entertainment.inquirer.net/284510/pierce-brosnan-back-singing-dancing-mamma-mia-2-lovesPierce Brosnan back singing, dancing in âMamma Mia 2â and he loves it
By: Ruben V. Nepales - Columnist
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:30 AM July 20, 2018
LOS ANGELESâAt 65 years old, Pierce Brosnan still cuts a dashing figure. The actor, wearing an embossed navy Armani jacket, blue Brioni shirt, black pants and Jimmy Choo shoes, looked like he could still resume playing James Bond, on a recent afternoon at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.
Instead, he is back playing Sam in âMamma Mia! Here We Go Again.â Everyone has returnedâfrom Meryl Streep (though she has fewer scenes because of a plot development involving her character, Donna), Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Christine Baranski to Julie Walters.
And there are new members of the castâCher, Andy Garcia and Lily James as the young Donna. But this time, Ol Parker has taken over directing duties from Phyllida Lloyd. Of course, thereâs still the joyous, infectious music of Abba, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who also serve as producers.
Pierce said he enjoyed staying with his wife, Keely, on the remote Croatian island of Vis, where they filmed and which subbed for Greece. He has two sons, Dylan and Paris, with Keely, an American journalist whom he met when she interviewed him. He has another son, Sean, and two adopted children, Charlotte and Chris, with his first wife, actress Cassandra Harris, who died in 1991.
Excerpts from our chat:
Did you miss having Meryl Streep for the full shoot, as in the first movie? Oh, I missed her. I love Meryl. And we became good friends. I have the greatest admiration for her as a woman, actress and person. And she left a lasting impression on my heart. So within the context of the story, it was delightful for my character, Sam, to have those emotions as slight as they are throughout the piece.
But Meryl permeates the piece. She left such a mighty impression on the world in this role of Donna.
One of the memorable moments in the first movie was of Meryl singing âThe Winner Takes It Allâ to you. What are your memories of filming that scene? Oh my God, I can still see it. Weâre up on this mountaintop. It was a glorious day. Itâs a big song. Itâs an aria unto itself. And Phyllida (Lloyd, director) designed the shot to be a circular motion shot. I just remember thinking the actorâs credoâleave yourself alone. Be in the moment. Listen to the emotion of the song and just be there for Meryl. Just be there for the character.
And being blown away by her. It was Meryl Streep in front of me singing this gorgeous song and nailing my heart. It was a long way up the mountain, and it was a long way down the mountain (laughs).
You travel a lot for work. You shot this movie in Croatia, for instance. Are you a good traveler? I travel well. Iâve been on the bus, back of the bus, top of the bus, under the bus (laughs). Iâve been all around the bus. Itâs just an actorâs life.
My wife Keely and I are looking forward to the boys getting a bit older. Weâre looking forward to just carry on doing my bits of acting here and there, then we can travel together. I travel so much for my work as an actor, but home is Malibu and Kauai.
Do you have a favorite destination? Kauai (laughs). Thatâs home. Thatâs where Keely wants to go, so wherever she wants to go, Iâm right beside her.
So whatâs a perfect evening for you like in Kauai? Just as the sun is going down, Keely makes a great rum cocktail (with pineapple juice). We sit on the beach and have a rum cocktail, then maybe another rum cocktail (laughs). While sheâs making great dinner, maybe Iâll have another rum cocktail (laughs) when sheâs not looking. Sheâs a great cook. And itâs just the two of us. We watch a movie or see whatâs on TV.
Did the cast stay in the same hotel while filming in Croatia? No, we all stayed around the island. Keely and I were right in the middle of the harbor. Iâd wake up in the morning and the kids would be out there, saying âJames Bond, James Bond!â (laughs). I got to know them all.
You walk down the street or go out for an evening, and there would be Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard. The three of us are friends, but I had my girl with me. Weâd sit and have dinner.
What makes you feel free and untethered? Waking up in Kauai, at 4 in the morning, going out, watching the sun come up. Iâm standing at my easel and painting. Iâve followed the course of the brush, the heart, the paint, and itâs good. And the hours drift by. Working with great actors and good scripts and feeling that youâre doing something meaningful.
When you were younger, which bands did you like? I did see Abba. I watched the Eurovision Song Contest back in those years. I watched them win the contest. I thought this quartet of people was rather charming, novel and funny. But I canât say that I was an Abba fan. I was into Spirit, Bob Marley, Van Morrison, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell and, of course, Bruce Springsteen.
Since making the first film 10 years ago, have any Abba songs stayed in your mind? âThe Winner Takes It Allâ for the very reasons Iâve spoken about Meryl, watching her perform that song. Itâs a gorgeous love song. And âDancing Queenâ is so epic and big.
But the overall poetry and lyricism of Abbaâs work and that they had their own love affairsâthese two men and two beautiful womenâthatâs what made their music so enthralling and captivating.
Pierce Brosnan (center) with Amanda Seyfried and Dale Branston in âMamma Mia! Here We Go Againâ âPHOTO BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Do you enjoy singing in these âMamma Miaâ films? By no means am I a great singer, but I like to sing. Iâm Irish and the Irish love singing and dancing. But the first movie was such a huge undertaking. They came out to the house with a young orchestra conductor. Iâve forgotten his name. He gave me the headphones and all the songs [to rehearse]. So I just sang them every day.
I drove my boys nuts. I drove them to school while singing âSOS.â They said, âNo, dad, no, no.â âItâs going to be good, sons.â âNo!â They said to their mother, âWhatâs dad doing? Whatâs happening?â And the lady who looks after us in the house said, âOh, whatâs wrong with Mr. Brosnan?â
Anyway, I persevered and I got a platinum album out of it. The check didnât bounce. And they asked me back. Thatâs the remarkable thing about actors. Itâs just the passion, discipline and focus of wanting to be great.
Is there a boy still in you? Do you consider yourself mature? Iâm looking forward to it (being mature) some day (laughs). I donât want to mature.
You have hardly changed. Oh my God, I have changed. Oh yes. I know in my mind I have one image of myself, then I pass the shop window. I go, oh boy, stand up straight (laughs). Really, exercise more.
Do you think there will be a âMamma Mia 3â? People have started talking about âMamma Mia 3.â Jesus, they better not wait 10 years (laughs)! (Speaks in an old man voice) Where are you? I donât know (laughs). I donât know if there will be a âMamma Mia 3.â
The movie opens and there is Amanda Seyfried, and my heart swelled. Watch this young woman grow up from a 21-year-old young girl to a woman now with her own child. You go to the set and there she is, sheâs nursing her baby. Thereâs a great poignancy to that.
And weâve all remained friends. Thereâs respect for each otherâs work and who we are as people. Phyllida Lloyd really created a beautiful company.