It was blond Bond Daniel Craig and not studio bosses that broke the news to Pierce Brosnan that he was being dropped from the James Bond franchise, the star of 'Casino Royale' has said.
The revelation hit 53-year-old Brosnan in February at the BAFTA Awards in London, where 38-year-old Craig was seated behind the
Die Another Day star. “I didn't know how much he knew about all this. But I knew that if I wasn't up front with him, if I met him again, I wouldn't be able to look him in the eye,” Craig said.
He added that he thought Brosnan was in the know but the fact was that the former Bond was in the process of negotiating with the studio bosses. “I said, 'Look this is a possibility, what do you think?' I don't know if I gave him much choice, but he said, 'Go for it. It's a ride.' He didn't hit me,” Craig said. Though the revelation left Brosnan stunned, it left Craig with a clean conscience. “I don't know if anyone was underhand with Pierce but I know I wasn't,” he said.
Craig, the first ever blond actor to play Ian Fleming's British superspy, will be seen in
Casino Royale scheduled for release in November. On his part, Brosnan has been one of the most successful Bonds, credited with reviving the franchise with
Golden Eye,
Tomorrow Never Dies,
The World Is Not Enough, and
Die Another Day. Others in the coveted role, which began in 1962 with
Dr No, are Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton.
According to Craig, at first he was reluctant to take the role up as he didn't feel he fitted the bill. He told
Casino Royale producer Barbara Broccoli the film may become a 'poisoned chalice' if he wasn't accepted as Bond. But Broccoli finally managed to convince the
Lara Croft star otherwise. The casting was fraught with controversy. Many James Bond fans boycotted Craig and over the internet blasted the studio's decision. How good Craig's decision was will be revealed on November 17 when the flick hits the theaters.
