Pierce Brosnan made four James Bond films but now thinks they weren’t up to par.
Whether we like the character of James Bond or not, the saga has left a mark in the history of cinema with 25 films on the clock since 1962, and six interpreters of the famous British spy (if we exclude the comedy Casino Royale ).
With so many actors and feature films, some have been more or less well received by audiences, but no audience member looks harsher on some James Bond than Pierce Brosnan himself!
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Brosnan starred in four James Bond films: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). In 2014twelve years after his last appearance in the saga, the Irish actor returned with bitterness to the legacy he left as 007:
MGM
I have no desire to look at myself [jouer] James Bond, because it was never good enough! And it’s a horrible feeling.
The reason behind these regrets? A tone that was far too timid, which was not in tune with the times:
“I felt caught in a time capsule between Roger [Moore] and Sean [Connery]. It was very difficult for me to understand the meaning of it. The violence was never realistic, the raw strength of this man was never palpable. It was very contained, and the characterization was not at all accomplished in terms of realism: we remained on the surface. But that might have to do with my own insecurities about acting [le personnage].”
MGM
Pierce Brosnan wanted to play James Bond for a long time, but was rejected in favor of Timothy Dalton for Killing is Not Playing and License to Kill. Like Sam Neill, he had auditioned and like him, had not been selected. He was returning episodes of his series The Remington Steele Mysteries.
When he gets his chance for GoldenEye, he will be the one chosen for four films. Two years after the release of Die Another Day, in February 2004, he indicated through the press that he would not play 007 again in a fifth opus. Of its four films, the saga will only retain Judi Dench in the role of M, the head of MI:6.