|
Post by eaz35173 on Feb 25, 2021 20:53:07 GMT -5
Interview with Julian Glover who speaks of Pierce both personally and working with him on RS at 5:35 ...
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Mar 11, 2021 1:08:10 GMT -5
Salma Hayek charmed by a famous actor, here is the one who has always cracked her March 11, 2021
Are you curious to know which actor Salma Hayek has always fallen for? Here is his identity!
Fixed for 15 years, Salma Hayek who lived an embarrassing meeting with a famous rapper, is a fulfilled woman. The actress shares her life with French businessman François-Henri Pinault and the two lovebirds have a daughter together. A happiness that does not prevent the actress from having crushes for her peers. You may not know it but the pretty brunette has always fallen for the beautiful eyes of Pierce Brosnan, the unforgettable interpreter of James Bond. “When I lived in Mexico, and didn’t know I was going to be an actress, I had a crush on Pierce Brosnan when he was playing in The Remington Steele Investigations. He was the man of my dreams. “ had she confided to Teen hollywood in 2003.
Over the years, Salma hayek was finally able to meet Pierce Brosnan and even collaborate with him on several occasions. Indeed, the two actors have played together in no less than two films including Sparkle (2004) and Teach me love (2014). The star keeps a very nice memory of it: “I never thought that one day I would be in Nassau, Bahamas kissing Pierce on the beach. He is beautiful, he is a gentleman and a lovely person. There is no age for this kind of quality. It lasts forever. “ Compliments which certainly pleased the main concerned. In the rest of the celebrity news, the editorial ‘of melty invites you to discover a photo of Salma Hayek naturally without makeup.
|
|
|
Post by rosafermu on Mar 23, 2021 13:29:13 GMT -5
Thank you. Take care. Be safe
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Apr 8, 2021 21:44:04 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on May 17, 2021 20:58:48 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Jun 19, 2021 15:25:01 GMT -5
Pierce and Dylan having a conversation courtesy of People's Instagram Live ...
|
|
|
Post by rosafermu on Jun 21, 2021 8:42:55 GMT -5
Many thanks
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Jul 1, 2021 21:35:54 GMT -5
The peachy, beachy life of Pierce B. Brosnan
The latest Gentleman's Journal cover star takes a sandy stroll back along his shining career...
Words: Jonathan Wells
Photography: Jonny Marlow
Styling: Mark Holmes
Grooming: Natalia Bruschi
Film: Jason Bergh
Life’s a beach for Pierce Brosnan. It’s one long, lazy, hazy, do-what-you-want, cocktails-at-sunset stretch of sand. It’s where he’s made waves with the role of a lifetime. It’s where he’s dipped his toe into the Hollywood riptide. And it’s where today — sun still shining — he’s drifting happily into his golden years. But the actor is far from washed-up. In fact, he’s as busy as he ever was. No, for Pierce Brosnan, things are still as peachy and beachy as he could ever have hoped they would be…
There’s an actual beach, too — on top of all this metaphorical nonsense. The actor’s blissful home of two decades sits on 117 sprawling feet of prime Malibu real estate. In fact, that’s exactly where these sun-drenched snaps were taken; and it proved the perfect place to capture the laid-back calm and cool of Pierce Brosnan.
“Water has always been a part of my joy and my existence,” smiles the 68-year-old, a week later. He’s away from his beach now, Zooming in from landlocked Atlanta — and missing the ocean.
“I grew up on a river on the banks of the the River Boyne, in Navan, County Meath. And I have fond memories of the seaside. It was a fair distance away, but we would travel, nevertheless, to the beaches in Galway.
“So, when I dropped into America in the 1980s,” he continues, “there was only one place to be — and that was on the coast. L.A. just didn’t hold the same magic for me as the Malibu coastline. I need the water. I need to be beside the ocean.”
But Brosnan’s making a move. His Malibu property, known as Orchid House, is currently on the market (for a cool $100 million, no less) and he’s planning to put down permanent roots in Hawaii with his wife, journalist and filmmaker Keely Shaye.
“Although we’ve been in Hawaii for twenty years,” says Brosnan. “We wanted to get away somewhere tropical, and both Keely and I had been to Hawaii and loved it. We’ve got a property there with great bamboo, so I put up palapas — which are grass huts — on the beach, and sit there to have breakfast or lunch”.
Life’s a beach indeed. And, when Brosnan isn’t rustling up palapas on his Hawaiian estate, he’s paddleboarding. Or snorkelling. Or fishing. Or just submerging himself in the local Polynesian culture.
“And I think that has come into my work slowly,” he nods. “Subliminally. Sometimes intentionally. The motifs of the plants, or the silhouette and shape of the island. They subtly dwell in my work.”
The ‘work’, of course, is not Brosnan’s vast and varied acting career — but rather his artwork. Because, while the world may know him for playing roles including James Bond and Robinson Crusoe, Brosnan’s most heartfelt expression of his personal creativity can be found elsewhere; not on celluloid, but on canvas.
And it’s been that way all his life. Not long after those childhood trips to the beaches of Galway, Brosnan was sent to be schooled in London. He endured a “wild and woolly” experience in the comprehensive school system, before leaving Putney’s Elliot School and landing his first job — as a ‘trainee commercial artist’ — for a small studio just south of the Thames.
Since then, it’s always been about the art. Brosnan discusses no other subject with such pace, passion — or curiosity. In fact, he’s sketching as we speak.
“Because, sometimes, you just have to paint! Sitting on calls, sitting on Zoom, sitting here looking at people. It’s nice to stay active.
“It’s my little bit of Carl Jung,” he chuckles.
But Hawaii, for all its shapes, silhouettes and rich aboriginal culture, is not the sole inspiration for Brosnan’s artwork. The actor also cites Picasso, Matisse — even Hemingway — as key creatives in his sphere of influence. Currently, he tells me, he is re-reading Gabriel García Márquez’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’.
“It’s a magnificent book,” he says, brandishing the hardback. “Salma Hayek gave this to me as a birthday present”.
Brosnan’s affinity for art has occasionally crossed over into his day job. He wrote René Magritte’s surrealist ‘The Son of Man’ painting (think face-obscuring fruit and bowler hats) into his 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. And, where possible, the actor will create a studio space that he can escape to when filming on location.
“I’m actually on location now,” Brosnan says, gesturing around the room. “And, here in Atlanta, in this beautiful apartment, I have a studio. It’s just a spare room, turned into a studio, where I set up work. But, if you’re going to be away somewhere for a long time, I find it’s good to come away with one or two pieces of work that you’ve done there.”
And do these locations — the far-flung filming destinations — inform and influence Brosnan’s work?
“Not necessarily, no,” he says, pen still firmly pressed to paper. “I’ve been to some of the galleries here in Atlanta, and there are some wonderful artists. But the inspiration comes from life, from drawing, from the work at hand — and from my scripts.”
"L.A. just didn’t hold the same magic for me as the Malibu coastline…”
Which explains the breadth of Brosnan’s art. Because few artists have run the cinematic gamut quite like the Irish-American actor. From The Long Good Friday to The Lawnmower Man, from Mars Attacks! to Mamma Mia!, Brosnan’s acting choices have always been eclectic. Even after a four-film stint as James Bond, the actor resisted being typecast into his tuxedo. And, this year, he’s setting a new record for range.
Kicking off the genre-jumping is a thigh-clenching turn in Hulu horror False Positive, in which Brosnan plays a Faustian fertility doctor — all reassuring smiles and massive syringes. Next comes The Misfits, an action heist thriller that casts the actor as a suave master architect. And then there’s a leap to children’s animation, where Brosnan will voice an anthropomorphic elk in a whimsical retelling of Riverdance.
It’s an eclectic filmography, energetic — and looks to be the career of a man just having fun; unashamedly doing whatever he wants to do. Is that how Brosnan calls it?
“Yes — somewhat,” he says with a pause. “I like to take time off, and it’s nice to have choices with work — but sometimes, of course, you don’t. There are no real guidelines to it. Other than the script! Everything starts with the script. Also who’s doing it: who is making this movie? But, first and foremost, the script.”
And many scripts have come Brosnan’s way. One of the first, given to the actor within months of graduating from Drama Centre London in 1975, was for Tennessee Williams’ The Red Devil Battery Sign. Williams, a living legend by that point, hand-picked Brosnan to star in the play’s London debut. And, since that early success, the actor has read countless more scripts, learning his lines for roles from King Arthur and Louis XIV to Phileas Fogg.
The latest script to land by Brosnan’s easel is Black Adam, a superhero epic starring Dwayne Johnson as the titular antihero. Brosnan will play ‘Doctor Fate’, a sorcerer who wears a magical helmet. It’s the first time the actor has been offered a superhero role since he turned down Tim Burton’s offer to star in 1989’s Batman.
“And I’m having a fabulous time,” says Brosnan of Black Adam. “I love these films very much. But I’ve also been a big fan of the comic book world. There certainly was wonderment around whether I’d ever be approached to play anything.”
As a time-served sorcerer, Brosnan thankfully doesn’t have to go toe-to-muscular-toe with Dwayne Johnson. The actor says he hasn’t even noticed the ‘superherofication’ of Hollywood — where almost all modern leading men are expected to look a certain, strapping way. But take Daniel Craig’s James Bond as an example. When 007 sashayed out of the sea in Casino Royale, it was clear that this new, burlier Bond wouldn’t get anywhere near Brosnan’s slim-fit, sleekly cut Brioni suits. So is the actor glad he missed the age of must-have muscles?
“I actually don’t know about that,” Brosnan reasons. “Daniel was magnificent as Bond, but there’s always been a physicality to acting. It’s an essential part of being an actor — knowing how to use your body; how to perform physically, how to perform spiritually and technically. I don’t think much has really changed.”
Except for Bond himself, of course — for whom things have undeniably moved on. Brosnan even told ‘The Hollywood Reporter’ in 2019 that he’d find it “exhilarating and exciting” to see a female Bond take over from Craig. And, as we speak, news is breaking of the much-opposed Amazon-MGM merger. Brosnan agrees that it would be cinema’s loss if Bond slipped off the big screen, but he also acknowledges that these aren’t his decisions to make. Despite playing an integral part in the franchise’s history, Bond has moved on — and Brosnan no longer even gets invited to the films’ premieres.
“I don’t think so,” he says, when I ask if he’s ever received the red carpet call. “I don’t recall being invited.”
But Brosnan is better off not dwelling on the past. Today, he shakes tequila cocktails over martinis (“At the end of the day, sitting on the beach”). And, despite starring in two seasons of Western television drama The Son, he deems a limited revival of Remington Steele, the 1980s television show that made him a star, “highly unlikely”.
Even if the offer did come, Brosnan’s docket is full. After Black Adam, he will film romantic comedy Not Bloody Likely — a spin on the story of George Bernard Shaw’s attempts to bring Pygmalion to the West End in 1914. Another Irish-influenced project will follow, titled The Last Rifleman. Inspired by the true-story tale of Bernard Jordan, Brosnan will play a Northern Irish World War II veteran who breaks out of his care home on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
There’s even another film coming out this very summer; a musical retelling of Cinderella. Brosnan plays the part of ‘King Rowan’ alongside Camila Cabello’s titular princess, and the actor’s fans all have the same burning Brosnan question: Will this be a singing part?
“I do sing, yes,” he smiles. It’s a measured smile — one likely recalling the pitch of his performance in the exuberantly ABBA-charged mega-hit Mamma Mia!. (Brosnan bagged himself an infamous Golden Raspberry Award (or ‘Razzie’) for his singing efforts in the 2008 film.) So how did he approach the music this time around?
“With an open heart!” he laughs good-naturedly, “and with grandeur of spirit!”
The last time Brosnan starred in a musical, he admits, the chance to get a song on the soundtrack evaded him. Starring alongside Will Ferrell in 2019’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, he reveals that “[he] threw [his] hat in the ring, but they weren’t forthcoming.”
“And I have a platinum album!” he laughs, “and a gold album!”
It’s true. These albums, the soundtracks to Mamma Mia! and its 2018 sequel, have sold millions of copies around the world. Part nostalgia-fuel, part summer-anthems — but wholly good fun — Brosnan has lent his divisive vocal stylings to six different ABBA tracks so far. And, despite filming on location in Greece, he learnt these songs on his Hawaiian beach, singing karaoke to his own personalised backing tracks.
“Yes, I had the songs recorded,” he nods, “and the music for them. And, living out in the wilds of Hawaii, there’s a lot of space! Mamma Mia! brought me such joy. When we made that movie, it really was one of the great summers.”
And Pierce Brosnan is built for summer. Just look at him. He may have a slick mafioso’s mane and thick, distinctive beard — “this is a Van Dyke,” he says, pointing as his face — but everything about the man shrieks summer. The tan. The squint. The shirts and sunglasses. He’s like a poster boy for exotic adventures, easy living and responsible sunbathing.
“Last summer was also actually a great summer,” Brosnan considers, his head bobbing gently from side-to-side. “Ironically. Because we were in lockdown on the island. I painted, I gardened, I swam. And we did that every day. And Keely cooked meals and we took walks. But all of this amidst the terrible pandemic and this font of anxiety that people lived with every day — this acute awareness of suffering and pain.
“I lost two friends to Covid,” he adds. “Dear, dear friends. And yet, we were in this kind of idyllic landscape. So it wasn’t until afterwards, really, that we felt as though we’d had this amazing summer. I feel gratitude to have had that in my life.”
“I have a platinum album! And a gold album!”
There’s a softness to Brosnan — in both voice and temperament. He’s clearly content, happy to follow his own path and be his true self — but he’d never let this freedom of spirit bring detriment or discomfort to others. Speaking to the actor, one thing is clear: we should all be more Brosnan. Because this is a happy man happily growing old. He’s happy for his hair to go grey — “I just let it go…”. And he’s happy living by his short, time-tested list of considered mottos and mantras.
“Be kind,” he says, checking them off. “Show up on time. And be patient. You might have to step back and take a breath. You might have to think about what you’re doing, think about the situation. I don’t get angry. I could get angry — but where would that anger go? There would be no point.”
Instead, he meditates.
“You sit down, quietly,” says Brosnan, explaining his process. “You close your eyes — or focus on a point. And you sit there for ten minutes, five minutes, even just a minute. And you quiet the mind.”
There’s a pause, as if he’s lost in meditation himself. But then it’s back to the sketchpad. Because Brosnan’s approach to his work — of any kind — is iron-willed and unwavering. Whether he’s pushing through a multi-million dollar passion project or just doing some gentle shading, the actor places the greatest importance on getting things done. And there’s even more he wants to do.
“There are movies I want to make,” he nods, “There is art that I want to create. And a book. There is a book somewhere in me, which I would like to put down. The memoirs have been talked about, and I work from time to time on them. I have poetry. I have books and writings. I’d like to try sculpture — I’d like to try ceramics and pottery. And I’ll get there at some point.
“Since we’ve been in lockdown,” he adds, pausing with his pen, “my [art]work has got bigger. Also since I’ve been in Hawaii. And the process has just become a little more meaningful. There are more opportunities — more possibilities. Take the world of NFT. We’re dropping an NFT — ‘Earplugs’ — just to play. It’s there, so why not? It’s kind of the gold rush; everyone trying to make a buck.”
‘Earplugs’ is a piece of art the actor painted in 1995, while filming GoldenEye. And an ‘NFT’, or ‘non-fungible token’, is a unique digital asset — a single unit of data (in this case, an artwork) that can be sold, usually at a high price, to a single owner. It’s a practice still in its infancy, however, and one many people still don’t fully understand.
“I can’t say that I do, either,” laughs Brosnan. “It’s rather abstract. But it’s good fun, and I think it’s here to stay. It will cultivate itself into different avenues, and artists will be made. And money will be made.”
But money, unsurprisingly, is not the goal for Brosnan. The art is something that the actor — still sketching — feels compelled to do. A similar impulse drives his environmental work; a long list of philanthropic endeavours that spans decades, and focuses mainly on ocean conservation.
“I love nature,” says Brosnan. “I grew up in the countryside. But it was because of Ted Danson and his oceans campaign that I began to support this work, as an environmentalist. He is a very passionate man. And, because of his concerns for the ocean, and living in Malibu, my interest was spawned there. Once you put your toe into those waters, there’s no going back.
“Because we are in a pretty bad shape, you know?” the actor adds, setting down his pen. “With what we do to the oceans, and the dismantling of the old growth trees and deforestation. So that work is very close to my heart and I try to balance it in my life. Because you can’t fight all the battles. You have to choose your causes.”
He’s holding up his sketchpad to the camera. The picture is an abstract set of blocks and beads, surrounded by spines. There’s a female face gazing off to the left. But there are also leaves; the actor’s environmental interests put down in ink.
So how does Brosnan pick his battles?
“They find you,” the actor shrugs, returning to the sketchpad. “It’s what moves you, what angers you, what you can do about this or that — trying to do the right thing by a cause. And finding the right people to stand with.”
Brosnan stands, most closely, with his wife. The two have been partners-in-conservation for years, and recently produced Poisoning Paradise, a documentary exposing the use of restricted pesticides on Hawaiian islands. Brosnan promoted the film on Instagram, sharing the important findings with his 1.5 million Instagram followers. But the actor doesn’t feel a duty to use his social media accounts for activism.
“I don’t feel a responsibility, no,” he says. “It’s just what moves me, and what I’m passionate about. I would like to leave the world, as they say, a better place. I’d like to come away with something that’s really meaningful.”
And, in addition to art and conservation, Brosnan finds few things as meaningful as family. He speaks as effusively about his sons as he does the environment — detailing how Dylan, a graduate of the University of Southern California, is currently working as a documentary filmmaker. And how Paris, a second-year student at Loyola Marymount University, will fly to Atlanta next month to join Black Adam as an assistant director.
“The boys have a creative life,” Brosnan acknowledges. “An artistic life. They’ve grown up in the business — surrounded by movie-making, so it’s been a natural progression for both of them to go into the arts. And they’re both very good at what they do.”
Before settling in London, Brosnan spent his childhood being moved around the British Isles — and largely separated from family. Could that be why he’s so keen to keep his children close?
“I suspect so,” he nods. “I cherish family very much. I cherish being a father. I did not grow up with a father figure or with a solid family. There was deep fracture, a certain isolation and an aloneness which wielded the wonderful power of my imagination. I had to get by on my own sensing and intuition.
“I had to get by on my own sensing and intuition…”
“So I value and love the family. Keely is the most amazing mother and woman — I’ve watched her grow up over 27 years, watched our life together just blossom and grow. And there are still many more dreams to be had.”
One such dream, Brosnan says, is the pursuit of another perfect summer. In an unlocked world, the actor reveals, he has a desire to return to one of his favourite cities; Paris.
“I have a deep love and passion for Paris,” he nods. “Keely and I will talk about Paris from time to time. We always stay in the same hotel; right opposite the Tuileries and the Rue de Rivoli. And it’s close to the Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre. I’ve had some wonderful summers in Paris.”
But, for now — and after selling off his sunny slice of Malibu — the actor will have to make do with hot, tranquil Hawaii. When Black Adam wraps, it’ll be back to the island, and an enviable existence of paddleboarding and palapas. Life’s a beach, after all…
“It’s work and play,” Brosnan lilts in agreement. “And I have friends out in Hawaii. We paint, play golf, repeat. And that’s a good day. Nine holes in the morning, a good lunch, afternoon in the studio, swim at the day’s end. Watch the sun set. Fire on the beach. Play some music. A cocktail, sitting on the beach.”
He puts the pen down.
“I live a rather glorious life.”
|
|
|
Post by rosafermu on Jul 5, 2021 8:37:46 GMT -5
It is great !!! Thanks
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Aug 26, 2021 17:22:49 GMT -5
Shaken, Not Stirred: Pierce Brosnan On Why Tequila Is The True Gentleman’s Drink, Playing A Royal & Joining The Marvel Universe
News August 26, 2021
by Laura Schreffler
Photo Credit: Frederic Auerbach for Casa Don Ramon
PIERCE BROSNAN SPILLS THE TEA ON HIS NEW TEQUILA BRAND VENTURE, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JAMES BOND AND BRANCHING OUT IN HOLLYWOOD.
BY LAURA SCHREFFLER PHOTOGRAPHY FREDERIC AUERBACH FOR CASA DON RAMON STYLING MARK HOLMES GROOMING BRON ROYLANCE HAIR RICHARD PROVENZANO CREATIVE AGENCY GAUDREY INC.
Alone (remotely) with Pierce Brosnan OBE, international man of mystery, three little words spill sloppily from my lips: “Shaken, or stirred?” I do not immediately regret them.
There are, quite likely, far more quote unquote “important” questions I might have asked this 40-plus-year entertainment industry vet. But when the man (debatably) most famous for playing James Bond starts publicly promoting a spirits brand, one might argue that, in fact, it seems like the only question.
Gamely, the 68-year-old actor, producer, environmentalist, philanthropist and artist plays along. “I suppose shaken?” He squints his eyes appealingly, thumbing at his white lion’s mane of a beard, and deliberates. “Yes, I suppose shaken. It seems to be the classic way, and it doesn’t bruise the alcohol. That’s what I’m told.”
Speaking of classic, if a more perfect word exists to describe Brosnan, I’ve yet to encounter it. Even wearing a plain white pocket tee and simple (though no doubt expensively made) slacks in the vague lighting of Zoom, he exudes the kind of savoir faire and elegance that made him, well, Bond. James Bond.
But unlike 007, his drink du jour these days isn’t a sexily shaken vodka martini. And in truth, it never was. He’s always been a red wine-and-tequila kind of guy — a Remington Steele at heart — so it would be far more likely to see him with a glass of cabernet or a perfectly made margarita in hand. Which is why his latest role, as the face and global brand ambassador of Casa Don Ramón is truly an organic fit, and one that came to be quite easily as well: “They just called my agent, we met and discussed the possibilities. I enjoy the company of everyone, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ It’s as simple as that.”He adds, “I do like tequila very much, and this seems to be a tequila world we live in now.”
When I suggest this may be because the Mexican-made libation is, by nature, an upper (it also lowers blood sugar and cholesterol) and wonder why, after the hell of 2020, the world at large wouldn’t want to be happy, he nods. “I couldn’t agree more. If you want to feel up, drink Don Ramón. It’s very, very good tequila [he’s right — it’s made using 100 percent Blue Weber agave, which are slowly baked over the course of several days], and I’m happy to be representing it.”
While his tastes remain the same, his perspective on Bond, however, has changed courtesy of Covid-19. I recall a conversation we had in 2019, prior to the onset of the pandemic, when he shut down all discussion pertaining to his former 007 self — every Aston Martin Vanquish-driving, Walther PPK-shooting, Vesper martini-swilling inch of him. “I have no desire to talk about that fellow,” he said then, his silky Irish lilt just softening the blow of his words. “I’ve been there, done that and will never speak of him again.”
I understood his misgivings. As the gap that separated him from his last days as the iconic MI6 agent widened, his patience for discussing the past noticeably shortened. Every interview (including this one, let it be noted) inevitably turns to Bond talk, even though he hasn’t played that fine fellow for nearly two decades; he said farewell to the role after 2002’s Die Another Day and passed the baton to Daniel Craig. But after four films — including 1995’s GoldenEye, 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies and 1999’s The World Is Not Enough (the first three of which earned over $1 billion at the international box office, while the fourth garnered nearly half a billion worldwide alone) — he’s inextricably linked to Ian Fleming’s dashing, danger-loving secret agent forevermore. And he’s resigned himself to that, for better or for worse.
“It is true [that I never wish to speak of him again], but it’s just, he’s not going to go away. He’s not going to leave me,” Brosnan admits. “In that moment in time [when we last spoke], that’s what I said. But how can I not speak of him, really? He has been such a big part of my life, and it’s the gift that keeps giving, in some ways. It’s enabled me as an actor to have longevity and commercial interest.” He pauses. “Now, what do you really want to ask me?”
Brosnan is steeling himself for something inane — boxers or briefs, Craig versus Connery, shaken or stirred (oops?). But there is no hidden agenda here, just surprise at his prior statement, and a request for clarification.
He references the late, great Sean Connery, the OG Bond, who played the part from 1962 to 1967, and again in 1971. “I was told that one could never speak of James Bond with Sean, and I understand why,” Brosnan says. “But you know, I talk about playing the character, and I tell stories about playing the character, and I love the character. I’m an audience member now, though. It’s going to be wonderful to see who the next James Bond is. Daniel did such a brilliant job, gave such a brilliant performance and was very powerful. So you go on, and you celebrate other guys’ work.”
Photo Credit: Frederic Auerbach for Casa Don Ramon
Even if he’s no longer involved (or wants to be), he’s still part of an elite crew — which also includes David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton — who were entrusted with the part. And while the news that Lashana Lynch will be the new secret agent in the upcoming No Time to Die (in Bond’s absence — he’s living in exile in Jamaica — her character, Nomi, assumes his 007 digits) is progressive and exciting, it isn’t Bond. “James should be James,” Brosnan maintains.
He likes to kick it old school, which is why he says the role he actually identifies with the most is the eponymous art-thief playboy billionaire of The Thomas Crown Affair, the 1999 remake of Steve McQueen’s iconic 1968 romantic romp. “He’s solitary, solo, a lone wolf, loves the arts, loves the finer things in life; he’s shrewd. that I had the audacity to go to MGM and say, ‘I’d like to do a remake of Steve McQueen’s [film].’ It was a pretty bold move, and to get away with it was pretty cool. To be with [costar Rene Russo], who I adore, and to make the movie with my late producing partner, Beau St. Clair, was beautiful.”
When I wonder aloud if he would describe himself in the same way he’s referenced Crown (the “lone wolf” comment in particular has thrown me for a loop), he laughs and hastens to set the record straight. “No, no, no! I am very social. It’s just the identification as an act of playing him. I would love to be as cool as that, and that’s the joy of what I do. When I fell in love with the movies, it was because of Steve McQueen. It was because of Clint Eastwood. You want to be that guy up there on the screen. And so, that lives on in different characters. For me, as an actor, that same passion is still there of creating something which hopefully will excite people and turn them on. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Whatever the end result might be, no one can accuse Brosnan of being one-note. His catalog of films, series and plays is noticeably expansive and diverse.
He began his career in London’s West End, in plays such as Franco Zeffirelli’s Fulimena and Tennessee Williams’ The Red Devil Battery Sign, before relocating to Los Angeles in 1982, where he immediately scored the title role in the TV show Remington Steele, a thief turned private investigator, which made him a household name in America. Since then, he has sung and danced his way through musical comedies Mamma Mia! (2008) and its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018); tackled thrillers like the neo-noir Ghost Writer (2010) and action spy film The November Man (2014); and went the fantasy route in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010). Most recently, he rocked out in the campy Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) alongside Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. He brought some elegance to the Jackie Chan action universe in The Foreigner, reunited with his GoldenEye costar Minnie Driver in the mystery thriller Spinning Man, and brought the drama to The Only Living Boy in New York with Jeff Bridges and Kate Beckinsale, all in 2017; that same year he also kicked off a two-year stint as a ruthless Texas oil baron in AMC’s western series The Son.
Even his two Golden Globe award nominations were for totally divergent projects: the BBC Two series Nancy Astor (1982) and the dark comedy film The Matador (2005) couldn’t be less alike. He’s certainly made it his mission to test-drive as many roles as possible, to lose himself in variety. (The only commonality as of late: “I seem to be into my beard acting phase,” he jokes.)
It’s what keeps him young, what keeps his career fresh. And while he’s always dared to be different, this year, he’s really pushing the diversity envelope with every single project. He had False Positive, a horror film for Hulu that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June; Not Bloody Likely, a romantic comedy with Helena Bonham Carter that explores the true story of the 1914 West End production of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion; and The Last Rifleman, which was inspired by the true story of an 89-year-old Northern Irish World War II veteran who escapes his care home to rejoin his regiment in Normandy.
Out next, in September, is Amazon Studios’ big-budget Cinderella adaptation, with Camila Cabello, Billy Porter and Idina Menzel. Of the highly anticipated film, which sees Brosnan tackle the made-to-measure role of King Rowan, he says, “I had a great time doing it, a really fun time in London. It was a blast to play this particular part and to be with Minnie Driver; she plays my queen. We did GoldenEye all those years ago together, and she’s been a friend ever since. We got to hang out and romp around in beautiful places around England [where he moved at age 11 and started his dramatic training at 20]. Then Covid hit, and we closed down for five months, and finally started up again.”
And then there’s his current project, the one that’s set the internet abuzz: at 68, Brosnan is entering previously uncharted territory by bringing his Irish swagger to the DC Comics universe in Black Adam as sorcerer Doctor Fate, founding member of the Justice Society. Dwayne Johnson will play the title villain in the spinoff to 2019’s Shazam! The film is currently slated to hit theaters on July 29, 2022.
I can’t imagine a more motley duo and wonder aloud about their time on set in the woods of Georgia. Are they pumping iron together? Comparing tequilas? Discussing their mutual love of Hawaii?
Photo Credit: Frederic Auerbach for Casa Don Ramon
“I’ve worked with Dwayne a few times now [on this set], and he’s been very quiet and keeps to himself,” Brosnan says. “We’re a small group of actors, really, even though this is a megafilm. The Justice Society is a small company, just four of us in total [including Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone], so the work is concentrated; big scenes, lots of cameras, lots of explosions. As for Dwayne, I don’t know the man, but I’ve got great admiration for him and what he’s created for himself in life and how he conducts himself with the world at large. So we go to set and get on with the work, and that’s what you have to do.”
He’s quite enjoying the experience as a whole, regardless of his uncomfortable costume: a motion-capture suit is required to play Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate — and it features some uncomfortably form-fitting tights. But he’s done it before — he had to wear bright-blue tights to play centaur Chiron in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief — and no doubt he’ll do it again. It comes with the job.
And in this case, the job — this character — sounds unbelievably unique, enough so to pique the interest of such a stalwart thespian. But I’m still a little uncertain as to whether he’s talking about his character or the role that fate has played in his own life when he shares the following: “My destiny is my destiny. Yours is yours, and I have a strong belief that what’s for you won’t go by you. I think you have to work hard and you have to dream hard, and you have to really, consistently do that. Fate for me has played many good hands. There’s been a few devilish ones along the way, too. That’s just life; everything happens for a reason.”
When I speak to Brosnan in June, he’s back on the Atlanta set of Black Adam. His rental home is massive and impressive, a beamed wooden structure reminiscent of a ski chalet or, perhaps, a gigantic log cabin. Save for an assistant who darts in and out of the frame, there is only he, and me.
And although he’s someone who can’t really sit still — even now, he’s in constant motion, crossing and uncrossing his legs, gesturing expressively, scribbling away on a giant white notepad, periodically using his pen to punctuate his statements — the state of the world has dictated that he take a step back and seek peace and quiet.
During the height of Covid, he and his family decamped to their home on the north shore of Kauai (they’ve split their time between Hawaii and the equally laid-back community of Malibu, California, for the past 20 years), where he “hung out and painted and gardened, swam and played golf and worried about my friends.”
Although he admits he didn’t feel the worst of the lockdown restrictions like most Angelenos did, because “where we are [on Kauai], it’s so isolated, which I like,” he’s certainly feeling them now on set due to Warner Bros.’ understandably strict Covid protocols.
“The conditions are a little tricky,” he allows. “We get tested every day, and everyone has to wear a mask; you take it off to do your scene and immediately put it back on. I don’t know what the rest of the crew looks like — I only see their eyes. So there’s a lament there, a certain mourning process that we’re going through for our past life.”
But on the flip side, he says, “I also think there’s renewal. I think people will be kinder. I think it will make us stronger and have a deeper appreciation for the fragility of our lives.”
Personally, this is something he’s always been aware of. His own life has been punctuated by trauma due to the deaths of his first wife, Cassandra Harris; adopted daughter, Charlotte; and best friend and business partner St. Clair, to ovarian cancer. Life is precious, and nothing is more important to him than his wife of 20 years, Keely (his partner in every way: after the passing of St. Clair, she became his partner at Irish DreamTime, the company he founded in 1996, which has produced films such as I.T., The November Man, Some Kind of Beautiful, The Greatest, Shattered, The Matador, Laws of Attraction, Evelyn and The Thomas Crown Affair), and his sons, Dylan, Paris, Sean and Chris.
Needless to say, philanthropy — especially focused on women’s healthcare, the environment and children’s welfare — is a huge part of his life. Honors he’s received for his charitable efforts include the 2015 Forces for Nature Award, courtesy of the Natural Resources Defense Council; the 2011 Caritas Award from St. John’s Health Center Foundation; and the 2007 Golden Kamera Award for his environmental work. For over two decades, Brosnan has also been an ambassador for His Royal Highness Prince Charles’ The Prince’s Trust, as well as an ambassador for UNICEF Ireland. (Non-philanthropic accolades include an honorary doctorate of arts from the Dublin Institute of Technology, an honorary doctorate from the University College Cork and an Order of the British Empire bestowed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.)
“I have so many people, women in my life, who are suffering now, so I suppose that work will continue, a ripple effect of putting your foot in the water,” he says.
The ripple effect is a continual presence. Brosnan, who actually started his career at 18 as a London-based commercial artist, dreaming of drawing and painting album covers, didn’t begin truly working on his art again until 1987, when his late wife was diagnosed with cancer, as a form of cathartic release. And up until this point, he typically donated his original artwork and reproductions to raise money for his causes, in honor of the women he loved and lost. His biggest sale to date, a painting of singer Bob Dylan, was auctioned off for $1.4 million at the 25th annual amfAR Gala Cannes charity event, Cinema Against AIDS.
For the past year, he’s been creating art nonstop, regardless of where he lays his head, be it Kauai, Malibu or even here in Georgia, where he has his own studio in the woods near the Black Adam set.
Photo Credit: Frederic Auerbach for Casa Don Ramon
“Sometimes it’s so beautiful [here] that it becomes very hard to paint,” he says. “And sometimes the best paintings come out of just being in close quarters or in an uncomfortable situation. But I draw constantly, and I paint. I try to paint every day when I’m away, as well as when I’m at home. I was supposed to have an exhibition last year, my first ever. But then Covid happened, and in the interim time I set forth going into the NFT world.”
He launched his NFT — a collection of new works of abstract movement, self-recorded sound elements (including his voice) and bespoke visuals that’s reminiscent of a ’90s multiplayer video game — on LGND.art on Father’s Day. And now, finally — at nearly 70 years of age — his foray into the tangible art world is happening: Brosnan will have a comprehensive showing of his work for the first time in Venice, California on September 25, his wife’s 58th birthday (“It’s her birthday present from me”).
“It’s a retrospective,” he tells me. “I suppose I’m starting at the beginning, when I started painting in 1987 right through to now. It’s figurative, it’s landscape, it’s color, surrealism, lyrical, ionic. It’s hard to describe one’s own work. There’s a large group of paintings. It will be a very personal and sentimental show. But I think it’s time to let them go.”
Somehow, I think that a display of his art will be far more raw and revealing than any interview could ever be. He murmurs his assent, saying, “I’ve shown my work a few times here and there, but to have a show like this will really be putting my neck on the line. I think there’s some progression and articulation of my work over the years, so maybe I’ll make a book from it, make a diary from it, do a biography as well. But who knows? [Basically], don’t give up the day job!”
In all seriousness, he loves his chosen path. It’s afforded him all the luxuries he currently has and created a world of distance from the young and hungry boy he was, growing up on the banks of the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. “To be an actor, to get away with it, and to have fun and to be able to create a meaningful life for my family and support them, well, that’s pretty darn good,” Brosnan says with a smile. I agree, and I also agree with his sentiment that “precious time” is the greatest luxury in life. “Time lived, time past and present, and good health, those are luxuries. Spending time playing nine holes of golf in the morning, having a beautiful lunch with my wife, a swim, spending the late afternoon in the studio painting, having a cocktail as the sun goes down — some tequila, some Casa Don Ramón — that’s the best day I can dream of. Peace, nature, being by the ocean. Simple things. That’s joy.”
And there’s also joy in that, no matter how many little luxuries he indulges in, Hollywood is still calling, and calling often, with new and exciting opportunities far beyond what he dreamed he’d be doing at this point in his career.
“Now I’m playing roles like the king in Cinderella, The Son, Doctor Fate,” he says. “It’s exciting. You’ve left your youth behind, that pretty-boy image you created, and you’re an actor of more than 40 years, still standing. It is so magnificent to be relevant, to try and have longevity in your career as you get older and as you get grayer and more on in your years, which you have to be aware of. And I am aware of it, and it’s very joyful. It’s also exhilarating to see what kind of work you get asked to do.”
No matter what, he says, the goal is always the same: to show up, and to keep up. “Some people think I retired,” he admits, adding, “[Oscar winner] Michael Caine says actors don’t retire — the phone just stops ringing. And right now the phone is ringing, and I’m working and enjoying it. And that’s about as good as it gets.”
Photo Credit: Frederic Auerbach for Casa Don Ramon
|
|
|
Post by rosafermu on Sept 6, 2021 9:18:14 GMT -5
This is magic !!! Thank you so much
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Mar 13, 2022 21:12:11 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Mar 14, 2022 21:22:40 GMT -5
It doesn't sound like him. Not sure why the uploader did that. Probably to get more views.
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Mar 14, 2022 23:22:24 GMT -5
Well it worked! I listened to it, and then I played it for a couple of people to see what was going on.
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Apr 5, 2022 19:24:02 GMT -5
Pierce Brosnan on His Current Career Playing “Older” Characters and Why He’s an Actor By Chris McKittrick on April 5, 2022
Actor Pierce Brosnan has little left to prove to audiences after starring in four James Bond movies, two Mamma Mia! musicals, and many other popular movies, but he shows no plans to slow down, including starring in the recent Amazon Original film Cinderella and the upcoming DC Comics movie Black Adam. While speaking to Collider about his role in Cinderella, Brosnan spoke about his current career and why he continues to act in so many varied roles.
Regarding his song-and-dance performance in Cinderella, Brosnan explains that in his career he has constantly tried to vary his roles — which is why he has appeared in so many different types of movies. He explains, “Yes, absolutely, 100%. That’s why I’m an actor. I want to do everything. You want to play kings and you want to play queens. You want to play everything. I went to drama academy, which was very method-orientated, and I was led to believe that I could play anything. I’ve played many great roles. And then, there were times when I went to the board to see who I was playing, thinking I was going to be the leads, and I’d look down the list and I was playing the waiter or the messenger. How do you play the messenger and how do you still carry that within your heart, as an actor? You want to be a leading man all your life, but there comes a time to just move over and get on with the character work. At this point in my life, I’m reveling in playing the king in Cinderella, or Will Ferrell’s father in Eurovision, or Dr. Fate in Black Adam. So, it’s all going to plan.”
Brosnan realizes that he has the ability to be choosy about his roles because of the success he has had over his career. As he approaches his seventieth birthday, he is aware that he has now transitioned to “older” roles. He says, “You’ll hopefully grow into your years, as an older actor, and find work for yourself, as the wizard or the sorcerer or the king. You try to find the most interesting work for yourself, and sometimes you have choices and sometimes you don’t have choices. So, that’s where you find me and how you find me. It’s constant work, constant doing, and constant showing up.”
|
|
|
Post by eaz35173 on Apr 19, 2022 16:35:30 GMT -5
I'm sure there will be some disagreement in the order, but nice to see they took some time to put this list together ...
|
|
|
Post by Barbara on Apr 20, 2022 1:05:05 GMT -5
I thought it was really interesting that she included films where he makes extended cameos, and one of them, The World's End is actually number two. I am sure it is a great film, given the crew behind it, but is it fair to really make it number two? Ditto The Long Good Friday. It is an EXCELLENT film, but it is not a film that you can judge Pierce by. He says, "hi" and that's it. LOL!
|
|
|
williknecht
Jewel Thief
https://www.instagram.com/willi_knecht/
Posts: 189
|
Post by williknecht on Sept 22, 2022 14:46:13 GMT -5
And:
Pierce Brosnan Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ
10 Things Pierce Brosnan Can't Live Without | British GQ
|
|
|
Post by mkelly on Sept 22, 2022 19:23:43 GMT -5
|
|