Pierce Brosnan lost out on playing James Bond in The Living Daylights, but this was secretly one of the best things that could have happened to the actor. Brosnan felt somewhat destined to inherit the 007 mantle. The actor first met James Bond franchise producer Albert Broccoli during the filming of For Your Eyes Only, where Brosnan’s first wife, Cᴀssandra Harris, played a Bond girl. Over a decade later, he finally nabbed the role for 1995’s GoldenEye, which marked the first entry after a six-year break.

The Pierce Brosnan James Bond movies are a mixed bag, but their success ensured the franchise’s survival. Fans of the saga might know Brosnan was initially cast as 007 for The Living Daylights, where he would have inherited the series from Roger Moore. He won the role after a series of screen tests, but his casting also caused renewed interest in his flagging TV series Remington Steele. This led to NBC unexpectedly renewing the canceled show, which in turn led Broccoli to drop Brosnan; he didn’t want his 007 star to be fronting a TV show at the same time.

Losing Out On The Living Daylights Was Accidentally A Great Thing For Pierce Brosnan

When it comes to James Bond, good things come to those who wait

Brosnan has spoken more than once about the profound disappointment of being dropped from his dream role. Not only did Remington Steele’s renewal lose Brosnan The Living Daylights, the show was canceled again after its ratings dipped. Brosnan ended up largely resigned to B-movies in the years that followed (Live Wire, Death Train, etc) before his once-in-a-lifetime chance came around again. Brosnan would beat out contenders like Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson and even Sharon Stone for GoldenEye, and played the part for a further three entries.

In hindsight, it worked out for Brosnan that he didn’t play Bond in The Living Daylights. He was still a touch too boyish back in the late 1980s, as seen in movies like Taffin. By the time Brosnan finally played the MI6 agent, the maturity and confidence he had acquired made all the difference. There were serious questions as to whether the franchise was still viable, but Brosnan’s performance and GoldenEye can be credited with squashing those concerns.

Another unexpected benefit of losing the movie is that Brosnan avoided the legal snafu that derailed Timothy Dalton’s run as Bond. Following Dalton’s second 007 adventure, Licence to Kill in 1989, the property went dormant as a battle over the rights ensued. This led to Dalton stepping aside, as it was decided the series needed a fresh start – and a fresh James Bond star – after such a long absence. This fate likely would have befallen Brosnan too had he taken the reins during this period.

Despite An Uneven Run Of Bond Movies, Pierce Brosnan Is Still One Of The Best 007s

Not even Die Another Day could tarnish Brosnan’s reputation as 007

Pierce Brosnan can absolutely be credited with bringing a new generation of fans to James Bond. For many, he was their 007, and while Sean Connery or Daniel Craig tend to rank first on best of lists, Brosnan left a huge mark on the character. GoldenEye is typically regarded as his only truly great Bond outing, with Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and especially Die Another Day all receiving mixed to bad reviews.

It’s also true that Brosnan was a great Bond during an awkward phase for the series. His films could veer between deathly serious and goofy – sometimes within the same scene. Die Another Day, for example, opens on Bond’s capture and brutal torture in North Korea, and ends with the secret agent surfing on top of a tsunami. The star was given some flawed material to work with, but even in his weakest entries, Brosnan’s considerable charm and humor elevated them.

That’s why Brosnan is held in such high regard as Bond. It’s just a shame his run came to such an ignoble end with Die Another Day, with the star being replaced by Daniel Craig for series reboot Casino Royale. Amazon acquiring the creative rights to James Bond is offering some hope that Brosnan could reprise the part for an Old Man Bond legacy sequel – time will tell whether that’s wishful thinking or not.