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Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has given
his first indepth interview about the new 007 Daniel
Craig, the success of Casino Royale, and having no
regrets...
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Brosnan On Craig
24th August 2007
Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has given his first indepth
interview about the new 007 Daniel Craig, the success of Casino
Royale, and having no regrets.
The Daily Mirror asked Brosnan what he thought
about Daniel Craig's debut performace as 007. "He’s
the greatest ever, and deservedly so," enthuses
Brosnan, whose
latest film, Seraphim Falls, is out today in the UK. "I’m
proud and still honoured that I was part of that legacy, but I
thought Daniel was a great choice. I have
no regrets – I just would have loved to do the thing myself.
I don’t have any hard feelings over it."
Above: Pierce Brosnan in "After
The Sunset" (2004)
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On the subject of the series 'reboot' and the
switch to Craig, Brosnan said "I thought they had great
courage to do what they did, because
we
were so
far
down
the
road with
deal
making.
As
far
as I was concerned, great, I’d do a fifth, then good night.
Because it really does take a toll on you. So, as much of
a shock and surprise as it was to get the phone call on that day,
in the next breath it was a liberation."
"You get complacent having a role like that – the
luxury of doing one every 18 months. It focused my attention
on what I want to do with my career and the choices I want to
make. Now I’m out there in the field, what’s going
to happen next? When you have Bond there’s a comfort. You
have a responsibility to that character. You live with it too
many
years. So it was with mixed emotions that it ended. I knew Daniel
was toying with the idea so I told him, ‘For God’s
sake, go and do it and enjoy it’."
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Now Bond is just a memory to Brosnan,
who is relishing the chance to play other roles. Seraphim
Falls is a Western set in the 1860s in which he plays a
man on the run being hunted down by a vengeful colonel,
played by Liam Neeson, following the end of the American
Civil War. In the film, Pierce sports a magnificent shaggy
beard which disappeared as soon as shooting ended. "I
hated it, I was so glad to get that thing off. My wife
hated it too. It took me about eight weeks to grow. Beards
are a great thing for acting, they change your persona
and I wanted to do that in this movie."
Seraphim Falls saw Brosnan not only battling
the pursuing Neeson, but the harsh weather conditions of
Nevada’s Ruby Mountains. For a veteran of action
movies, it was one of the toughest shoots that Pierce had
experienced. "The Bonds were physically demanding," he
says. "They were six months of running from pillar
to post, but this had an intensity to it. When things went
wrong, they went wrong very fast. Luckily, I’ve spent
time in the outdoors, camping and finding my way. I read
maps – I had training in that early on in my life.
I knew it was going to be tough, but that was the challenge." |
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Above: Pierce Brosnan in "Seraphim
Falls"
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One particularly dramatic scene sees Brosnan leap from the top
of a waterfall into the icy water below, and he performed the
scene himself without the help of a stuntman. So why, at his
age, take such a big risk? "Because it’s exciting,"
Pierce smiles. "Because
people want to see something. They go to the movies to be turned
on, excited and challenged. The falls were both terrifying and
exhilarating at the same time."
