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Top 10 Pierce Brosnan

Pierce cut a dashing lead in The Thomas Crown Affair and entertained with his off-key singing in Mamma Mia!, but he will be forever defined by his stretch as Bond that lasted nearly a decade. Still suave, but grittier than his predecessors, Brosnan eased the transition to brawny Bond Daniel Craig. We've chosen our ten highlights.

His Top 10 Films

Around the World in 80 Days (1989)

Before breaking through the Hollywood barrier, Pierce Brosnan became a British household name as Phileas Fog, in the TV mini-series of Around the World in 80 Days. Also starring Eric Idle, Roddy McDowell and Christopher Lee. The TV series ran a different course to the book, incorporating its own historical figures such as Queen Victoria, to add a more contemporary feel.

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The Lawnmower Man (1992)

Brosnan’s first notable move from TV to film was as scientist Dr. Lawrence Angelo, in the controversial adaptation of Stephen King’s The Lawnmower Man. Following a lawsuit by King the movie kept its title but was forced to remove the novel credit, as the script varied widely to the original story. To top it all, of the total of eight minutes of CGI used, the film took eight months to complete and cost a cool $500,000. After pouring their finances into the special effects the film only had a modest return at the box-office.

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Mrs Doubtfire (1993)

Brosnan played the charming new boyfriend of Miranda Hillard (Sally Field), and obstacle to husband Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams), in Mrs Doubtfire - the adaptation of Anne Fine’s children’s novel Madam Doubtdire. Directed by family favourite Chris Columbus (Home Alone), the film received a Golden Globe award in 1994 for Best Picture (Musical/Comedy), an Oscar for Best Make-up (not surprising based on Robin William’s transformation), and was the 2nd highest grossing film in 1993 - beaten only by Jurassic Park.

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GoldenEye (1995)

When former James Bond star Roger Moore stepped down as Britain’s most famous secret agent spy in 1995, the producers called up Timothy Dalton. But he declined the offer leaving Brosnan to take over as the new 007. Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson, Sam Neill, Hugh Grant and Lambert Wilson were all rumoured to have been in the running for the role.

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Mars Attacks (1996)

With the largest all-star cast of the past 20 years, Brosnan seized the opportunity to tackle a role outside of the Bond franchise in Tim Burton’s sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks! Starring alongside Jack Nicholson, Danny Devito and Glenn Close, Brosnan’s self-effacing humour was a refreshing antidote to Bond, and he came out of it well, even though the film proved to be one of the biggest commercial failures for Burton.

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The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

A remake of the 1968 film adaptation, Brosnan stepped into Steve McQueen’s shoes to play a man whose boredom with his own life, and his endless amounts of money leads to a serious case of sticky fingers. Ditching the archetypal hero persona for a more sleazy role, Brosnan beds women like his counterpart Bond but doesn’t quite save the day in the same fashion. Brosnan did most of his stunts for this film and took golf lessons to improve his swing.

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Die Another Day (2002)

In 2002 Bronson was back to Bond for the third time, with Halle Berry as his bikini-clad side-kick. After volunteering to write the theme tune to the 20th Bond instalment, Madonna also made a cameo appearance in the film. It marked Bronson’s final appearance as 007.

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The Matador (2005)

Brosnan teamed up with Greg Kinnear in 2005 to play a hitman who enlists the help of a down-in-the-mouth business man (Kinnear) in Mexico City. Screened at Sundance, Toronto, and Chicago International film festivals prior to its release, the film was well received by critics. Brosnan received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, but lost out to Joaquin Phoenix for his work in Walk The Line.

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Seraphim Falls (2006)

Richard Gere was originally cast in the lead role of Gideon, but dropped out three weeks before filming to work on The Flock. Frantic for a lead, the producers approached Brosnan, who immediately snapped up the part - which sees him starring alongside fellow Irishman Liam Neeson and Anjelica Huston. The film gained mix reviews but for the most part Brosnan and Neeson were praised for their acting.

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Mamma Mia! (2008)

A far cry from his previous roles, Brosnan was required to make a song and dance in this musical medley. Despite having little singing experience, Brosnan joined an all-star cast for the sing-a-long of a lifetime, in the on-screen adaptation of Mama Mia! It is rumoured that Brosnan didn’t know anything about the project before signing on. All it took was the mention of Meryl Streep and sunny beaches and he was in. Mamma Mia! went down in the record books as the fastest selling DVD in the UK.

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Jennifer Trevorrow