Brosnan: Why ‘solemn’ 007 has lost his sense of fun
DRIVING a car upside down, skiing off a cliff and always armed with racy innuendos, James Bond’s daring deeds were often wonderfully far-fetched.
But the superspy has lost his sense of humour, according to former 007 Pierce Brosnan.
Brosnan, who played the MI6 agent in four films, said Daniel Craig’s brooding portrayal had to be more serious because the franchise was forced to reinvent the character as ‘more muscular’ and solemn.
‘There had to be humour, I felt,’ the 65-year-old said. ‘It is different now. They had strong competition and they haven’t reinvented it but given it a much more muscular, dynamic twist.
‘When I played him you have to let the audience in that this is a fantastic joke – this man, jumping off a motorcycle and catching up a plane, is completely preposterous. But for me you had to let them in.
‘That’s what I was brought up with. Sean (Connery) did it, Roger (Moore) did it par excellence.’
Brosnan first played Bond in 1995’s GoldenEye, reprising him in three more films. He admitted the change to more sombre action heroes, inspired by The Bourne Identity and Mission Impossible, forced him out of the role.