Hollywood star Pierce Brosnan says the James Bond franchise gave him “longevity”.
Brosnan, 72, played James Bond from 1995 to 2002, starring in four films as 007 in GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002).
Speaking to The Guardian, Brosnan praised the franchise and the opportunities its given him as an actor despite his late teacher and mentor, Christopher Fettes, reportedly believing it was a bit below him.
He said: “It’s very kind of Christopher. Thank God for Bond. It’s given me longevity.
“It’s given me the world in many respects.
“Christopher wanted me doing obscure 19th-century plays, but my dream was always movies.”
As speculation continues to stir around who will fill in 007’s shoes following Daniel Craig’s final portrayal in 2021’s No Time To Die, Brosnan advised the next actor that it is “essential to be creative outside of Bond” and to “get a good lawyer”.
The next Bond film will be directed by Canadian filmmaker and four-time Academy Award nominee, Denis Villeneuve who is known for Dune, Prisoners, Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival.
It was also recently announced that the script for the next film will be written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
This comes after a major overhaul of the iconic British spy franchise which saw Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson hand over creative control to Amazon as part of a lucrative deal.
The Drogheda-born star now appears alongside Oscar-winner Dame Helen Mirren, Calendar Girls actress Celia Imrie, and Gandhi actor Sir Ben Kingsley in the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel series The Thursday Murder Club.
He also plays mobster Conrad Harrigan in the Paramount+ series MobLand, which follows the Harrigan crime family and their battle with the Stevenson family in London.
Brosnan is also known for starring in Mamma Mia! (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996) and Mrs Doubtfire (1994).
