Pierce Brosnan Turns 69 With No Signs Of Slowing Down As He's Set To Release His First Comic Superhero Movie

May 16, 2022

Today marks actor Pierce Brosnan's 69th birthday. Needing no introduction, Brosnan first rose to fame for his role as secret agent James Bond in four Bond films, including “GoldenEye,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “The World Is Not Enough” and “Die Another Day.” He has also portrayed the character in a variety of video games in the same universe.

Outside of his work as Bond, Brosnan is an esteemed actor who's starred in many popular movies including "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Dante's Peak," "The Thomas Crown Affair" and both "Mamma Mia!" movies, among many others.

Born on May 16, 1953, in Drogheda, Louth, Ireland, Brosnan moved to London, England, at 11 years old and later went on to study at the Drama Centre London. He found work as a stage actor and quickly made his way to television and film, with one of his first breakthrough roles in the TV series “Remington Steele.” Afterward, he found more success in films and ultimately went on to achieve worldwide fame for his role as Bond. He's continued to act and received acclaim for his work but for many fans, he will always be 007.

Brosnan's talents have earned him various accolades, including two Golden Globe nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was even made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his "outstanding contribution to the British film industry," despite the fact that his being Irish meant that he wasn't actually eligible. 

In honor of the actor's birthday, let's take a look at his life and career.

While many actors and actresses are born into Hollywood dynasties (Drew Barrymore, Ben Stiller, Michael Douglas, etc.), Pierce Brendan Brosnan comes from a humble, working-class background. Brosnan’s father, Encyclopedia Britannica reports, left the family shortly after his son was born May 16, 1953 in County Meath, Ireland, and so his relatives raised Brosnan while his mother went off to work. But it didn’t take long for Brosnan to find his passion and at the age of 15, he decided to fulfill his dream of becoming an actor, when he joined a theater group and began a course of study at the Drama Centre of London. But Brosnan’s big break came in the early 80s when he landed a role as a con man on the NBC crime show "Remington Steele."
Because of the show’s success, Brosnan was on Hollywood’s radar and only four years after his "Remington Steele" premier, the Irish actor was cast as the new James Bond. Unfortunately, however, Brosnan would have to wait to play 007 since his NBC contract prevented him from participating in other productions, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

And Brosnan hasn’t slowed down since then. According to Brosnan’s IMDB page, he’s currently working on multiple projects that have yet to be released, including the DC Comics movie adaption of "Black Adam," set to release this year, where he will be appearing as the superhero Dr. Fate this October. Also in the making, but without a release date yet, is the movie "Not Bloody Likely," based on the true story behind George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," the theater play that was the inspiration for "My Fair Lady" and "Pretty Woman." Brosnan is set to play the role of British author Shaw himself.

In total, four movies starring Brosnan are set to release this year and next, with another four in the making. It's clear Brosnan isn't going to settle down and retire soon.

Brosnan's work as an actor has earned him great recognition, but his personal life is much less reported about. And sadly, it hasn't been without heartache. The actor was married to his first wife, Cassandra Harris, for 11 years before she sadly passed away from ovarian cancer in 1991. The couple had one biological son together, Sean, and Harris had two other children from a previous marriage, Charlotte and Christopher, both of whom Brosnan adopted after their biological father passed away. 

Tragically, after he grieved the loss of his first wife, Brosnan also grieved the loss of Charlotte, who passed away from the same illness her mother did in 2013.

But Brosnan found love again when he least expected it, and today he's been happily married to Keely Shaye Smith for over 20 years. The two met in Cabo San Lucas in 1994, while Smith was there on a job assignment with actor Ted Danson, and Brosnan was holidaying with friends. After they caught each other's attention at a beach party, they connected and had their first date a few days later. They stayed up and talked until three in the morning, and have been together ever since. The rest as they say is history. The happy couple is also parents to two boys — Dylan, who was born in 1997, and Paris, who was born in 2001. 

Having faced so many hardships in his personal life has been challenging for Brosnan, but luckily he had Smith by his side to support and help him. While he realized it’s important to grieve, he also realized it’s important to keep living his life.

“I know what it is like to be a widower and what it is like to find love again,” Brosnan said.

Happy 69th birthday to Pierce Brosnan! Did you know about the hardships he's faced in his life? If you enjoyed this then pass it on to your loved ones.