The following interview was conducted with Pierce Brosnan in May, 1995
at Leavesden Studios in England. At the time, Brosnan was about to complete the
filming of his first Bond movie GoldenEye.
Q: What films influenced you as a young boy?
A: In seeing Goldfinger, the seed was sown, as it were, to my
becoming an actor. It wasn't that I conciously said "I want to become an actor
. . . I want to become James Bond." But, the magic of film certainly affected
me with Goldfinger. The next night I went to see Laurence of Arabia. The thing
that topped it off, really, was the Clint Eastwood movies - the ones he did with Leone. I was a young boy of 10, 11, 12. I had seen Westerns in Ireland, but I had
never seen a hero figure like Clint Eastwood. That really spurred me on, I think.
Q: How did it feel in 1986 to be so close to getting the James Bond role in
The Living Daylights, only to have it slip away due to your contractual obligations to Remington
Steele?
A: I felt very frustrated, very impotent because I was powerless to
do anything. I had a contract with MTM, and they had 60 days in which to resell
Remington Steele.? ABC said "No." CBS said "No." Near
the end of 60 days, NBC began to weaken. Cubby said "You can have him for six
episodes, but no more than six episodes." They said, "We'll think about
it." They came back on the sixtieth day and said "We want the option of
22."
Q: That decision resulted in you losing the role of 007 to Timothy Dalton.
In the ensuing years, have you ever seen The Living Daylights?
A: I was sitting in a plane with my son, who at that time was about
four or five. We were coming back from New York, and they said, "Today's film
is The Living Daylights." So I couldn't walk out! (Laughs) I had
to look. Then my son said, "Daddy, when are you coming on?" I said,
"I didn't do the movie." At which point, I asked for a large Vodka.
I didn't watch it, actually, I've never seen Timothy in his movies.
Q: You have specialized in playing urbane, sophisticated men.? Did the
other Bond actors have an influence on you in your early years?
A: Well, Connery was the Bond I was introduced to, so he is the man
as far as I'm concerned.? Having said that, nevertheless, I see what an amazing job
Roger did, and I love Roger in the role because I feel he made it his own.? He did it
his way and was extremely successful.
Q: What was your reaction when you were told you finally got the role of
Bond in GoldenEye? Were you surprised?
A: No. Once you have been through the ringer, like I was in
'86. . . When Timothy left, I had a feeling it was going to come back around. People
would tell me things from all around the world. Rumors began to happen. I just
carried on working. Kept my head down.
I met with Barbara (Broccoli), Michael (G. Wilson), and Martin Campbell. It was
a very favorable meeting. About a week later , I was gearing up for my 41st birthday
party. My girlfriend and my secretary were in the house and a photographer, Greg
Gorman, set up a photographic shoot. The phone rang and my secretary picked it up
and broke the news to me. They started jumping up and down. I was sworn to
secrecy, because that's part of the mystique of Bond. I said to the girls,
"It's in the bag. I've got Bond. Let's rock 'n' Roll."
Q:? What are you doing to personalize your interpretation of James Bond?
A: That's a difficult question to answer. Just by virtue of
my very presence within the piece, it's going to be different. The man is somebody
who is very solitary. He is a man who is very passionate about what he does.
His weakness is women. He is a man who is looking, seaching for something in
his life. But the job is everything. I would like to see a certain kind of
vulnerability to him. That's a dangerous word to put in print, especially in the
context of a Bond film. It's more about mood. It's more about style. For
this movie, I'm really just trying to keep it as simple as possible.
Q: It's been said that for Bond to prosper in the 1990's, the character may
have to succumb to the forces of political correctness. What are your thoughts on
the matter, particularly as it pertains to Bond's relations with women?
A: I find the whole PC thing to be a certain form of censorship.
I find it very boring and tiring, expecially when it comes down to a piece of
entertainment such as Bond. For example, take the part of Xenia, played by Famke
Janssen. Bond deals with her in his own way.? She's messed with jim and he'll
mess with her. That's what turned people on in the first place. It's part of
the mystique.
Q: What is your reaction to the durability of the entire 007 phenomenon
over the last 33 years?
A:I find it staggering. The thread of Bond has woven its way
into the tapestry of my lifein such a way that sometimes I stand back and say, "My
God, where did this come from? For what purpose? For what reason? I
remember going home the day I stood there before the press of the world, making my
announcement that I was going to be the next James Bond, feeling absolutely drained.
Like the blood had been sucked out of me. I thought, "Have I made the
biggest faux pas of my life?? Have Was I too impetuous?? Should I have thought
about it a little more?" But this was like unfinished business in my life.
I had to see this job done. I had to do it for my own satisfaction as an
actor. And I had to do it for my wife, who really would have loved it all and was
such a champion of mine and hung in there through all the dealings in 1986.
Q: You have reportedly been doing many of your own stunts? Does this
cause you or the producers any nervousness?
A: I can understand their concern. When I look back, I've
done some really considerable things . . . with horses, hanging out of helicopters, coming
out from underneather moving trains, climbing up the side of buildings in Hong Kong. There's a lot of money riding on this, but I like to be in there as much as
possible. I think it behoves the character.
Q: Let's talk about your late wife Cassie. She gave a memorable
performance in For Your Eyes Only, and it's been said that from day one she was
convinced you would ultimately portray Bond.
A: Yes. I think she would be absolutely over the moon about
me getting the role. I think she would be a very happy woman for her guy, and to be
able to share all of this. The role comes with its own burdens. But it allows
me as an actor to hopefully do other work and create other characters. It also
allows me to work for a better life for my family.
Q: You've used your status as a public figure to work for charities devoted
to women's health. How did you become involved with these causes?
A: I have been associated as a kind of ambassador toward women's
health since I lost Cassie. I was asked by the National Institute of Health to speak
in front of Congress. At first I found it to be a very heavy undertaking. Then
I began to find an articulation for my feelings and thoughs as a father and a man, and I
went and spoke. Despite my sadness and the loss, my life somehow seems to be making
sense once more. Good things are happening once more: my being in this part,
which is hopefully going to be wonderful and entertaining for a whole generation who are
out there.
Q: What is it like working in the family atmosphere of a Broccoli
production?
A: I find it fascinating that this man - Cubby Broccoli - who is in
his twilight is on the verge of a new beginning. We're doing this film in this old
Rolls Royce factory [the first Bond film to be shot at Leavesden Studios] and there are no
ghosts of Roger or Sean here. It's a fresh canvas. I enjoy this as a studio.
I paint, and I feel very at home here.
Q: When you were a young boy, you were impressed by Sean Connery's
portrayal of James Bond. What do you hope that your young son brings away from your
performance as 007?
A: Seeing a hero figure. Somebody who is a good man. A
character who is a solid human being. And someone my son would say "I want to
be like him. He's a cool guy."
Interview from "The Incredible World of 007" by Lee
Pfeiffer and Philip Lisa.
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