Brosnan "gutted" over Bond exit

Actor Pierce Brosnan has confirmed that he will not play James Bond again.

15:01 06 November 2004

Actor Pierce Brosnan has confirmed that he will not play James Bond again, insisting that movie producers have gone back on an offer to let him return to play the famous spy in a fifth film.

Brosnan, who appeared in four Bond blockbusters between 1995-2002, told talk show host Jonathan Ross that he was "gutted" when filmmakers changed their minds.

"When they told me, I was angry and the conversation was pretty short and sweet," Mr Brosnan confessed during an interview on Ross' Friday night show on BBC One.

"If you get uptight it just does your head in so you've got to let it go," he added.

The star did concede that filmmakers had probably done him a favour in the long run, stressing that it was
good to "leave while you're on top."

Brosnan, who first played Bond in the 1995 film Golden Eye, recently said that he would like Irish hellraiser Colin Farrell to replace him as Bond.

However, the star of Minority Report, Phone Booth and forthcoming epic Alexander faces competition from Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, who has also been tipped as a possible replacement.

Brosnan joins the list of other celebrated actors that have played the suave spy over the years.

Sean Connery first played Bond in the 1960s and was followed by George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton before Brosnan took over the role.