Matador London Premiere

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Channel 4 News

Pierce's new hard hitting role

Last Modified: 22 Feb 2006
Source: ITN

From super-slick spy to heavy drinking hitman, Pierce Brosnan has certainly left 007 behind him.

The 52-year-old actor has been strongly applauded by critics worldwide for his role as Julian Noble in the comedy thriller The Matador.

Julian, who is more likely to be seen downing tequila than sipping martini, is a sleazy, washed-up hitman who befriends a crestfallen businessman in a hotel bar in Mexico City.

The role won Pierce a Golden Globe nomination and many believe it is a part which finally rid the actor of his suave 007 image.

Fans of the Irish charmer will be especially delighted to hear there is a scene with Pierce parading around in nothing but his underwear.

At the premiere of The Matador in Notting Hill he said: "It works on many levels. For someone who walks across the lobby in suits and tuxedo's, then to walk across in your knickers. Way to go! "

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RTÉ

Brosnan sympathy for new Bond

22 February 2006

Former 007 Pierce Brosnan offered his sympathy to new James Bond star Daniel Craig over an incident where Craig got injured during a fight scene.

According to reports, Craig had some teeth knocked out while filming a fight scene for new Bond film 'Casino Royale'.

At the UK premiere of his new film 'The Matador', Brosnan revealed: "I got stitched up and sewn up a few times, it just didn't get in the papers."

"I had my face sliced open by a stuntman. I had a knee injury. You get twisted some way or another if you throw yourself into it. There's going to be mishaps."

When asked his opinion on Craig's fitness to play Bond, Brosnan said: "I think Daniel is a very fine actor. These are rocky waters and they're going to get him one way or another, but I think he will have the last laugh at the end of it."

Brosnan plays a sleazy, washed-up hitman in black comedy 'The Matador', which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

His next projects include a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair.

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Just a little related tangent from the Chicago Suntimes blog.

Well, I can drive a stick. Not that it would make me want to apply for the role.

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Stolen from Ace's:

Total Film

Red Carpet: The Matador

Pierce Brosnan stands in front of Total Film rubbing his hands together. Not with glee you understand - although with a neat little flick like The Matador to promote, you could understand why he has every right to be gleeful – no, The Bros is bloody freezing.

“It’s taters out there,” he states in his Baileys-smooth Irish tones. “The weather is a little inarticulate around the world at the moment but there’s no global warming – George says so.” His face cracks into a wry smile.

We are at The Notting Hill Coronet and Pierce has just paced the red carpet in sub-zero temperatures to ensure that the legions of Brosettes don’t go home disappointed.

Having worked the crowd into a frenzy the likes of which is commonly witnessed on Big Brother eviction nights, TF asks him if he has any tips for Premieres or award nights?

“Tips? No not really. Just step out there and make sure your flies are done up.”

The Matador is release on Friday 3 March. Click here for our full red carpet report including the latest on Thomas Crown 2: The Topkapi Affair.

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Total Film

Red Carpet: The Matador

Pierce Brosnan on banishing Bond, Daniel Craig and the Thomas Crown Affair sequel

22 Feb 2006 12:08pm

Cool, hip and low-key – like the film, the UK premiere of The Matador didn’t follow convention.

The film stars Pierce Brosnan as a washed-up, burned-out hitman who is clawing around for a purpose. Some are calling it a true nail in the coffin of the Irishman’s seminal turn as James Bond. So does he feel he’s laid the ghost of the superspy to rest?

“I don’t know, have I? Oh good, there you go, fantastic,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t going into this to break any mould but I certainly was aware of the theatricality of the piece. The symbolism of me strutting across a hotel lobby in speedos, having strutted across many hotel lobbies over the years in tuxedos and suits – that didn’t escape me.”

Brosnan admits to being completely bowled over by the script from writer/director Richard Shepard. “He really did an outstanding job in creating this kaleidoscopic, intimate piece about characters that are lonely and driven. It was like doing a play and that’s one of the joys of Richard’s writing – once the clapper went down you had 12 pages of dialogue to rattle through and play with.”

Despite leaving 007 behind with 2002’s Die Another Day, the 52-year-old Irishman is aware that the questions will keep coming about the franchise and, particularly, its new standard bearer, the now-toothless Daniel Craig.

“There’s going to be mishaps,” he tells TF. “You always get twisted some way or another if you throw yourself into it. I got my face cut open by a stuntman, I hurt my knee, it’s all part of it.”

As for the criticism being levelled at Craig – including a new website that asks for all Bond fans to boycott Casino Royale – Brosnan is philosophical. “I think Daniel is a very fine actor. These are rocky waters but I think he will have the last laugh.”

The sharp suits and witty retorts certainly won’t be confined to the past for Brosnan as he revealed to Total Film that the follow-up to The Thomas Crown Affair – tentatively titled The Topkapi Affair – is ready to go… except for the small detail of the script, currently being penned by Bandits screenwriter Harley Peyton.

“We were supposed to get it on Valentine’s day but we didn’t. He said it’ll be another two weeks so I’m still waiting for the script.”

If you saw a picture of Brosnan from the tail end of last year, chances are he was sporting an impressive set of whiskers. “Ah yes, the facial hair – it was homegrown and what can I say? The wife didn’t like it.”

So was it purely for his own amusement? “No, no. Liam Neeson and myself did a western called Seraphim Falls.” Not a western in the Brokeback Mountain vein? “No, not that kind of western, we don’t go camping together or anything like that. It’s a post civil war movie written by a wonderful first time director called David Von Ancken. It’s an anti-war movie and I managed to stay on the horse, which is always good.”

With that, Brosnan bids Total Film a good night – and struts his stuff across yet another lobby…

Ben Hall