Pierce Brosnan: Had to break the James Bond shackles

Pierce Brosnan has revealed he’s been working hard to ‘break the shackles’ of James Bond, since stepping down as 007 in 2004.

Pierce Brosnan

The 56-year-old was Golden Globe nominated for his first major post Bond role, in 2005’s The Matador, and appears in five new films this year, but feels the mantle of the iconic character is hard to shake.

Brosnan told the LA Times: ‘At the time, I was definitely still very connected to the image and the history of Bond, even when I was in it – it just lives with you.’

He continued: ‘It permeates your life. And you know that going in, but the reality of it – the overcoat is really large, and can be quite heavy at times. So you have to break the shackles of that.’

The Irish-born actor’s roles this year include Remember Me with Robert Pattinson, Roman Polanski’s The Ghost Writer, and fantasy adventure Percy Jackson And The Olympians.

He revealed: ‘I said to my agents, ‘Look, it’s time to really work, and to find and explore other avenues here as an actor.’ It doesn’t have to be leading roles. Let’s not be tripped up by past information. It’s time to try and have longevity as an actor.’

Click here for the entire interview with Pierce Brosnan on escaping James Bond’s looming shadow.

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