Ex-Bond Brosnan "loathed" the "stupid one-liners," "felt phony doing them"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/17/people.brosnan.ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- A single, surprising phone call and it was over. That's how Pierce Brosnan says he learned that his services as James Bond would no longer be required. "One phone call, that's all it took!" the 52-year-old actor tells Entertainment Weekly magazine in its August 19 issue.

His departure from the role was a "titanic jolt to the system," says Brosnan, followed by "a great sense of calm."

"I thought. ... I can do anything I want to do now. I'm not beholden to them or anyone. I'm not shackled by some contracted image. So there was a sense of liberation."

Brosnan says he's grateful to have had the role, but adds: "It never felt real to me. I never felt I had complete ownership over Bond. Because you'd have these stupid one-liners -- which I loathed -- and I always felt phony doing them."

[terrya]

1. I can see his point.

James Bond is in danger...and he has time to throw out quips? It would seem somewhat silly.

[Enraged_Ape]

32. In Brosnan's defense, it wasn't his fault the writing was so lame

Back in the Albert "Cubby" Broccolli days, the movies actually had genuine, sophisticated, even adult humor. To fully get all of the jokes and appreciate the plots you kind of had to have had more than a fifth-grade education. The Brosnan films, on the other hand, have all been plagued by the same kind of "lowest-common denominator" writing that almost completely destroyed the Batman movie franchise (until the wonderful, well-written, somewhat-more-mature "Batman Begins").

In terms of stories/writing, there is no comparison between the great Sean Connery Bond movies, the very good Roger Moore Bond movies, and the ridiculous garbage of the Brosnan films. But I can't fault Brosnan for all of that. He was very patient to suffer through those films as long as he did.

[underpants]

2. He definitely took a step up in "After the Sunset"

[nickinSTL]

3. Brosnan has been one of my favorite as Bond...

but the one-liners never did work that well for him.

Roger Moore, on the other hand, who I never really liked as Bond, did a terrific job with the one-liners.

:shrug:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

7. Yes, but the difference was...

...when Roger Moore delivered the one-liners, it made me really, really enjoy watching the bad guys kick his ass.

Moore's Bond was a little too smarmy for me. Look at my avatar and you'll know where I stand on this...

:evilgrin:

[nickinSTL]

14. Connery would be my pick, too

As I said...I don't like Moore much as Bond, but he was a lot better at delivering the stupid one-liners than Brosnan.

[ooglymoogly]

4. connery and brosnan the only believable bonds...nt

[Taverner]

5. They should just change Bond altogether

And let Tarantino do "Casino Royale" like he wants. All set in one place.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

8. They floated the concept a few years ago of...

...having Denzel Washington play Bond.

It got mixed reactions.

[Taverner]

9. That might work

Anything to give it a new look

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. Unfortunately, THIS is the guy rumored to have it nailed:

Daniel Craig to be new James Bond
British actor Daniel Craig will replace Pierce Brosnan as the new James Bond

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/media/daniel-craig-new-james-bond.asp

British Star Daniel Craig, who acted in Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth, has been chosen for the coveted James Bond role replacing Pierce Brosnan.

Daniel Craig is 37 years old. He was named British actor of the year by the London Film Critics Circle in early 2005. Daniel Craig earnd this honour for his role in the movie Enduring Love.

Pierece Brosnan has been James Bond for quite some time now, and the job was rumoured to be coveted by another British actor British actor Clive Owen as well as Daniel Craig. However, Owen has denied this, as he felt that the role of James Bond is too limiting. That is true - it is still difficult to think about Pierce Brosnan as anyone toher than James Bond, however great his acting may be.

Other names mentioned at different times in connection with the 007 role included Eric Bana, Jude Law, Heath Ledger, Ewan McGregor, Dougray Scott and Australian Hugh Jackman. A versatile performer, Craig was named British actor of the year by the London Film Critics Circle earlier this year for his role in the Ian McEwan thriller 'Enduring Love'.

[miss_kitty]

16. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!11!!!1

it was supposed to be HIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!1!!!!!11

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

17. Is that Clive Owen?

My favorite story in Sin City, actually.
And he handled his role perfectly.
He would make an awesome Bond.

[miss_kitty]

20. Yes.

I have been in love with him for years, since he was on Mystery!
Perfectly Handsome. An excellent successor the the Cary Grant school of suave.

[Rob H.]

19. In fairness, Dainel Craig was excellent in "Layer Cake."

It would've been interesting to see Clive Owen as Bond, though. He was great in Sin City. Owens' character, Dwight, will be making a return appearance in the sequel, so there's that to look forward to, at least. :)

[Blue_Tires]

33. never heard of him n/t

[Montauk6]

13. I want THIS guy to play Bond!

C'mon, Hollywood; how much time does Wilford Brimley have left? Whaddya say? One last go-around, have a heart!

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

29. That post wins you the highly coveted...

...21 SPANK SALUTE!

:spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:

:evilgrin:

[Montauk6]

31. Wait, lemme put on my corduroy pants, hold on...

[tjwmason]

25. Would he have tried to do an English accent?

I ask because 99+% of American actors who attempt them have me running for the hills screaming.

No offence to anybody's acting skills - but I think that this role has to be confined to the British Isles.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

30. I don't think so...

...it never really got past the speculation stages, but from what I remember, it would have been a "Non-British" Denzel.

[Blue_Tires]

34. 10-12 years ago

Wesley Snipes' name came up for it as well---or it may have just been a rumor

[miss_kitty]

6. Did he feel phony taking the money for doing them

:shrug:

[emulatorloo]

11. Since he campaigned so hard to get the job, I too find this ridiculous.

He was basically obsessed w becoming Bond -- and now he has gone all "serious actor" on us?

[MsAnthropy]

23. Yes, I remember him whining up a storm that he couldn't do it

because of Remington Steele and now he's whining that he didn't like the role? Geez, what a noisy little brat.

[Ediacara]

12. And not a moment too soon

Brosnon was so fucking boooooring to watch....

[DerekG]

15. Brosnan might have been the best, had he been given a good script

You throw him a "From Russia With Love" or "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," and I suspect Brosnan would have dethroned Connery.

[NewJeffCT]

24. It would be close, at least

too much BS in the latest Bond movies - not sure which one it was, but it was like James Bond, Extreme Sports Star... all of a sudden he's a world class snowboarder, or something like that (I forget) Death defying stunts are great, but why such a stretch? At least with Connery, he was doing things that were realistic for a highly trained spy.

[edbermac]

18. Aw, poor, poor, Pierce...

God, imagine getting shackled with tens of millions of dollars to playact and also being forced to make out with women like Halle Berry, Sophie Marceau, Denise Richards, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher etc...

Life's a bitch, isn't it?

[DS1]

21. Because all new James Bond movies suck

No, really. Fuck "Bond"

[pitohui]

22. he looked phony doing them too

oh well it was a paycheck while it lasted

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

26. Also, ducks feel phony when they quack.

[Ivan Sputnik]

27. I thought Brosnan was OK in the role

especially in the last one. I think Clive Owen might be better, though.

Hasn't Brosnan said in the past that he "always" dreamed of playing Bond, and only couldn't do it sooner because he was under contract to his TV series? What did he expect? He must have known that the character was already defined (so he couldn't "own" it) and that the one-liners were part of the role. Sounds like the grapes have gone a bit sour.

[noonwitch]

28. I liked Pierce as Bond, he brought a little more depth to the character

I liked the way M and Moneypenny were always picking on him for being an MCP. The time he passionately kissed Terri Hatcher's dead corpse was something I'd never seen in a Bond movie, either.

Overall, he's my second favorite Bond. Connery is the best, and I do like one Roger Moore movie, "Live and Let Die".

[Blue_Tires]

35. i agree...i liked him in the role as well

even though Moore is still my fav.