Pierce Brosnan: ‘I don’t feel 72 – my latest role is sexy and sensual’

As one of the stars of The Thursday Murder Club, Pierce Brosnan has explained why his retiree role is still as sexy as any of his other characters.

The Bond actor, 72, is promoting his new Netflix film from a junket in a Claridge’s hotel room, with his on-screen son, Tom Ellis, 47, at his side.

The duo play Ron (Brosnan) and Jason Rithie (Ellis), a father and son who are tied at the hip. Jason’s boxing career is long past, with his life having a second act on television competitions for the celebs – think Dancing on Ice. Ron was once Red Ron, the former union activist whose life has quietened down significantly in his old age.

The characters both battle with being past their prime, with Brosnan and Ellis both sharing that the roles have taught them to appreciate the present.

‘Pierce and I both share similar philosophies, that we live very much in the present, and I think that’s – well, for me – it’s super important, because there’s many things in the past that I maybe would change, but you can’t, so you have to let it go,’ says Ellis.

‘I don’t really think about the future that much. I mean, I think sometimes you do. I don’t think about, I’m 72 now, and I don’t feel 72,’ says Brosnan.

‘You don’t look it,’ Ellis adds.

‘Thank you very much,’ says Brosnan humbly with a wisp of a smile.

‘Reverse those numbers,’ Ellis replies, cheekily implying 27 would be an age better suited to the undeniably good-looking actor.

‘That’s it, that’s where the brain is at still,’ says Brosnan.

He adds that his character, and the other main foursome, are still sexy and have a zest for life, which hasn’t been diminished with age.

‘Really, I just love being an actor. I enjoy life, and these characters are people, the Quartet, men and women who had really incredible lives, and they are still in tune with who they are and moving forward with who they are and the zest for life.

‘They’re sassy, they’re sexy, they’re cool. They have a sensuality to them, and you have to play that.’

Both actors have cockney accents in this film, with Brosnan admitting that his voice was inspired by a certain actor.

‘I tip my hat to Ray Winstone. There you go. Ray. I love Ray Winstone,’ says the Mamma Mia actor.

‘When Chris Columbus offered me the role, [I thought] “interesting, okay,” I didn’t ask any questions, because I wanted the job. And I loved the book when I read it, and he said, “grow a beard,”and I grew a beard, and I kind of listened to Ray Winstone. And then, I’ve got lots of friends – I grew up in South London, so it’s there.’

He explains that as a child, he adopted an English accent and pulled back his Irish accent to stop the taunting from bullies.

‘I’m Irish, but when I came over to London in 1964, being a little Irish fella with a thick Irish accent, aged 11, I had to fit in, Putney comprehensive. You’d better fit in so you develop an accent.’

Ellis, best known for his portrayal as the devil in Lucifer (or for Miranda fans as the heartthrob Gary Preston), admits that he was also copying a fellow actor.

‘And I listened to what he [Pierce] was doing, and just copied that.

‘And also, Danny Mays, is a really old mate of mine, so I just tuned into Danny a little bit as well,’ he said, referencing another one of The Thursday Murder Club crew, who plays DCI Chris Hudson in the film.

Both actors were excited about the prospect of telling a story that focuses on the older generation, with Brosnan emphasising that it’s a story that shows the importance of generations coming together.

‘Life is moving really fast now, and we’re forgetting the dignity of life and the respect of each other, some, in some regards, the isolation that’s happened because of the pandemic and the politics of life, which is tearing us apart, one way or the other.

‘So something like this is a celebration of the older generation.

‘And it’s also about fathers and sons. It’s about mothers and daughters. And Richard [Osman] wrote this, the inspiration from putting his mother into a retirement home, and his observations of those people who have really lots of stories. And that was the celebration of it,’ he said of the author who wrote the book the film was adapted from.

Brosnan added that the set was also filled with supporting actors who were in their later life, which was a gentle reminder to himself that so is he.

‘When you go to work every day on this film. You know, I’d look around and there’d be all these grey-haired people. I think, my God, they’re all so grey. If you look at yourself, and I guess, and he’s 72 and she’s whatever.

‘So all the extras became lovely characters to us as well, and supported us.’

The film was brought to life by director Chris Columbus, who told Metro that the group of actors working on this project were total professionals who easily trumped the A-listers he’s worked with in the US/

‘I made some films in America and quite frankly, I’d never reached that level of being a director and being that sort of in awe of the actors, until I came back to do Thursday Murder Club.

He added: ‘In America, sometimes I’ve been at the trailer trying to get a star out, saying, “Can you please come to the set. We’ve only got an hour left. Can you stop working out or talking to your chef?” I didn’t have to deal with that in the UK.

Chris added that the film is such a delight because of the talent and enthusiasm of the cast: ‘What would be a trope with these actors who have all been working for over 40 years? You would think they’d be cynical or jaded. They’re just as enthusiastic as I assume they were when they were 20 years old. And I feed off of that energy and I think it comes across in the film as well.’

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