing Robinson Crusoe for a TV film and was already famous for the leading role of TV's REMINGTON STEELE. Ironically, the last-minute renewal of the contract of the series the one that prevented him to become James Bond in 1986, almost condemning Brosnan to be forever known as the "Bond who never was", much to his chagrin and the fact that his late wife, Cassandra Harris, was the immediate reason Brosnan caught the eye of producer Albert R. Broccoli at the premiere of FOR YOUR EYES ONLY in 1981, where Harris played Countess Lisl opposite Roger Moore's 007.
But it was almost written that, one day, Brosnan would have to play agent 007: the first time he went to a theatre in England aged 11, after moving from his hometown in Ireland, was GOLDFINGER (1964), where he was enchanted with Sean Connery's portrayal of James Bond and made him want to become an actor.
"I was standing behind a screen and on the other side were the press of the world, waiting. I could hear the James Bond theme music had started. I was certainly aware enough to know that once I stepped from behind that screen, my life was going to change forever", Brosnan told journalist Garth Pearce in Boxtree's book THE MAKING OF GOLDENEYE.
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As he tried to leave 007 aside and connect with the role of Robinson Crusoe as he shot scenes in Papua New Guinea, Brosnan was dumbstruck to see a couple of native kids instantly recognised him as "the new James Bond".
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Pierce Brosnan today remembers fondly his portrayal of James Bond, where he combined the best qualities of his four predecessors by mixing cool sophistication, humour and seductiveness with the firm attitude and strength of an action hero who has his moments of vulnerability. For ten years, there were four films with Brosnan in the leading role: GOLDENEYE (1995), TOMORROW NEVER DIES (1997), THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999) and DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002). He also provided his likeness or voice to Electronic Arts' videogames 007 NIGHTFIRE (2002) and 007 EVERYTHING OR NOTHING (2003).