While he’s mostly known today for playing James Bond for a period back in the late nineties and early 2000’s, the career of Pierce Brosnan spans a much greater range of work than this. Yes, whether it be on the streets of his native Ireland or amongst the bright lights of Hollywood, everyone knows that when you’re looking for someone to deliver a leading man performance with bucket loads of charm, he’s the man to turn to as he just radiates charisma every time he’s on-screen, as can be seen in each of these performances.
Sam Carmichael, Mamma Mia! Film Series (2008-2018)
Pierce Brosnan is known for being able to do a lot of things, but singing is not generally one of them. And so that’s why when he accepted the role of Sam Carmichael in the Mamma Mia! film series, it came as a surprise to some. But in what shouldn’t have come as a surprise, Brosnan absolutely hit it out of the park here as, whether he’s singing the hits or bringing the drama in the search to find the real father of Sophie, he kills it.
And that’s even more impressive when you consider the fact that he didn’t even know what movie he was signing on to initially. No, when offered the chance to work with Meryl Streep, he jumped at the opportunity, all without knowing what they would actually be doing together.
Gideon, Seraphim Falls (2006)
Another style of movie that Pierce Brosnan isn’t so well known for, Seraphim Falls sees him tackle the western. And while this might seem like a strange fit, he absolutely manages to bring some rugged charisma to the dance, leaving him more than capable of hanging with his co-star Liam Neeson as they play a cat and mouse game with one another.
That said, this role still represented something of a challenge for Brosnan. Hell, for the first thirteen minutes he’s on-screen he doesn’t get to say a single word and has to emote purely through his expressions. But as it turned out, this was a fun challenge for him. And that’s why he’s gone on to call it the most fun he’s ever had on a film set.
Tom Ryan, Shattered (2007)
It may not be his most well-known performance, but Pierce Brosnan’s portrayal of the sociopathic kidnapper Tom Ryan in Shattered is one which is deserving of praise. And that’s not just because it sees him mix things up by playing a rare villain. No, it’s also because the movie itself is a thrilling one to endure as we all watch him terrorise a poor family into submission.
One thing which wasn’t in his plans though was legitimately crashing his car during one scene. Yes, what you see play out on screen here is all too real. And that meant the actors’ responses to the crashes were real too. Thankfully though, Pierce escaped the incident without any injuries.
Julian Noble, The Matador (2005)
The Matador is at once familiar and unfamiliar territory for Pierce Brosnan as it sees him return to the world of espionage, but do so by playing a hitman. And while there is drama to be found in this tale of his character, Julian Noble, striking up an unlikely friendship with a downtrodden businessman, it’s also largely played for laughs.
But as you can probably guess based on some of this other work, Brosnan is very good at bringing the laughs. And that means the movie which follows is always fun to watch, leading to it developing something of a cult status. So much of a cult status would it develop in fact, the sombrero worn by Pierce on screen later sold at an auction for $22,000.
Hammond, No Escape (2015)
There are few things scarier than the idea of being away from home and getting caught up in a situation you have no control over. And that’s what makes No Escape so effective in its tale of an American Family who get stuck in Cambodia during a political uprising. Luckily for them though, they have Pierce Brosnan to help them out in the role of Hammond, a British Government operative.
Yes, this is another example of Brosnan doing what he does best with his action hero antics in a trademark winning performance. Unfortunately though, not everyone would take kindly to what they were seeing on screen. No, due to the negative portrayals they received, both Cambodia and Thailand would ban it.
Thomas Crown, The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
If James Bond is the most famous role Pierce Brosnan ever played, then Thomas Crown may be a not too distant second. And that’s because he’s so good in The Thomas Crown Affair, he manages to turn it into an instant classic. Sure, it isn’t a stretch for him to play a charming playboy. But it’s still a hell of a lot of fun to watch, especially when we realise he’s also an art thief.
Interestingly though, as this was at the same period of time where Brosnan was still playing Bond, there were limitations on how he could appear on screen. And that meant in one party scene he would have to have his tie undone as he was not allowed to wear a full tuxedo in anything else.
Desmond Doyle, Evelyn (2002)
Building a character from scratch can be an incredibly challenging task for an actor. But what can be even more challenging is portraying a real person. And that’s because doing so you have a real legacy to honour, something which was true when Pierce Brosnan took on the role of Desmond Doyle, the man who challenged the Irish courts over the right to be a single father.
But in Evelyn he does just this, and he does a great job of it too, bringing all the necessary humanity to the proceedings. And that’s why in Ireland this is still considered a classic to this day. Though to be fair it’s also beloved in other parts of the world as the story is pretty universal.
Adam Lang, The Ghost Writer (2010)
By 2010 we’d seen Pierce Brosnan play a lot of roles. But one role we hadn’t yet seen him tackle was that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. That would all change in The Ghost Writer however as it’s here that his exploits as the former chief of the British government makes for dramatic fodder for a ghost writer writing his memoirs.
But while the end result of this film was great, the production had difficulties. And that’s mostly because, part way through filming, director Roman Polanski would be arrested in relation to prior convictions he was fleeing. So that meant he had to finish production from a distance as he sat in a Swiss prison cell.
James Bond (007), James Bond Film Series (1995-2004)
When you think of Pierce Brosnan’s career, one role towers above all. And that’s his portrayal of the world’s most famous spy, James Bond, in four films, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, and Die Another Day. But then why wouldn’t it because this is quite simply the role he was born to play.
Of course, if history had worked out differently though, he might have taken up the mantle of Bond earlier, as early as The Living Daylights in 1987 in fact. But in the end this was halted when the TV show he was attached to, Remington Steele, got picked up, forcing him to drop out at the last minute.
And there you have it, a brief look at some of the best characters that Pierce Brosnan has given us. And what a list it is. Of course, before all is said and done we’re sure he’ll add another classic or two to his repertoire because even at this relatively late stage of his career, he continues to be amongst the most watchable stars out there. For more top picks on famous celebs’ greatest films, visit Stream TV on YouTube.
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