Pierce Brosnan

Biography: Brosnan was born in Navan, County Meath to Thomas and May Brosnan (when she was 19) and raised by his grandparents after his parents divorced when he was four. He was educated at the local school run by the De La Salle Brothers and then at Elliott School in West London after he joined his mother in England at the age of eleven. Brosnan left school at 16, and began training in commercial, later becoming a professional fire eater in a local circus. He started his actor training at the Drama Centre in London.

After graduating from the Drama Centre in 1975, Brosnan got a job as a stage manager at the York Theatre Royal, making his first stage appearance in Wait Until Dark. Within six months, playwright Tennessee Williams selected him to play McCabe in the British première of The Red Devil Battery Sign. This led to some film and TV work, including the leading role in Manions of America opposite Kate Mulgrew. His portrayal of Robert Gould Shaw II in Nancy Astor – the story of firsirst woman to sit in British Parliament garnered Brosnan a 1985 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1982, Brosnan got the leading role in Remington Steele opposite Stephanie Zimbalist. As a result, he and his family moved to the US permanently. In 1986, Brosnan was offered role of James Bond but the contract with Remington Steele prevented him accepting it. After Remington Steele was cancelled, Brosnan continued his film career.

In 1994, Brosnan was officially announced as the fifth actor to play James Bond taking over from Timothy Dalton. He appeared in four films, before Daniel Craig took over.

His wife, Cassandra Harris, died of ovarian cancer in 1991, leaving him to raise three children. Charlotte (b. 1972) and Christopher (b. 1973), Cassandra's children, had been adopted by Pierce in 1986 following their father's death. Pierce and Cassandra had one son together, Sean (b. 1983).

He married again in 2001, to Keely Shaye Smith, and they have two children, Dylan Thomas (b. 1997) and Paris Beckett (b. 2001). In 2004, he became a Brosnan was born in Navan, County Meath to Thomas and May Brosnan (when she was 19) and raised by his grandparents after his parents divorced when he was four. He was educated at the local school run by the De La Salle Brothers and then at Elliott School in West London after he joined his mother in England at the age of eleven. Brosnan left school at 16, and began training in commercial, later becoming a professional fire eater in a local circus. He started his actor training at the Drama Centre in London.

After graduating from the Drama Centre in 1975, Brosnan got a job as a stage manager at the York Theatre Royal, making his first stage appearance in Wait Until Dark. Within six months, playwright Tennessee Williams selected him to play McCabe in the British première of The Red Devil Battery Sign. This led to some film and TV work, including the leading role in Manions of America opposite Kate Mulgrew. His portrayal of Robert Gould Shaw II in Nancy Astor – the story of first woman to sit in British Parliament garnered Brosnan a 1985 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1982, Brosnan got the leading role in Remington Steele opposite Stephanie Zimbalist. As a result, he and his family moved to the US permanently. In 1986, Brosnan was offered role of James Bond but the contract with Remington Steele prevented him accepting it. After Remington Steele was cancelled, Brosnan continued his film career.

In 1994, Brosnan was officially announced as the fifth actor to play James Bond taking over from Timothy Dalton. He appeared in four films, before Daniel Craig took over.

His wife, Cassandra Harris, died of ovarian cancer in 1991, leaving him to raise three children. Charlotte (b. 1972) and Christopher (b. 1973), Cassandra's children, had been adopted by Pierce in 1986 following their father's death. Pierce and Cassandra had one son together, Sean (b. 1983).

He married again in 2001, to Keely Shaye Smith, and they have two children, Dylan Thomas (b. 1997) and Paris Beckett (b. 2001). In 2004, he became a naturalized US citizen, whilst retaining his Irish citizenship.… Expand