Career Timeline of Pierce Brosnan: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Pierce Brosnan built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Pierce Brosnan is an Irish actor and film producer, best known for his role as James Bond. He was the fifth actor to portray the iconic secret agent in the James Bond film series, starring in four films between 1995 and 2002. In addition to his film work, Brosnan also lent his likeness and voice to several James Bond video games, including GoldenEye 007.
1975: Brosnan graduates from the Drama Centre
In 1975, Brosnan graduated from the Drama Centre and began working as an acting assistant stage manager at the York Theatre Royal, making his acting debut in Wait Until Dark.
1977: Brosnan Appears in Filumena
In 1977, Brosnan was picked by Franco Zeffirelli to appear in the play Filumena by Eduardo De Filippo opposite Joan Plowright and Frank Finlay.
1981: Move to Southern California
In 1981, after Cassandra Harris's appearance in the James Bond film 'For Your Eyes Only', she and Pierce Brosnan secured a bank loan and moved to Southern California, where Brosnan was cast in 'Remington Steele'.
1982: Brosnan appears in the miniseries Nancy Astor
In 1982, Pierce Brosnan appeared in the BBC's nine-part miniseries Nancy Astor. The miniseries dramatized the life of Lady Astor, the first woman to sit in the British Parliament.
1982: Brosnan stars in Remington Steele
In 1982, Pierce Brosnan moved to Southern California and rose in popularity in the United States playing the title role in the NBC romantic, often-comedic detective series Remington Steele.
1986: NBC cancels Remington Steele
In 1986, NBC cancelled Remington Steele, but it was renewed because Brosnan was offered the role of James Bond, contractually requiring Brosnan to return to the show.
1987: Brosnan appears in The Fourth Protocol
After Remington Steele ended in 1987, Brosnan went on to appear in The Fourth Protocol, a Cold War thriller.
1987: Dalton hired for The Living Daylights
In 1987, Eon Productions hired Timothy Dalton for The Living Daylights because Brosnan was contractually required to return to Remington Steele.
1988: Brosnan appears in The Deceivers and Noble House
In 1988, Brosnan appeared in The Deceivers and the mini-series James Clavell's Noble House.
1989: Dalton stars in Licence to Kill
In 1989, Timothy Dalton appeared as James Bond in Licence to Kill.
1991: Brosnan appears in Victim of Love
In 1991, Brosnan appeared in several television films, including Victim of Love.
1991: Proposed Dalton film cancelled
In 1991, legal disputes between the Bond producers and the studio resulted in the cancellation of a proposed third Dalton film, putting the Bond series on hiatus.
1992: Brosnan appears in The Lawnmower Man
In 1992, Brosnan appeared in The Lawnmower Man and also shot a pilot for NBC called Running Wilde, which never aired.
July 1993: Brosnan Denies Rumors About Playing Simon Templar
In July 1993, Brosnan denied rumors that he was going to inherit the role of Simon Templar in The Saint.
1993: Brosnan plays a role in Mrs. Doubtfire
In 1993, Brosnan played a supporting role in the comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire.
June 1994: Brosnan announced as the new James Bond
On June 1994, Brosnan was announced as the fifth actor to play James Bond.
1995: Brosnan appears in Night Watch
In 1995, Brosnan appeared in several television films, including Night Watch, a spy thriller set in Hong Kong.
1995: GoldenEye Release
In 1995, GoldenEye was released and grossed US$350 million worldwide. It was the fourth-highest worldwide gross of any film in 1995, making it the most successful Bond film since Moonraker, adjusted for inflation.
1995: Securing the Role of James Bond
In 1995, four years after Cassandra Harris's death, Pierce Brosnan fulfilled her wish and secured the role of James Bond.
1996: Brosnan forms Irish DreamTime
In 1996, Brosnan formed a film production company called Irish DreamTime along with producing partner and longtime friend Beau St. Clair.
1997: Working with NRDC and IFAW
From 1997 to 2000, Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Smith worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to stop a proposed salt factory from being built at Laguna San Ignacio.
1997: Brosnan stars in Tomorrow Never Dies
In 1997, Brosnan returned as Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies.
1998: Irish DreamTime releases first production
In 1998, Brosnan and St. Clair released Irish DreamTime's first production, The Nephew.
1999: Brosnan stars in The World Is Not Enough
In 1999, Brosnan returned as Bond in The World Is Not Enough.
2000: Working with NRDC and IFAW
From 1997 to 2000, Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Smith worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to stop a proposed salt factory from being built at Laguna San Ignacio.
2001: Becoming an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland
In 2001, Pierce Brosnan became an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland, following in the footsteps of Roger Moore.
2002: Brosnan stars in Die Another Day
In 2002, Brosnan returned as Bond in Die Another Day.
July 2003: Honorary OBE
In July 2003, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Pierce Brosnan an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to the British film industry.
October 2004: Brosnan considered dismissed from Bond role
In October 2004, Brosnan said he considered himself dismissed from the role of James Bond.
2004: Talk of backing a film about Caitlin Macnamara and Laws of Attraction
In 2004, Pierce Brosnan expressed interest in producing a film about Caitlin Macnamara, with Miranda Richardson as the lead. That same year, he starred in "Laws of Attraction" as Daniel Rafferty, a role that was well-received for its comedic take on his James Bond persona. He also starred in "After the Sunset".
2004: Supporting John Kerry in the presidential election
In 2004, Pierce Brosnan supported John Kerry in the presidential election and is also a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage.
February 2005: Brosnan announces he is finished with Bond role
In February 2005, Brosnan posted on his website that he was finished with the role of James Bond.
October 2005: Daniel Craig takes over as James Bond
On 14 October 2005, Daniel Craig took over the role of James Bond.
2005: Starring in The Matador
In 2005, Brosnan starred in "The Matador" as Julian Noble, receiving critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. Roger Ebert hailed it as the best performance of Brosnan's career.
2006: Narrating The Official Film of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
In 2006, Pierce Brosnan narrated "The Official Film of the 2006 FIFA World Cup", which was directed by Michael Apted.
2006: Spokesperson for Lee National Denim Day
In 2006, Pierce Brosnan served as spokesperson for Lee National Denim Day, a breast cancer fundraiser.
January 2007: Appearance in Seraphim Falls
In January 2007, Pierce Brosnan appeared in the film "Seraphim Falls" alongside Liam Neeson, receiving average reviews. Critics noted their strong performances despite the sparse dialogue.
May 2007: Veto of Cabrillo Port Liquefied Natural Gas facility
In May 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the Cabrillo Port Liquefied Natural Gas facility, a project that Pierce Brosnan had actively campaigned against with Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford, and Daryl Hannah.
May 2007: Donation to replace a playground in Kauai
In May 2007, Pierce Brosnan and his wife, Smith, donated $100,000 to help replace a playground on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
July 2007: Presenting a film at Live Earth in London
On July 7, 2007, Pierce Brosnan presented a film at Live Earth in London and recorded a television advertisement for the cause.
2008: Joining Mamma Mia! and Narrating Thomas & Friends
In 2008, Pierce Brosnan joined Meryl Streep in the film adaptation of "Mamma Mia!", playing Sam Carmichael. In the same year, he was also a guest narrator for the "Thomas & Friends" movie "The Great Discovery".
2010: Starring in The Ghost Writer
In 2010, Pierce Brosnan starred in Roman Polanski's "The Ghost Writer" as a disgraced British Prime Minister, which won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also starred in "Remember Me" and "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" in the same year.
2012: Role in Love Is All You Need
In 2012, Pierce Brosnan played Philip in the Danish romantic comedy "Love Is All You Need".
2013: Commercials for Sky Broadband in Ireland
In 2013, Pierce Brosnan appeared in television commercials as a tongue-in-cheek version of himself to promote the launch of Sky Broadband in Ireland.
2013: Honorary Patronage and Starring in No Escape
In 2013, Pierce Brosnan was awarded honorary patronage of Dublin University Players at Trinity College Dublin. He also starred in "No Escape" opposite Owen Wilson.
2014: Starring in The November Man
In 2014, Pierce Brosnan starred in "The November Man", an adaptation of Bill Granger's novel, alongside Olga Kurylenko. The film received negative reviews.
2015: Appearance in Survivor
In 2015, Pierce Brosnan appeared alongside Milla Jovovich in the suspense thriller movie "Survivor".
2016: Starring in I.T.
In 2016, Pierce Brosnan starred in the revenge thriller called "I.T.", which opened in limited release through video on demand.
August 2017: Initial filming date for H-Block
Originally, filming for "H-Block", a film starring Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Dornan, and Cillian Murphy, was set to begin in August 2017, but was postponed.
2017: Replacing Sam Neill in The Son and Starring in The Foreigner
In 2017, Pierce Brosnan replaced Sam Neill in "The Son" and starred in "The Foreigner" opposite Jackie Chan, playing a former IRA man. The Foreigner was filmed in London and directed by Martin Campbell.
March 2018: Postponed filming for H-Block
Due to scheduling conflicts with cast members, the filming of "H-Block" which stars Pierce Brosnan was postponed to March 2018, after an initial date of August 2017.
2018: Starring in Spinning Man and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
In 2018, Pierce Brosnan co-starred in "Spinning Man" and reprised his role in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again". He also had a supporting role in "Final Score".
2019: The Son airing for two seasons
From 2017 to 2019, Pierce Brosnan starred in the television adaptation of Philipp Meyer's novel "The Son", which aired for two seasons. Kevin Murphy was the executive producer and showrunner of the series.
October 2020: Peter Webber discusses The Wreck of The Medusa setbacks
In October 2020, Peter Webber discussed the setbacks faced by the film "The Wreck of The Medusa", starring Pierce Brosnan, citing a lack of market interest in films about artists.
2021: Launched his first NFT collection
In 2021, Pierce Brosnan launched his first-ever NFT collection of digital artworks entitled "Big Noise" inspired by his painting Earplugs, which he painted while filming the James Bond film GoldenEye.
2021: Starring in The Misfits and False Positive
In 2021, Pierce Brosnan starred in "The Misfits", which he also executive produced, and appeared in A24's horror film "False Positive".
2022: Brosnan stars in Black Adam
In 2022, Brosnan played Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate in the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam.
2022: Role as Doctor Fate in Black Adam
In 2022, Pierce Brosnan played Doctor Fate/Kent Nelson in the DC Extended Universe film, "Black Adam".
2023: Leading role in Fast Charlie
In 2023, Pierce Brosnan led the hitman thriller film "Fast Charlie", directed by Phillip Noyce.
2023: Starring in The Out-Laws and The King's Daughter
In 2023, Pierce Brosnan starred in "The Out-Laws" and "The King's Daughter" where he played King Louis XIV.
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