Former James Bond Pierce Brosnan has extedned some advice to Aaron Taylor-Johnson following reports that he has been offered the role of the legendary secret agent. Pierce, who played the iconic role in four movies said he should “be bold” as he takes on the part.
Reports last week suggested that Aaron is taking over the mantle from Pierce’s successor Daniel Craig. Speaking about the casting on The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1 Pierce said: “I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so.
“I read the news about his possibilities of being a Bond so I would definitely tip my hat to the fellow. Be bold, go out there and have a great time. Just love it, just go for it. He can do it,” he enthused.
Pierce actually knows Aaron having worked with him in the past. The pair starred together alongside Carey Mulligan and Susan Sarandon in The Greatest in 2009.
Pierce portrayed Bond in 1995’s GoldenEye, 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough in 1999 and Die Another Day in 2002. He took over the role from Welshman Timothy Dalton who featured in two movies.
Pierce’s shot at playing the role came almost ten years after a contract clause on the TV show Remington Steele prevented him from getting the part.
Roger Moore had hung up the iconic tuxedo after 1985’s A View To A Kill and with the role up for grabs, many names were bandied about.
At the time Pierce had been playing TV detective Remington Steele since 1982 but after flagging ratings, NBC had announced they were axing it at the end of the 1985-86 season which would free him up to step into the famous shoes.
He flew to the UK, did a screen test, and had a costume fitting for the role. There are pictures showing him in front of Pinewood’s famous 007 stage with the film’s director John Glen in 1986 and he was expected to start filming any day.
However the ripple effect of reports linking him to the Bond role meant ratings for Remington Steele got a boost leading NBC to reverse their decision to cancel the show.
They exercised a clause in his contract that said they had 60 days to reverse their decision and act upon their right to retain the cast for another season. This left him no option but to return to the role as they recommissioned the show for another series.
This took him out of the running for Bond and Pierce has since described the whole situation as “a terrible blow”.
“It was such a terrible blow. It was such a shock because your life is going in one direction and in just a phone call it’s completely changed around,” he recalled in the book Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films.