Pierce Brosnan’s 68th Birthday — A Look Back At His Life And Career

May 16, 2021 by apost team

Pierce Brosnan's legacy as an actor needs no introduction. Best known for his portrayal of secret agent 007 James Bond in the film franchise, Pierce played the famous character in four movies from 1995-2002. 

On top of the star-making role, the Irish actor has created a wide-ranging filmography that leaves almost no genre untouched. From comedy like "Mrs. Doubtfire," to action such as his Bond films and other hits like "The Thomas Crown Affair" and "Dante's Peak," Pierce has proven himself to be a skilled performer. He even wowed us with his musical talents in the "Mamma Mia!" franchise. Nominated for two Golden Globes in his career, Pierce is still acting regularly and is set to appear in an upcoming DC Comics movie as the superhero Doctor Fate.

But alongside his prolific acting career, Pierce has a rich personal life, having been married to his wife Keely Shaye Brosnan for almost 20 years. The couple celebrates their anniversary in August and this year will mark two decades since their wedding. Often posting about each other on their social media channels, the two lovebirds appear just as in love as when they first tied the knot. Together, the couple has two sons who are just as handsome as their father.

Now, on May 16, Pierce is celebrating his 68th birthday. The actor doesn't appear to have aged a day in the last few decades and he's still just as active as ever. Frequently posting about his artistic pursuits and hobbies of late, Pierce is an avid painter and a true outdoorsman who often shares pictures of warm seaside locales, nature parks, and green pastures. 

Born on May 16, 1953, in Drogheda, Ireland, Pierce Brosnan had no idea the kind of life he'd go on to lead. Living a fairly solitary childhood, the young boy saw his first James Bond film at the cinema aged 11, but he had no idea the influence the character would have on his own life. 

Always an artist, he initially trained to be a painter at Saint Martin's School of Art in London, before switching his focus to acting, which he studied at the Drama Centre London. He described how he felt when becoming an actor:

"When I found acting, or when acting found me, it was a liberation. It was a stepping stone into another life, away from a life that I had, and acting was something I was good at, something which was appreciated. That was a great satisfaction in my life."

Upon graduation, Pierce got his start in the theater before appearing in movies in the 1980s. He earned his first Golden Globe nomination in 1982 and at the same time moved Stateside where his career flourished. By 1995 he had landed the role that would make him a star — as James Bond in the 17th film of the franchise, "GoldenEye."

Pierce's version of Bond was definitely a standout when considering the character's history, and it's interesting to know he was directly inspired by the original Bond himself — Sean Connery. He revealed as much when posting to his Instagram in honor of Connery's 90th birthday in 2020, writing:

"I was eleven years old in 1964, just off the plane from Ireland when I saw Goldfinger at the ABC Cinema on Putney High Street. You were my Bond of inspiration."

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After four Bond movies, Pierce handed over the reins to the current Bond Daniel Craig in 2002, and since then he's shown the world just how varied he is as an actor, taking on other action, comedy, and even musical roles. 

Since then he's also focused more on his family including his wife of nearly 20 years Keely Shaye Brosnan. Pierce and Keely first met in Cabo San Lucas in 1994, while Keely was there on a job assignment with actor Ted Danson, and Pierce was holidaying with friends. After catching each other's attention at a beach party, they connected and had their first date a few days later, where they "sat down under the stars" as Pierce held Keely's hand while Kenny Loggins was singing. 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 Brosnan, who was born in 1997, and Paris Brosnan, who was born in 2001. Pierce also has three children from his former marriage to late wife Cassandra Harris — Chris, Sean, and Charlotte, who tragically passed away from ovarian cancer just like her mother.

Proving that family and his personal life are just as important as his acting career, Pierce's Instagram is mostly full of the people that mean the most to him in life and his artistic pursuits. Showing that he hasn't given up on his first creative love of painting, Pierce recently made screen prints of a painting he did while on the set of "GoldenEye" and is auctioning them off with a portion of the proceeds going to charity. Even after all of his success, Pierce is still thinking of others. Happy 68th birthday to the star!

Are you a fan of Pierce Brosnan? Were you aware of his deep connection to his family? In honor of his 68th birthday, pass this on so others can celebrate him too!