Pierce Brosnan stars inThe Last Rifleman, inspired by the true story of Bernard Jordan, areal-life WWII veteranwho snuck out of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary D-Day memorial event in Normandy, France, back in 2014. Aged up with incredible makeup, Brosnan is nigh-unrecognizable as a 92 (and three-quarters) year-old Artie Crawford, a D-Day veteran who, like his real-life inspiration, escapes from his assisted living facility to attend the D-Day memorial in France.
Brosnan completely owns the role, and the film, giving dignity and quiet strength to the frail Artie Crawford, a man whose life, like so many others, was completely upended by World War II. Directed by Terry Loane,The Last Riflemaneffortlessly balances the comedic adventure of Artie’s journey with the pathos of the pain he’s carried within his soul for the last 70 years. The result is a film that surprises with its emotional breadth, entertaining audiences while respecting its subject matter. Likewise, Pierce Brosnan delivers a career-defining performance; no small feat for someone whofamously played James Bond, one of the most iconic characters in the history of fiction.
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Screen Rant interviewed Pierce Brosnan about his role inThe Last Rifleman, and his larger career. He talks about transforming into Artie, sharing the screen with the late, great John Amos, and thejoy of making movies in Belfast, Ireland. Finally, he shouts out some of his favorite movies from across his storied career and praises the value of a strong work ethic.
Pierce Brosnan Hopes To Honor WWII Veterans With The Last Rifleman
“It’s a prayer for the dying. It’s a prayer for the souls lost; the young men who gave their lives in the battles and the brutality of senseless war.”
Screen Rant: Hello, sir!It’d be an honor to talk to you any day, but I don’t even know where to begin with this movie. It’s incredible. I spent three years taking care of a sweet little old lady named Mary Horner, who was 91 when she passed away last year. InThe Last Rifleman, the way you move, the way you talk, and everything in your performance was the closest that I’ve ever come since then to seeing her again.
Pierce Brosnan: Well, that’s very kind of you, Zak. Thank you very much. And probably, I’m closer to that age now than I’ve ever been. So sometimes, you know, no acting required! But nevertheless, there was, I hope, some transformation with Artie, and that was the challenge and that was the joy of playing this role.
Terry Loane is someone who I’ve known for a good number of years now, and he’s such a fine artist and writer. He made a movie a while back called Mickeybo and Me, and my wife, Keely, and I fell in love with that movie. And lo and behold, he was working on this film, The Last Rifleman, which for me had a deep poignancy. Somehow, I could believe in myself playing it. There was a documentary that became my bible on how to play this part, the role of Artie. The documentary was calledWe Fought on D-Day, and you may find it on YouTube. And it’s about veterans from the regiment in the North. And so that was my home, that was my background template for the character. And the rest is, you know, what’s on the page before you.
It’s a road movie, it’s an ensemble, and I got to play with such wonderful actors, day in and day out. It’s a prayer for the dying. It’s a prayer for the souls lost; the young men who gave their lives in the battles and the brutality of senseless war. Like all wars are, really. Hopefully, when it comes out here next week, it will resonate with an audience. And it’s a heartfelt love story to a man, Bernard Jordan, who Artie is based on. He did go out; did leave. He wanted to go to Normandy, and he went on the road to try and reach Normandy to pay homage to his fallen youthful comrades.
Pierce Brosnan Recalls Working With The Late John Amos In The Last Rifleman
“We greeted each other like brothers of the acting fraternity.”
Yes, it’s a fantastic story. I want to ask you specifically about the late John Amos, who was an incredible talent. Could you talk a little bit about working with him in particular?
Pierce Brosnan: Yes, he has gone, but his talent lives on. It lives on in this movie, in a larger body of work that will be cherished forever and a day. We had the most wonderful few days together in each other’s company. He was there with his son. And I had, actually, my mother with me and my son. And those few days that we had, they have become such a deep, fond memory. John and I had never met before, and we greeted each other like brothers of the acting fraternity. We greeted each other with the bonhomie of men who’ve been actors all their lives.
And you have a job at hand on the day, and you come with your work, and you come with your fluttering heartbeat of excitement and nerves to show yourself in the company of strangers. And John came with all of that brilliance that he had as a performer, as an actor, as a voice, as a man, as a soul. And we played out these two men who we had empathy for, sympathy for, and love for. It was a delight, if all too fleeting.
Pierce Brosnan Reflects His Greater Career & The Beauty Of Ireland
“It’s great to have something like James Bond under my belt… and to have regenerated a character that is much loved.”
I love talking to big stars who are in these movies that aren’t necessarily James Bond-sized blockbusters, but I obviously love those movies too. Is there anything that you’re particularly proud of from your career that didn’t get the attention it deserved?
Pierce Brosnan: Oh, I’m very proud of the work that I did with my late dear friend and producing partner Beau Marie St. Claire. Beau Marie and I formed a company called Irish Dreamtime and made several movies together. Evelyn is a movie we made, Bruce Beresford directed. Bruce Beresford and I had made a movie called Mister Johnson. That is a very elegant film, and beautifully made by Bruce. We made it in Nigeria with an outstanding performance from an actor called Maynard Eziashi. Mister Johnson is something that is close to my heart. Years later, I came to Bruce and we made Evelyn. Evelyn is an Irish film.
You’ve really done some incredible work over the years.
Pierce Brosnan: You want to be able to look back at a career and say, “I’ve got a handful of films here that are meaningful, and have a poignancy, and have a life force, and cinematic alchemy and beauty and meaningfulness.” So I love doing these kinds of films. I love them enormously. I started in theatre. I started in experimental theatre. I love the company of actors. It’s great to have something like James Bond under my belt and to have been that man and to have regenerated a character that is much loved. But it’s nice to work on smaller pieces.
And I think, if you have a career, you have to be able to move around the stage with alacrity and try to be an unexpected surprise as an artist. So, you know, you can’t just sit around waiting for the big blockbuster, or waiting for that Nobel Prize winning author. You know, you just have to work! Sometimes you have choices and sometimes you don’t have choices. And, you know, if you have the wherewithal in your career economically to sit back and ride the tiller, then great. Otherwise, you have to go to work and it’s all about doing. It’s all about showing up. And once you commit, you give of yourself, day in and day out, to the work at hand.
Exceptionally well said. I’m gonna follow your profundity with a silly question. You mentioned your mom being on set. Did she get a kick out of seeing you in the makeup?
Pierce Brosnan: It’s so funny you should ask that question. It was just tonight I was on my phone and I came across photographs of my mother and I, with me as Artie. My mother, bless her, is 92 now and is charging ahead still. But yeah, we had a good time! I was with my son, Dylan Thomas. He was my right hand man, and I had my mother there. And so that was a joy to go back, or to go to Ireland and to go to Belfast. And I’ve made two films now in Belfast, The Last Rifleman and another one called Four Letters of Love. It was invigorating and brilliant to be able to go to the North and to be embraced and to be in an artistic community of young people, and young filmmakers, and a whole new take and vibrancy of, you know, the meaning of life and the passion of life; the past is the past, and we’re here now, creating new beginnings.
Well, thank you so much for your time. The movie is truly exceptional. It’s an honor to talk to you. When I was six years old, my cousins took me to seeTomorrow Never Dies. I’d never heard of James Bond before, but I left the movie a different person than when I came in.
Pierce Brosnan: Thank you. I know the feeling. Sean Connery, Goldfinger. A boy of 11 was I. So there you go! Who would have believed or even dreamed it, but there you have it! Dream on.
More About The Last Rifleman (2023)
Inspired by a true story, Pierce Brosnan plays Artie Crawford, a World War II veteran living in a care home in Northern Ireland who has just lost his wife. On the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, he decides to escape his care home and embarks on a journey to France to pay his final respects.
The Last Rifleman
Cast
The Last Rifleman is directed by Terry Loane and follows a WWII veteran who escapes his care home in Northern Ireland. He embarks on a journey to France for the 75th anniversary of D-Day, confronting memories of his past along the way.
