10th Anniversary of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond 007

11-Jun-2004 • Bond News

On June 8th, 1994, Pierce Brosnan was unveiled at a huge press conference in London as the 5th official 007.

Back in 1994, Associated Press announced the news in this article:

PIERCE BROSNAN IS NEW JAMES BOND : 94-06-08

LONDON (Reuters) - Pierce Brosnan, a steely-eyed Irish actor who has played a string of action roles, is the latest James Bond.

The producers of the immensely successful Bond movies said Wednesday they had cast the 41-year-old star as agent 007 for the 17th Bond film, ``Goldeneye." True to form, it will feature Russians, an evil megalomaniac and plenty of beautiful women. ``It's set in today's Russia," New Zealand-born director Martin Campbell told a news conference. ``It's the Russia of arms dealing, the mafia."

Brosnan takes on the Bond mantle from actors such as Sean Connery, Roger Moore and most recently Timothy Dalton, who have evolved the suave 007 over the past 32 years. The films have made $1 billion worldwide since Connery became a superstar with ``Dr No" in 1962. U.S. producer Cubby Broccoli has exhausted the original scripts based on the novels by ex-spy Ian Fleming; ``Goldeneye" is still being written by Michael France and Jeffrey Caine.

It will be set in Moscow or St Petersburg, but filming will also take place in the Caribbean, Mexico and Monte Carlo -- providing ample opportunity for actors to wear evening dress and chase through casinos. Campbell said it was due out in the summer of 1995 and will be distributed by MGM/UA and United International Pictures.

He was reticent about the villain, but said he would be called Trevelyan, a British arms dealer. ``The great thing about this one is that he's not trying to take over the world," Campbell said. ``He is someone that Bond knows; so there is a certain amount of psychological baggage that I think makes him more interesting."

Brosnan said his Bond would keep many of the most popular characteristics of the spy, who preferred his martinis shaken, not stirred and who could emerge from a wet-suit with immaculate dinner jacket uncreased. ``He will still have his license to kill, his lethal side."

Campbell reassured fans that longstanding Bond pillars ``M," ``Q" and loyal secretary Moneypenny would star in the film. He said he hoped the original Q, Desmond Llewellyn, would play the quirky inventor who supplies Bond with his handy gadgets.

Fleming described Bond as blue-eyed, tall and black-haired with a complexion tanned by foreign climates.
Brosnan was first offered the role in 1986 but was forced to decline because of contract obligations to television series ``Remington Steele."

Timothy Dalton won the role instead but only made two films. ``It's taken me eight years to get here but here I am," said Brosnan, sporting a decidedly un-Bondlike beard, long hair and black shirt. But he reassured purists the beard would be removed for filming.

Thanks to `Mattheewww` for the alert.