Pierce Brosnan responds to Helen Mirren’sJames Bondcriticism. Beginning his tenure in the mid-90s inGoldenEye,Brosnan played the iconic 007 in four movies, wrapping up withDie Another Dayin 2002. He was replaced by Daniel Craig, who played the role in five films, up through 2021’sNo Time to Die. As the franchise’s creative control has recently transitioned to Amazon, the search continues for an actor toinherit the protagonist inBond 26and beyond. While promoting their seriesMobLand,Mirren shared her critical remarks about theBondmovies being sexist.
Speaking withPeople, Brosnanappreciated Mirren’s fervor in her response, saying, “she let them have it,” and noting that he and Mirren had not talked about it beforehand. He has a “certain agreement” with aspects of what Mirren said but still thinks that there is “a certain world and room to move within the proscenium arch of what” original Bond author Ian Fleming created. Check out the full quote from Brosnan below:
She let them have it. No, we didn’t talk about that. Not at all.
Yes, there’s a certain agreement there. But there’s a certain world and room to move within the proscenium arch of what [Bond creator and author] Ian Fleming put down. So there’s always going to be conflict.
What This Means For The James Bond Franchise
Mirren Does Not Like The Movies' Portrayal Of Women
Brosnan’s response comes a few days after Mirren offered a biting critique of the franchise. In an illuminating interview withThe London Standard, she spoke highly of former 007 actors Brosnan and Craig but had little to say about the franchise overall. The beloved British actor said thatshe “never liked the way women were in James Bond.“She elaborated by saying that “the whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism,” ignoring the important efforts of women in the Secret Service. Mirren’s full quote can be found below:
The whole series ofJames Bond, it was not my thing. It really wasn’t. I never likedJames Bond. I never liked the way women were inJames Bond.
The whole concept ofJames Bondis drenched and born out of profound sexism. Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service, they always have been.
If you hear about what women did in the French Resistance, they’re amazingly, unbelievably courageous. So I would tell real stories about extraordinary women who’ve worked in that world.
Brosnan does not offer a complete agreement with this statement, noting that “there’s always going to be conflict.” Still, it is profound for a formerBond actorto support Mirren’s statement, which is deeply critical of the franchise. The fact that Bond has changed creative ownership will not fully amend these issues, as they seem to exist partially in the source material. However, given this prominent criticism,Amazon may attempt to amend some of these Bond issues of yesteryear.
Our Take On Mirren & Brosnan’s Statements
It Would Be Interesting To Hear From Bond Girls Themselves
It is in Brosnan’s best interests to support Mirren’s statement, as he is currently acting alongside her in theTV seriesMobLand.Plus, she was still complimentary of him in her original statement.As time progresses, however, I will be most interested to see what Craig and other Bond actors say about the statement, which has gone viral. It is undeniable that Bond girls and other women of the IP have been highly (and controversially) sexualized. As such, women who have been acting inBondfilms recently could have a lot to say about their perspective on their portrayals.
