Man with the golden glum? Pierce Brosnan says that 007 has lost his sense of humour
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 65year-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, what I am doing here, 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 – I think he never had faith in himself as an actor so he just camped it up. Brosnan first played Bond in 1995’s GoldenEye, reprising him in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. He admitted the change in how action heroes are portrayed, inspired by the sombre characters in The Bourne Identity and Mission Impossible, forced him out of the role. Daniel Craig, 50, took over in 2006, starring in four films, all far more serious than past escapades.