Pierce Brosnan Movies
Moving to London with his family at an early age, Irish-born actor Pierce Brosnan made ends meet as a commercial illustrator and cab driver before turning to acting full-time. After training at the London Drama Centre, Brosnan made his West End stage bow in 1976, and appeared in his first film, The Long Good Friday, four years later.American audiences got their first glimpse of the charismatic, muscular young actor in the 1981 network miniseries The Manions of America. The following year, he was cast as the suave adventurer hero of the weekly TV series Remington Steele. Brosnan's casual panache and his gift for quippery led the producers of the James Bond movies to select him as the new Bond upon the departure of Roger Moore in 1986. However, at the last moment, the canceled Remington Steele was renewed, and Brosnan was contractually obligated to remain with the program, forcing him to relinquish the James Bond role to Timothy Dalton. Insult was later added to injury when it became evident that the renewal of Steele was something of a subterfuge by its producers to keep Brosnan on their leash. This professional setback was further compounded by personal tragedy seven years later when Brosnan's actress wife Cassandra Harris died after a long illness.
The actor began to regain his motion picture bankability when he was cast in a choice secondary role in the 1993 comedy megahit Mrs. Doubtfire. In 1995, he finally got his chance to play Agent 007 in GoldenEye, and proved that the producer's instincts were right on target. Brosnan not only provided a much-needed boost for the ailing series, but also cemented his status as a capable leading man in a variety of roles, ranging from the title character in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1996) to a stuffy, love-struck professor who meets a ludicrous fate in Mars Attacks! (1996) to a courageous vulcanologist trying to save a town threatened by a reawakened volcano in Dante's Peak (1997). Brosnan played Bond for the second time in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), essaying the role with great success.
Following his turn as the titular thief in the stylish 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, the actor went on to his third Bond outing in The World is Not Enough, again proving that saving the world was most convincingly done by those with convincing tans, straight teeth, and plenty of fun gadgets. And the world isn't the only thing Bond saved. While, the next half-decade found Brosnan stumbling with disappointments like The Tailor of Panama and The Laws of Attraction, he found box office success with the Bond franchise yet again 2002 with his final film in the franchise, Die Another Day. He soon followed this with a critically acclaimed comedic performance in the sleeper hit The Matador, before signing on for the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Abba inspired musical Mama Mia!. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Pierce Brosnan stars as adventurer Phineas Fogg in this adaptation of Jules Verne's classic story, in which to win a wager he must travel around the globe in 80 days or less. However, Fogg has been blamed for the theft of a large amount of money, and a detective (Peter Ustinov) is hot on his trail trying to catch him before he reaches the finish line. The supporting cast includes Eric Idle, Lee Remick, Roddy McDowall, and Christopher Lee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Eric Idle, (more)
This melodrama is set in Ireland and follows bill collector and karate master Taffin as he and other try to keep a soccer field from being destroyed by developers. Soon he finds himself involved in a sticky web of blackmail, political corruption and murder all precipitated by the avarice of a major chemical company. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Ray McAnally, (more)
- 1988
In this made-for-HBO thriller, Pierce Brosnan stars as an ex-convict who seeks revenge on the racetrack partner (Tom Skerritt) who framed him. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Tom Skerritt, (more)
This historical drama, based on a novel by John Masters that was in turn inspired by actual events, follows William Savage (Pierce Brosnan), a British agent of the East India Company, as he is sent with his new wife to India in the early 19th century. While Savage holds the unusually progressive view that the people of India are human and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, he is still a very proper subject of the British empire and behaves accordingly. One night, when he sees a group of seemingly crazed men rob and kill a defenseless woman, he demands to know what has happened. He learns that the killers were members of a bizarre cult called the Thugees; Savage is determined to do something about them, and he works his way into the group by disguising himself as one of their number; however, the more Savage tries to win the trust of the Thugees, the more he must act as one of them, which leads him into a murderous secret life of his own. The Deceivers was produced by Ismail Merchant, his first film with a director other than James Ivory. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Saeed Jaffrey, (more)
- 1987
After the four-year run of the original Remington Steele wrapped at the end of its fourth episode in the late summer of 1986, the property was briefly revived for a fifth season, consisting of a brace of TV movies and a two-part miniseries. While fans were thrilled, star Pierce Brosnan was not; his commitment to the brief revival denied him the opportunity to take over the movie role of James Bond (though he'd finally get that opportunity in 1995). The first movie-length Remington Steele is "The Steele That Wouldn't Die." Originally telecast on January 5, 1987, this one finds suave private eye Steele arrested for murder in Mexico, obliging his partner, Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist), to come to his rescue. Adding to the intrigue is the apparent fact that Steele and Laura are now married. Alas, we find out that the union is a sham in the second fifth season adventure, "Steele Hanging in There," originally telecast in two parts on April 3 and 10, 1987. This story brings the two detectives face-to-face with several ghosts from their past. In the second of the feature-length episodes, "Steeled With a Kiss" (original air date: April 17, 1987) Laura and Steele head to Ireland to clear a colleague of espionage charges -- while Steele's mentor Daniel Chalmers (played by Stephanie Zimbalist's real-life dad, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) complicates matters with his own private con game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Stephanie Zimbalist, (more)
- 1987
Rather than ignore the negative press surrounding the discord and ego clashes on the set of Moonlighting, the series' writers fashioned an entire episode around the brouhaha. Gossip columnist Rona Barrett shows up to investigate rumors that the stars of the series, Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd--or rather, their screen characters, David Addison and Maddie Hayes--are not exactly bosom buddies. We then segue into a crazy quilt of highlights from earlier episodes, plus hitherto unshown bloopers and deleted scenes. Guest stars include Pierce Brosnan in his familiar "Remington Steele" characterization, and film director Peter Bogdanovich, who discusses his romance with a certain "model from Memphis"--not to mention his brief fling with detective Maddie Hayes, who bears a remarkable resemblance to that selfsame model! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
Scripted by Frederick Forsyth from his own novel, The Fourth Protocol is a fact-based spy thriller. The titular protocol is a secret agreement between America, Britain and Russia to cease smuggling nuclear weapons into their respective countries. This figures into the schemes of several rogue spies, who hope to destroy NATO by embarking on just such a smuggling endeavor. Russian agent Valeri Petrofsky (Pierce Brosnan) is ordered to stage a nuclear accident in England, then arrange the evidence to point to the Americans. British intelligence agent John Preston (Michael Caine) begins wondering why such nuclear-weapon components like lithium are showing up in the unlikeliest places. Ignored by his superiors, who figure that Preston is merely an old-line anti-Commie paranoic, Preston gathers the clues that will enable him to find out who's behind the potential breaking of The Fourth Protocol. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Pierce Brosnan, (more)
Nomads is a scary, supernatural horror movie without blood and guts and gore or bouts of eroticism. Pierce Brosnan is Pommier, an anthropologist who has spent years researching the nomads in some of the coldest and hottest parts of the globe. Apparently, his research went too far, because now he is haunted by evil nomad spirits who do not look much different than some of the '90s teens with purple or green hair, chalky-white faces with dark mascara, and clothes to match. As he starts out hunting down these beings, scenes of a young female doctor (Lesley-Anne Down) fighting off an evil spirit are also shown. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Lesley-Anne Down, (more)
- 1985
We've reached the fourth season of Remington Steele, and the private eye title character (Pierce Brosnan) and his partner Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist) still haven't consummated their unspoken passion for one another. Point of fact, we still don't know the real name of the man who calls himself Remington Steele for business purposes -- nor does Laura. The two-part opening episode finds star Stephanie Zimbalist's real-life dad, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. returning in the role of Daniel Chalmers, the shadowy mentor of the enigmatic Remington. Also appearing in this episode is the late Cassandra Harris, the then-wife of Pierce Brosnan. In later episodes, the two P.I.s protect a sleazy photographer whose nude photo of Laura has shown up in a dirty magazine; Steele wakes up from a 36-hour sleep to be told that he has lost the agency to gamblers; a Christmas party at the Steele agency is spoiled by hostage-taking, bomb-wielding villains dressed in Santa suits (and this was long before Die Hard); the detectives search for a missing cache of caviar; and our hero and heroine are placed in jeopardy by their redoubtable entrepreneur friend George E. Mulch (Michael Constantine). After the series finale "Bonds of Steele," the weekly, hour-long version of Remington Steele came to an end -- only to reemerge half a year later in the form of a brace of TV movies and a two-episode miniseries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Stephanie Zimbalist, (more)
We still haven't learned the true name of the suave private detective who calls himself Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) as the series bearing the same name enters its third season. All we know for sure is that the real brains behind the Remington Steele Detective Agency is sexy private eye Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist), who has hired "Steele" to pose as her nonexistent boss to attract clients who would otherwise be averse to hiring a woman to do their dirty work. We also know that former IRS agent Mildred Krebs (Doris Roberts) is still working as the agency's secretary in order to hassle Mr. Steele, whose questionable tax practices had cost Mildred her government job. As the season opens, it is clear that Laura has gotten over her initial dislike of Remington and is ready for romance -- but somehow or other, crime always rears its ugly head during those "special moments." This year's case load includes a mysterious person who, for unknown reasons, is trying to force Laura out of her apartment; a certain Maltese artifact that is hardly "the stuff that dreams are made of"; a comic strip artists whose creations come to murderous life; and Laura's efforts to probe the background of a politician -- while Remington tries to keep his own background under wraps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Stephanie Zimbalist, (more)
Private detective Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist) continues to grit her teeth and play second fiddle to her junior partner as Remington Steele begins its second season. Although Laura is head of the Remington Steele Agency, her partner, a suave and handsome stranger with a checkered past (played by Pierce Brosnan), has taken on the name of Remington Steele (a man who doesn't exist!) to attract clients who might otherwise balk at hiring a woman for dangerous jobs. Of course, "Remington" plays his role to the hilt, even though he tends to be something of a klutz at times. Plus, our hero is never at a loss for a clever quip -- usually one stolen straight from one of the many vintage Hollywood movies that he has committed to memory. New in the second season is future Everybody Loves Raymond co-star Doris Roberts as the agency's secretary Mildred Krebs. A former IRS agent, Mildred had been fired after generously helping Remington beat a tax evasion rap. Now she is determined to get even with him simply by hanging around and making his life miserable. Missing from the action is Laura's first partner Murphy Michaels, who, after being upstaged by Remington once too often, has quit to form his own agency. The season begins with the two-part "Steele Away With Me," which at one point draws parallels between the story at hand and a typical James Bond movie (several years before Pierce Brosnan took over the role of Bond in the character's theatrical features). Later cases involve a sabotaged aircraft company, a client who doesn't know his own name, a poisoned TV dinner coming between a pair of popular commercial actors, a boxing manager who may or may not know something about Remington's murky past, the solving of a decades-old circus mishap, and a make-believe mystery that becomes all too real. Among the classic movies invoked by Remington in the course of events are Casablanca, Spellbound, Rocky, and The Greatest Show on Earth. Especially worth noting is the episode "Woman of Steele," which co-stars Pierce Brosnan's then wife, the late Cassandra Harris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Stephanie Zimbalist, (more)
As Remington Steele swings into its first season, sexy private detective Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist) and her nebbishy partner Murphy Michaels (James Read) are enjoying a hitherto unimagined stretch of profitability. It seems that, up until recently, Laura had been unable to convince potential clients that a woman was qualified to do confidential detective work. Thus, she invented a fictional boss, dashing international adventurer Remington Steele, naming her agency after the selfsame Steele. Though it takes some doing to deflect the curiosity of those who'd like to meet and talk with the elusive Remington, Laura's little deception is paying off in spades. Then, while trying to protect a valuable jewel shipment from thieves, Laura comes face to face with the "real" Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan), who is every bit as suave and dauntless as she had imagined him. It turns out that this charming fellow is not really Remington Steele -- remember, the character doesn't exist -- but he is willing to continue working for Laura so long as she doesn't ask him anything about his real name or background. As the weeks roll by, it is clear that Remington's coolness is mostly a façade; in fact, he is downright bumbling and dimwitted at times. Still, appearance is all that matters -- and Remington is certainly blessed in the "appearance" department. In his very first collaboration with Laura, "Remington" displays his trademarked fondness for vintage Hollywood movies by quoting a key line of dialogue from the 1956 feature Tea and Sympathy. In later escapades -- which range from industrial espionage to the murder of a seedy romance novelist -- Remington will invoke memories of such flicks as Casablanca, D.O.A., The Shining, The Third Man, Enter the Dragon, Psycho, and even It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In a cute bit of inside casting, the episode "Sting of Steele" features Stephanie Zimbalist's real-life father, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Remington Steele's enigmatic mentor, Daniel Chalmers. Meanwhile, back in the offices of the Remington Steele Agency, hardworking secretary Bernice Foxe (Janet de May) dreams of living as exciting a life as her employers. Whether or not these dreams explain why she ultimately decides to run off with a saxophone player (à la Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot) is anybody's guess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Stephanie Zimbalist, (more)
- 1982
The life and times of Britain's first female Member of Parliament are dramatically chronicled in this British miniseries. Lisa Harrow stars as Virginia-born Nancy Langhorne, who married into American aristocracy when she became the wife of the wealthy, influential, and chronically unfaithful Robert Gould Shaw (Pierce Brosnan). Although this union, and her later marriage to William Waldorf Astor (James Fox), could have easily permitted her to live the life of a pampered dowager, Nancy chose instead to follow her second husband's lead by entering politics, championing causes that were "unpopular" with her own social set, but which endeared her to the poor, downtrodden, and disenfranchised. Highlights of this nine-part miniseries included Lady Astor's ongoing prickly relationships with such political foes as Winston Churchill, her personal travails with her bibulous son, Bobby (Nigel Havers), and her famous query to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin: "When are you going to stop killing people?" First broadcast by BBC2 from February 10 to April 7, 1982, Nancy Astor subsequently aired in America (this time as an eight-parter) as a component of the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre beginning April 15, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
One of the more effective installments of the BBC Hammer House of Horror series, this moody, tightly-paced tale involves a series of gory murders in which the predominantly male victims have their hearts and other vital organs ripped out with a hook-like weapon. The most bizarre element in the killer's grisly modus operandi is the connection to a notorious murderess of yore, who is believed to have trained a giant eagle to tear out the hearts of her former lovers. The details of her grisly exploits are documented by a writer who is assisting police with their investigations. The Thrillervideo release contains the edited-for-TV version, missing much of the original's sex and violence, and features a pun-heavy wraparound by horror hostess Elvira. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1981
The Manions of America was a three-part miniseries originally telecast September 30, and October 1 and 2, 1981. Set in Ireland and Philadelphia in the late 1840's, Rory O'Manion (Pierce Brosnan in his American TV-movie debut) escapes from the Great Irish Potato Famine to head to America, where he goes into business, opens old wounds with old enemies, and is reunited with his lover from the old country, British blueblood Rachel Clements (Kate Mulgrew). This expensive project was scripted by onetime Upstairs Downstairs staff writer Rosemary Anne Sisson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
John Mackenzie's masterfully directed British crime drama features a star-making performance by Bob Hoskins as Harold Shand, a successful London gangster whose world falls apart over the course of one weekend. Shand controls the London docks and is planning a big real estate deal, financed by money from the American mob and given the okay by the London organization. His world is sweet -- he lives in a fancy penthouse, he owns a yacht, and has a sensitive and intelligent mistress. But suddenly a bomb explodes inside his Rolls Royce, another bomb destroys a pub he owns, and a third is found inside his casino. Shand can't understand who would suddenly want him dead, particularly over the Easter weekend, when representatives from the American mafia are coming into town to discuss investing in Shands's real estate project. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, (more)
Angela Lansbury takes over the legacy of Margaret Rutherford as Agatha Christie's dogged sleuth Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd. The story takes place on a film set in a small British town in the 1950s. Elizabeth Taylor plays a washed-up actress trying to make a comeback but is plagued by a mysterious incident from her past. Unfortunately for her mental state, a collection of murders jar the quiet village where the movie is being made. Miss Marple arrives on the scene with her nephew, Inspector Craddock (Edward Fox), to investigate. In addition to Taylor, an assortment of other movie stars grace the roster of suspects, including Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angela Lansbury, Elizabeth Taylor, (more)
- 1915
Butterfly on the Wheel was the fifth of director Maurice Tourneur's six films for 1915. Devoted to his business, prominent theatrical producer Adamston (Holbrook Blinn) sorely neglects his beautiful wife Peggy (Vivian Martin). Arriving home early one afternoon, Adamston is confronted with circumstantial evidence that his wife has been entertaining a gentleman caller. Ignoring Peggy's pleas of innocence, Adamston immediately files for divorce. Alas, the jury is on the husband's side, and Peggy is dragged through the muck and mire of scandal. Even the last-minute revelation that Peggy was blameless does not diminish the film's powerful indictment against hearsay and matrimonial neglect. Butterfly on the Wheel was highlighted by a spectacular backstage fire, the sort of seemingly spontaneous "thrill" scene in which director Tourneur excelled. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
