Pierce Brosnan: My Bond Was Never Good Enough

12 years after his final performance as Her Majesty’s most famous secret servant, Pierce Brosnan is still best known for his tenure as James Bond.

But while the role brought him fame and notoriety, the actor has admitted he isn’t happy with any of his 007 films.

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In an interview with The Telegraph, Brosnan revealed that he believes he was “never good enough” in the role, which was taken over by Daniel Craig in 2006.

The actor said he found it “very hard to grasp the meaning” of the part, and that he felt he was “caught in a time warp” between famous Bond predecessors Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore.

“The violence was never real, the brute force of the man was never palpable,” he said. “It was quite tame, and the characterisation didn’t have a follow-through of reality, it was surface.

“But then that might have had to do with my own insecurities in playing him as well.”

Brosnan first appeared as Bond in 1995’s ‘GoldenEye’, and went on to star in three subsequent films in the franchise - ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, ‘The World Is Not Enough’ and ‘Die Another Day’. But the actor has admitted that he never watches himself play the spy, saying: “I have no desire to watch myself as James Bond. ‘Cause it’s just never good enough. It’s a horrible feeling.”

He did express gratitude for the doors that have opened to him since taking on the role, though, adding: “It's the gift that keeps on giving. That allowed me to create my own production company and make my own movies.”

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Brosnan will next appear on the big screen alongside Emma Thompson in ‘The Love Punch’, which hits UK cinemas on Friday 18 April.