Pierce Brosnan - Love Is All You Need
Pierce Brosnan may be best known for Bond, James Bond, but his acting talents have been shown in a wealth of genres across 33 years on our screens.
In his latest film, Love Is All You Need released on April 19th, Pierce plays a middle-aged widower, who after a several years as a single father, and manager of a fruit and vegetable growing business, takes the opportunity afforded him at his son’s Italian wedding to reluctantly start afresh both in business and pleasure.
Susanne Bier’s film is a grown-up romantic comedy, but Brosnan has shown he can excel in a multitude of roles. Here’s a look at our favourites:
- Remington Steele
Playing the title role in Remington Steele between 1982 and 1987, Brosnan cut his romantic comedy teeth. The detective procedural saw Pierce’s Steele (a never named con man) assume the role of fictitious superior to Stephanie Zimbalist’s private detective Laura Holt.
Blending in comedy, noir, drama, and paying homage to Hollywood of the 30s and 40s - Remington Steele introduced the world to Pierce Brosnan and his cross-genre talent.
- The Lawnmower Man
1992 saw Pierce Brosnan turn his hand to science fiction in this tale of a simple gardener and the intelligence increasing experiments performed on him.
In one of Brosnan’s less mainstream roles, he takes on the character of Dr. Lawrence Angelo - the scientist who uses Jeff Fahey’s Jobe as a human guinea pig.
As Jobe gets more intelligent and develops telekinetic powers, Angelo is helpless to interject as things turn nasty.
With doses of hyper-evolution, terrifying gardening equipment, and even a sentient computer virus, The Lawnmower Man is Brosnan as we’d never seen him - and haven’t since.
- The Deceivers
To India now, as 1988’s The Decievers saw Pierce playing William Savage - a British Captain appalled by the actions of a ‘Thuggee’ cult.
Set back in 1825, this was Brosnan’s first lead role in a historical film, and the role was received with mixed reactions.
The deception in the title belongs to Brosnan and his infiltration of the Thuggees - something he achieved so well that some critics deride his lack of presence! Pierce did show he can look great in uniform though.
- Mrs. Doubtfire
Everyone remembers Robin Williams in this heartfelt 1993 cross-dressing comedy from Chris Columbus (of Harry Potter fame).
Pierce Brosnan co-starred as Stuart Dunmire, the kids’ mother’s romantic interest. Mrs. Doubtfire (or Daniel Hillard to give the kids’ father his real name) tries to harm Stuart with pepper in his food (he’s allergic) but sees the error of his ways when Stu starts to choke.
All it takes is one Heimlich and a little more is revealed than Mrs. Doubtfire would have liked. A very important role - Stuart showed us that Pierce could play serious and endearing.
- Goldeneye / Tomorrow Never Dies / The World Is Not Enough / Die Another Day
No Pierce Brosnan list would be complete without a mention of 007. Four films between 95’s Goldeneye and 02’s Die Another Day starred the Irishman as Ian Fleming’s most famous secret agent.
Bridging the gap between Timothy Dalton (last Bond 1989) and the rebooted, gritty Bond of Daniel Craig (first Bond 2006) - Brosnan’s Bond was big budget action, but retained the classic Bondesque dialogue and charm of the earlier pictures.
Less believable maybe than Craig’s Bond, Brosnan made the role his own and all the more fun for it.
- Mamma Mia!
Pierce Brosnan: Sings! Mamma Mia!, the long-running West End musical based on the songs of ABBA, was transferred to the big screen to much reward at the box office in 2008 - and in the all-star cast, singing his heart out, was our very own Pierce Brosnan.
Playing one of three possible fathers to Meryl Streep’s Donna’s daughter Sophie, Brosnan’s Sam finds himself jetting off to a Greek island.
The songs come as thick and fast as the flirting as the cards hold love and romance.
- Love is All You Need
Pierce Brosnan makes a welcome return to our silver screens this April in Susanne Bier’s Love Is All You Need.
It’s also a welcome return to a warmer climate, as Brosnan’s Philip returns to his former marital villa on the sun-drenched Amalfi coast for his son’s wedding.
His prospective daughter-in-law brings her newly single mother (acclaimed Danish actress Trine Dyrholm), who after an eventful coming together with Philip at the airport, slowly warms to him, and starts to get through to the passion he’s kept buried for years.
Love Is All You Need brings a little sunshine to UK cinemas April 19.
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