“It’s a capricious old game, the world of being an actor. The pitfalls are many, and you have to be tough as old boots to stay at the table.” – Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan might be the James Bond actor to receive the most acclaim for his post-Bond roles than for his time playing 007. He continues that post-Bond recognition in The Foreigner opposite Jackie Chan. In an interview with The Guardian, Brosnan talks about how his Bond success has led to his current place of finding interesting work and why he still seeks to deliver great performances.
While Brosnan will likely always be best remembered as the 007 of the 1990s, the notoriety and success from performing in that role has enabled him to branch out into different types of work. He explains, “I’m at a point in my career where I can move around the map and have a great time doing it. I can pull off the occasional unexpected surprise, and all along, enjoy the work.”
It’s also encouraged Brosnan to try to push himself into great performances. He continues, “It’s a capricious old game, the world of being an actor. The pitfalls are many, and you have to be tough as old boots to stay at the table. I came in knowing full well it’s hard to be a great actor, and hard to be a good actor. But when you see great acting and good acting, it’s just intoxicating, and that’s what I wanted to be.”
As for whom he considers “good” and whom he considers “great,” Brosnan explains in some cases it’s the same people. He explains, “The great acting comes from Daniel Day-Lewis, Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Hardy. The good acting comes from, well, Daniel Day-Lewis, Anthony Hopkins, et cetera. Players have their moments. It’s just that some have those moments constantly.”
