Pierce Brosnan (born May 16th 1953) Pierce Brosnan is an Irish actor famous for his role as James Bond in four films between 1995 and 2002.
Childhood: Pierce Brosnan was born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland but he grew up in Navan, County Meath. His parents are May, a nurse, and Thomas Brosnan, a carpenter. His father left the family when he was young and he was looked after by his grandparents Philip and Kathleen Smith while his mother moved to London to work. He then lived with his aunt and then an uncle before moving to a boarding house. His mother visited him only once or twice a year.
He was raised Roman Catholic and attended a De La Salle Brothers Christian school while serving as an altar boy. He lived with his mother and her new husband William Carmichael in East Lothian, Scotland when he was 11 and Carmichael took him to see his first Bond film, ‘Goldfinger’. He attended Elliott School in London which was a state comprehensive school. He left school at 16 and became a painter while training at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. He learnt how to fire eat and was hired by a circus agent for three years. He then trained in acting at the Drama Centre London.
Acting career: Pierce Brosnan began his career in theatre, making his debut in ‘Wait Until Dark’ at the York Theatre Royal. He later appeared in ‘The Red Devil Battery Sign’ and 1977’s ‘Filumena’ by Eduardo De Filippo. He had small roles in the movies ‘The Long Good Friday’ and ‘The Mirror Crack'd’ in 1980 and TV shows ‘The Professionals’ and ‘Play for Today’. He landed his first leading role in the miniseries ‘Manions of America’ in 1981 and landed a Golden Globe nomination in 1985 for his appearance in the ‘Masterpiece Theatre’ documentary. He moved to California in 1982 and played the leading role in detective series ‘Remington Steele’. He then appeared in several films including ‘The Fourth Protocol’ in 1987 with Michael Caine, ‘The Deceivers’ and ‘Noble House’ in 1988, 1992’s ‘The Lawnmower Man’ alongside Jeff Fahey and 1993’s ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ with Robin Williams.
He was announced as the fifth James Bond, taking over from Timothy Dalton, in 1994. His first film was ‘Goldeneye’ in 1995 which grossed $350 million worldwide. 1997's ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ and 1999's ‘The World Is Not Enough’ also became huge box office hits, though 2002’s ‘Die Another Day’ received mixed reviews. In 2004, he quit the role and was subsequently replaced by Daniel Craig. In between Bond films, Brosnan appeared in Tim Burton's ‘Mars Attacks!’, 1997’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ and 1999’s ‘Grey Owl’. In 2004, he appeared in ‘Laws of Attraction’ opposite Julianne Moore and ‘After the Sunset’ with Salma Hayek and Woody Harrelson. In 2005, he was nominated for another Golden Globe for his appearance in ‘The Matador’.
He appeared alongside Liam Neeson two years later in ‘Seraphim Falls’ as well as ‘Butterfly on a Wheel’ with Gerard Butler. In 2008, he appeared with Meryl Streep in the ABBA musical movie ‘Mamma Mia!’ for which he was nominated a National Movie Award. In 2009, he starred in the Leonard Wise novel adaptation ‘The Big Biazarro’ and the well-received ‘The Ghost Writer’. Pierce Brosnan: Other career ventures Pierce Brosnan set up a film production company in 1996 called Irish DreamTime with their first project being box office success ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’. He is an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland and has previously worked with Greenpeace against nuclear disarmament, even boycotting his 'GoldenEye' premiere in France in protest of the country's nuclear testing. He raises money for charities regularly by selling his own paintings.
Personal life: Pierce Brosnan lives with his family in Malibu, California. He married Australian actress Cassandra Harris in 1980 and had a son called Sean. He later adopted her children from a previous relationship after their father passed away. Harris died in 1987 after falling ill with ovarian cancer.
He met his father for the first time in many years when an episode of 'Remington Steele' was filmed in Ireland. In 2001, he married journalist Keely Shaye Smith in Ireland and had two sons: Dylan Thomas and Paris Beckett. In 2003, he was awarded an honorary OBE though he is ineligible to receive the full honour due to the fact that he is of Irish citizenship. In 2004, he gained US citizenship and retained Irish citizenship.
Biography by Contactmusic.com
Damian Lewis could be your new James Bond.
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