Pierce Brosnan’s Best Roles

Pierce Brosnan has built a remarkable career playing everything from suave super-spies to singing architects and ruthless assassins. For many, he is the definitive James Bond of the 1990s, an actor who perfectly blended charisma with a modern edge. His ability to command the screen with a subtle glance or a confident smile made him an international superstar and a household name. He brought a fresh energy to the iconic role and successfully carried the franchise into a new era.

Beyond his time with MI6, Brosnan has consistently chosen diverse and challenging roles that showcase his incredible range as an actor. He has proven time and again that he is more than just a handsome face, tackling complex characters in thrillers, comedies, and dramas. Whether he is playing a cunning billionaire art thief or a troubled hitman on the verge of a breakdown, he brings a level of depth and humanity to his performances. His filmography is a testament to his versatility and his willingness to explore different facets of the human experience.

‘The Lawnmower Man’ (1992)

Pierce Brosnan plays Dr. Lawrence Angelo, a brilliant scientist who is experimenting with virtual reality to increase intelligence. He finds the perfect subject in Jobe Smith, a simple-minded gardener, and begins a series of treatments. The experiments are initially successful, transforming Jobe into a genius. Dr. Angelo believes he is unlocking human potential and pushing the boundaries of science for the good of mankind.

As Jobe’s intelligence grows at an exponential rate, he starts to develop powerful telekinetic abilities. He soon surpasses his creator and becomes a being of pure energy with a desire for control. The story then shifts into a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition. Dr. Angelo is forced to confront the consequences of his work as he tries to stop the powerful entity he has created.

‘Die Another Day’ (2002)

In his fourth and final appearance as James Bond, Pierce Brosnan’s character is captured and tortured by a rogue North Korean colonel. After being released in a prisoner exchange, MI6 fears he has been compromised and revokes his double-0 status. This forces Bond to go rogue to track down the traitor who betrayed him and to clear his name.

His investigation uncovers a plot involving a conflict diamond magnate who has developed a devastating satellite weapon. The weapon can concentrate solar energy into a powerful beam capable of destroying targets from space. Bond must travel across the globe, from Cuba to Iceland, to stop the villain’s plan to provoke a war between North and South Korea.

‘The November Man’ (2014)

Pierce Brosnan stars as Peter Devereaux, a highly skilled and dangerous ex-CIA agent who is enjoying a quiet retirement. He is lured back into the field for a personal mission to protect a valuable witness named Alice Fournier. She holds the key to exposing a long-buried conspiracy involving a Russian politician with a dark past.

The mission quickly becomes complicated when Devereaux finds himself targeted by his former friend and protege from the agency. This turns the operation into a deadly game of cat and mouse where Devereaux must use his old skills to survive. He has to uncover the truth while navigating a web of lies and betrayal within the very organization he once served.

‘The World Is Not Enough’ (1999)

Pierce Brosnan returns as James Bond in a story that revolves around the protection of Elektra King, the daughter of a murdered oil tycoon. Bond is assigned to guard her from a notorious terrorist known as Renard, who is unable to feel pain due to a bullet lodged in his brain. This makes him a highly unpredictable and formidable foe.

As Bond delves deeper into the situation, he discovers that the threat is far more complex than a simple protection detail. The plot involves a plan to detonate a nuclear device in the Bosphorus strait to destroy rival oil pipelines. Bond must race against time to prevent a nuclear meltdown and uncover the true mastermind behind the sophisticated scheme.

‘Mamma Mia!’ (2008)

In this musical romantic comedy, Pierce Brosnan plays Sam Carmichael, a successful architect. He is one of three men who receive an invitation to a wedding on a beautiful Greek island. The invitation comes from a young woman named Sophie, who is trying to figure out which of the three men is her biological father.

Sam travels to the island and is surprised to see Sophie’s mother, Donna, with whom he had a romance many years ago. The story unfolds through a series of hit songs by the popular group ABBA. Brosnan’s character must confront his past feelings for Donna while also getting to know the daughter he never knew he might have.

‘The Fourth Protocol’ (1987)

Pierce Brosnan takes on the role of Valeri Petrofsky, a cold and calculating KGB officer sent on a secret mission to the United Kingdom. His objective is to assemble and detonate a small nuclear device near an American military base. The plan is designed to look like a nuclear accident, shattering the relationship between the US and the UK.

The plot becomes a tense thriller as a British intelligence officer, played by Michael Caine, begins to unravel the conspiracy. He must track down Petrofsky before the bomb can be detonated and prevent a catastrophic event that could destabilize the whole of Europe. The film showcases a deadly game of espionage and counter-espionage set during the Cold War.

‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ (1997)

Pierce Brosnan’s second outing as James Bond sees him facing off against a powerful media mogul named Elliot Carver. Carver plans to instigate a war between the United Kingdom and China. His goal is to create an international conflict that will boost his media empire’s ratings and secure him exclusive broadcasting rights in China.

Bond teams up with a Chinese agent to infiltrate Carver’s organization and expose his plot. The mission involves a stealth ship that Carver uses to create naval incidents between the two world powers. Bond must use all his skills and gadgets to prevent a full-scale war orchestrated for television ratings.

‘The Matador’ (2005)

In this dark comedy, Pierce Brosnan plays Julian Noble, a flamboyant and emotionally unstable hitman who is having a professional crisis. While on a job in Mexico City, he has a chance encounter with Danny Wright, a down-on-his-luck businessman. The two men strike up an unusual and unexpected friendship in a hotel bar.

Their relationship deepens as Julian impulsively involves Danny in his world of contract killing, leading to a series of chaotic and humorous situations. Later, Julian shows up at Danny’s home in desperate need of help for one last job. The film explores themes of friendship and redemption as these two very different men find they have more in common than they thought.

‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ (1999)

Pierce Brosnan portrays Thomas Crown, a sophisticated billionaire who is bored with his life of wealth and success. To find a new thrill, he masterminds the daring daylight theft of a priceless Monet painting from a top New York City art museum. He pulls off the heist flawlessly, leaving the police baffled.

The insurance company sends a brilliant and beautiful investigator, Catherine Banning, to assist the police with the case. She quickly suspects Crown, and the two begin a high-stakes game of seduction and wits. As they grow closer, Banning must decide whether her loyalty is to her job or to the charming art thief she is pursuing.

‘The Foreigner’ (2017)

In this action thriller, Pierce Brosnan plays Liam Hennessy, a government official in Northern Ireland with a complex political past. His world is turned upside down when a man’s daughter is killed in a London bombing claimed by a rogue IRA splinter group. The grieving father, a former special forces operator, becomes determined to find the people responsible.

The man seeks out Hennessy, believing he has information about the bombers’ identities. When Hennessy denies any knowledge, a dangerous conflict ignites between the two. Brosnan’s character must navigate a treacherous political landscape while dealing with a relentless man who will stop at nothing to get justice for his family.

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ (1993)

Pierce Brosnan plays Stuart “Stu” Dunmeyer, the handsome and charismatic new love interest of the main character’s ex-wife. He is portrayed as a kind and stable figure, which makes him the perfect rival. As he becomes more involved in the family’s life, he unknowingly finds himself in the middle of a very unusual situation.

Stu becomes the primary target of many comical and elaborate acts of sabotage. These are all orchestrated by his new girlfriend’s ex-husband, who is disguised as an elderly female housekeeper named Mrs. Doubtfire. Brosnan’s character serves as the charming and often oblivious antagonist in the hilarious family dynamic.

‘The Son’ (2017–2019)

In this television series, Pierce Brosnan stars as Eli McCullough, the powerful and aging patriarch of a Texas family dynasty. The show follows two parallel timelines, exploring both his early life and his later years. One storyline depicts his childhood after being kidnapped and raised by the Comanche tribe in the 19th century.

The other storyline is set in the early 1900s and follows Eli as a ruthless cattle baron who is determined to transition his family’s business into the booming oil industry. He uses his past experiences to navigate the brutal and violent world of the American West. Brosnan’s character is a complex man shaped by a harsh past, willing to do whatever it takes to secure his family’s legacy.

‘The Ghost Writer’ (2010)

Pierce Brosnan plays Adam Lang, a controversial former British Prime Minister who is living in secluded exile in the United States. He is writing his memoirs but needs help finishing the book, so he hires a professional ghostwriter. The writer travels to a remote island estate to work directly with the former political leader.

The ghostwriter soon discovers that the previous writer working on the book died under mysterious circumstances. As he digs deeper into Lang’s manuscript and past, he uncovers a dangerous political conspiracy with global implications. He finds himself in over his head, with his own life in jeopardy as he tries to expose the truth.

‘GoldenEye’ (1995)

This film marked Pierce Brosnan’s highly anticipated debut as James Bond. The story begins with Bond on a mission to stop a rogue MI6 agent, who was once his friend but is now presumed dead. The former agent has resurfaced and is working with a Russian crime syndicate to gain control of a powerful satellite weapon system.

The weapon, known as GoldenEye, is capable of firing an electromagnetic pulse that can disable any electronic circuit it hits. Bond must team up with a computer programmer, the lone survivor of an attack on the satellite’s control center, to track down the former agent. Their mission takes them to Russia as they race to prevent a global financial meltdown.

‘The Long Good Friday’ (1980)

In one of his first film appearances, Pierce Brosnan had a small but memorable role as a young and unnamed IRA hitman. The film centers on a powerful London gangster named Harold Shand, who is trying to close a lucrative deal with the American mafia. He plans to redevelop the London Docklands and position himself as a legitimate businessman.

Harold’s criminal empire suddenly comes under a series of coordinated attacks, leading to explosions and murders that threaten to derail his plans. Brosnan’s character is part of the unseen force that is systematically dismantling Harold’s organization. His actions are a key part of the violent and suspenseful plot that unfolds over the course of an Easter weekend.

What are your favorite Pierce Brosnan roles, and which ones do you think should have been on this list?