‘Once you’re branded as Bond, it’s with you forever’: Pierce Brosnan insists he has ‘no regrets’ about being replaced as 007 when he was axed by producers over the phone
Pierce Brosnan has insisted he has ‘no regrets’ about how he left the James Bond franchise, when he was told he was being replaced over the phone.
The actor, 67, had his last outing as 007 in Die Another Day in 2002 and although he was eager to do a fifth film, producers decided they wanted to reboot the role to stay relevant in a post-9/11, post-Jason Bourne world.
Speaking to The Guardian, Pierce said: ‘There’s no regret. I do not let regret come into my world… It just leads to more misery and more regrets. Bond is the gift that keeps giving and has allowed me to have a wonderful career.
Past: Pierce Brosnan, 67, has insisted he has ‘no regrets’ about how he left the James Bond franchise, when he was told he was being replaced over the phone (pictured in January 2020)
‘Once you’re branded as a Bond, it’s with you for ever, so you better make peace with it and you’d better understand that when you walk through those doors and pick up the mantle of playing James Bond.’
Pierce previously admitted he felt like he had been ‘kicked to the kerb’ when he was cut from the franchise and said the phone call from the producers came completely out of the blue.
The film star was called by producers Barbara Broccolli and Michael Wilson who informed him they had decided to recast the role, which went to Daniel Craig.
Recounting the call in the book Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films, he said: ‘She 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.”
Axed: The actor had his last outing as 007 in Die Another Day in 2002 and although he was eager to do a fifth film, producers decided they wanted to reboot the role (pictured in 2002)
‘That was it. I was utterly shocked and just kicked to the kerb with the way it went down.’
According to the authors of the book, Pierce wanted too much money for a fifth film while bosses had already decided to take the franchise in a grittier direction.
Pierce has had a successful career since leaving the Bond franchise behind, appearing in films like Mamma Mia! and The Ghost Writer.
The actor insisted he will not be hanging up his boots anytime in the near future, saying he doesn’t know what else he would do.
Pierce said: ‘There’s no regret. I do not let regret come into my world … It just leads to more misery and more regrets. Bond is the gift that keeps on giving’
He said: ‘I have no desire to retire. I am a man of 67 years now and the parts that will come to me will be the parts of the elder, the parts of the comedic turn. At this point in life, I don’t know what else to do but act and paint.’
Pierce also discussed the Me Too movement, describing the abuse of power by people such as Harvey Weinstein ‘appalling’.
The Irish actor told how he hopes the younger generation will eradicate the ‘disease of racism’ and believes they will have the courage to go and vote for politicians who will protect people’s rights.
He added: ‘Once you’re branded as a Bond, it’s with you for ever, so you better make peace with it and you’d better understand that when you walk through those doors and pick up the mantle of playing James Bond’ (pictured in November 2019)