Pierce Brosnan, one of the most beloved incarnations of James Bond, says he isn’t closing the door on returning to the franchise. The 72-year-old actor, who played 007 across four films from GoldenEye to Die Another Day, recently stated in an interview he’d come back “in a heartbeat” if Dune and Sicario filmmaker Denis Villeneuve approached him to be part of the next Bond installment. Brosnan, who first donned the tuxedo in 1995, added that he and his wife, Keely Shaye Brosnan, have talked about the rumors swirling around who will be the next 007.
“My wife Keely and I have been listening to the drumbeat of expectation of who’s going to be the next James Bond. There are many great candidates out there, and I’m sure they’re going to make it a spectacle of delight.”
But if Villeneuve came calling, Brosnan wouldn’t hesitate — even if it meant embracing a very different kind of Bond, a retired 007.
“I don’t think anyone wants to see a craggy, 72-year-old Bond. But if Villeneuve had something up his sleeve I would look at it in a heartbeat. Why not? It’s great entertainment. It could be lots of laughs. Bald caps, prosthetics… who knows?”
How Was Pierce Brosnan Fired as James Bond?
Brosnan’s final appearance as Bond came in 2002’s Die Another Day, a film that ended his tenure with a surprisingly abrupt goodbye. Speaking candidly about his departure, Brosnan recalled being blindsided by Eon Productions’ decision to let him go just as talks began for his fifth outing.
“I was in the Bahamas working on After the Sunset when my agents called me and said, ‘Negotiations have stopped.’ Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [G. Wilson] were not quite sure what they wanted to do next with the franchise. They said, ‘They’ll call you next Thursday.’”
That call didn’t bring good news for Brosnan, who very quickly learned that his time as the world’s most famous spy was coming to an end.
“I sat in Richard Harris’ house in the Bahamas, and Barbara and Michael were on the line. [They said]: ‘We’re so sorry,’” Brosnan recalled. “Barbara was crying. Michael was stoic and he said: ‘You were a great James Bond. Thank you very much.’ And I said: ‘Thank you very much. Goodbye.’”
He added, “That was it. I was utterly shocked and just kicked to the curb with the way it went down.”
Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond movies are available to stream on Prime Video.
Release Date
November 16, 1995
Runtime
130 minutes
Writers
Ian Fleming, Michael France, Jeffrey Caine, Bruce Feirstein