Pierce Brosnan shuts down James Bond Christmas question, jokes about Hawaii holiday plans

Pierce Brosnan shut down a question about whether James Bond would enjoy Christmas during an interview with The Times published Friday. The 72-year-old Irish actor told the reporter, "Of course he would enjoy Christmas!" but refused to answer a follow-up about whether Bond would prefer avoiding the holidays. "I don’t really want to answer the question, and I’m not going to answer the question," he said. "Because I couldn’t give a f—k! Why would I waste my time thinking about where James Bond would be at Christmas?"

After that moment, Brosnan pivoted to his own holiday plans, saying, "I know where Pierce Brosnan’s going to be spending Christmas! At home with my wife, in my little island retreat in Hawaii!" He later apologized for the dig at Bond while acknowledging the media moment. "I’m sorry for not being able to help you with James Bond. It’s something that’ll go on until the day is done." He also referenced past Bond stars, recalling that Sean Connery was the same about fans and questions: "Don’t ever ask! Don’t ever ask!" He added that he is hopeful about the franchise’s future and noted his affection for all prior actors who have played Bond, including Roger Moore and Daniel Craig, and he said he would be excited to see who takes the role again.

During Brosnan’s seven-year tenure as Bond, he appeared in four films: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). He was the fifth actor to lead the franchise after Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton. The Times interview also touched on his reluctance to rewatch the films with his children; Brosnan said he has not revisited the movies with his sons, explaining that he simply does not watch the films.

Earlier in August, Brosnan indicated he would consider returning as 007 in the franchise’s next film to be directed by Denis Villeneuve, telling the Radio Times, "If Villeneuve had something up his sleeve, I would look at it in a heartbeat. Why not? It’s great entertainment. It could be lots of laughs. Bald caps, prosthetics… who knows?" He stressed that there are "many great candidates" and that the Bond assignment would likely be a spectacle of anticipation and opportunity for a new group of actors.

Brosnan, who remains active in films and stage work, has previously spoken about the franchise with warmth and humor, noting the ongoing drumbeat of speculation over who will don the tuxedo next. He has said he enjoyed the experience of playing Bond and has plenty of respect for his predecessors and successors alike, even as he keeps his own plans private.