Pierce Brosnan was the fifth actor to play fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond on the big screen.

As an 11-year-old Brosnan watched Goldfinger, never imagining that one day he’d play 007. But the possibility might have occurred to him in 1981, when he visited the set of For Your Eyes Only, in which his Australian wife, Cassandra Harris, played femme fatale Lisl von Schlaf.

Born in Ireland, Brosnan’s acting career took off in Britain after studying at the Drama Centre of London. His star power rose on moving to the United States.

First mooted as the next James Bond in the mid-1980s, he was unable to accept the role until 1994, debuting in the following year’s GoldenEye. Combining glamour, charm and brutality, Brosnan’s Bond was also sensitive as he successfully transitioned the agent out of the Cold War era and into the 21st century. 
 
An international star of great acclaim, Pierce Brosnan was awarded an honorary OBE for services to drama and the British film industry in 2003.