This young boy grew up to be a world-famous action movie star. This comes despite the hardships he experienced growing up, as his parents barely raised him, and his father was not even a part of his life. The boy was born in May 1953 in the rural village of Drogheda, Co Louth, to parents May and Thomas. His mother worked as a nurse, and his father was a carpenter.
When the boy was four years old, his mother left for work in London in pursuit of a better life, so he was mainly raised by his maternal grandparents. The youngster spent the first 12 years of his life in Navan, which he considers his hometown. He lived with his maternal family, including his aunt, uncle, and grandparents, and then in a boarding house, where he revealed, “I had a metal bed with a curtain around it…. That was my room.”
In 1964, he joined his mom and her new spouse in East Lothian, and they soon moved to London. The move became challenging for the boy, who experienced a culture shock and once explained, “There were no siblings. I was an only child from a fractured family. My father took off for the hills very early.”
The boy unfortunately did not meet his father until he was 31 years old. He was filming a movie in his native country, and his dad showed up one day. The father-and-son duo had tea together and later drank Guinness. Tom later left on a bus, and his son revealed, “I never saw him again. He died.”
As for acting, it happened unexpectedly for the boy because it took a while for him to figure out what to do with his life while in school. He trained for over three years at the London Drama Centre. The boy once divulged that his beloved mother, Mary, was overly “supportive” of his career choice. She always told him to follow his dreams, and he strongly desired to make films.
The boy who endured a difficult childhood is Pierce Brosnan, who, despite his past, became a renowned star in show business. He was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2001 thanks to his leading man status. The actor is best known for his starring roles in James Bond films, which he appeared in from 1995 to 2002.
Apart from his successful acting career, Brosnan is also a family man who has been married twice and became a dad of five children. His first wife was Australian actress Cassandra Harris, whom he wed in 1980.
The couple shared three kids together: his stepdaughter Charlotte and their sons Sean and Christopher. Sadly, Harris passed away in 1991 from ovarian cancer, and her daughter died several years later in 2013 from the same disease.
Pierce Brosnan with his late wife Cassandra Harris and their children Charlotte Harris and Christopher in Los Angeles in 1985 | Source: Getty Images,
The death of his first wife brought many challenges in the actor’s life. He still remembered the day Harris died very vividly. The actor was right by his wife’s side when she took her last breath. He remembered calling Charlotte and telling her “Mommy is dying.”
Pierce Brosnan with his son Sean Brosnan at the premiere of “No Escape” in Los Angeles in 2015 | Source: Getty Images
Charlotte was really strong and responded, “‘It’s OK, Daddy.” Just as Brosnan ended the call with his daughter, Christopher walked in and while they were all together, Harris passed. The father then had to break the news to his son, Sean. He recalled, “The tears came to his eyes, but they never fell. He just said, ‘It’s for the best, Daddy. She’s not in pain anymore.’ And that was it.”
Pierce Brosnan with his children Christopher and Charlotte at the “Love Affair” Premiere in Hollywood in 1994 | Source: Getty Images
Brosnan also had to watch Christopher and Charlotte battle drug addiction. Charlotte was able to see the other side of it and continued to lead a clean life with her family until she passed. However, Christopher’s battle prolonged, so far that the actor decided to cut him off. “I can only have strong faith and believe he will recover. He has tested everybody in this family but none more so than himself. He knows how to get out. He doesn’t want to,” expressed Brosnan.
Pierce Brosnan with his children Christopher and Charlotte Harris at the Golden Globes in 1992 in California | Source: Getty Images
After doing everything he could to help his son, the actor admitted, “I had to say, “Go. Get busy living, or get busy dying.” Regardless of how difficult it might be to not hold his son’s hand through this disease, he still knew where he lived and kept him in his prayers.
Pierce Brosnan and son Christopher at the American Cinema Awards in Los Angeles in 1994 | Source: Getty Images
In 2019, Christopher was seen out and about in London. He was taking a stroll with a friend while having a smoke. This was a rare appearance from the filmmaker as he had not been seen for 15 years since his father cut him off.
Brosnan found love again when he met environmental journalist Keely Shaye Smith in 1994. The couple married in 2001 and welcomed two sons, Paris and Dylan.
Pierce Brosnan and Sean Brosnan at the premiere of “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” 1992 | Source: Getty Images
Brosnan paid a heartfelt tribute to his children in a June 2022 Instagram post. The producer shared a picture posing with three of his four sons and captioned it, “My love forever to you, dear sons, Paris, Dylan, Sean, and Christopher. Thank you deeply for your love on this Father’s Day.”
Brosnan, who previously posted a throwback photo from his childhood and captioned it, “Irish boy,” spoke candidly about parenting sons in an April 2017 interview. The father of five described the journey as a “very arduous road,” adding that his parental instincts are solely his own because, growing up, he had no one to look up to and pick up such things from.
After many years in Hollywood, Brosnan is striving for a more quiet life. The actor has been spending a lot of time with his wife and children at their Hawaii home. Smith and Brosnan have been loving life on the island. The actor said his wife has become a pro gardener while Brosnan enjoys painting.
Outside Pierce Brosnan and Keely’s Hawaii home | Source: Instagram.com/keelyshayebrosnan
Life around palm trees has been great with the actor describing it as a “simple life.” It is no surprise that the couple enjoys life in Hawaii, their home is nestled in a forest with beautiful views, overlooking greenery and the ocean. The house is also decorated with wood, making it feel like the perfect holiday home. The warm wood tones are balanced out with the actor’s colorful paintings.
The “Mama Mia” star has also been spotted enjoying the quiet island life. He was seen sitting under a gazebo with headphones on while reading a variety of books. He had on an outfit that matched his relaxing day, rocking an all-white linen outfit with black shoes and yellow sunglasses.
Brosnan has put his Malibu house on the market but later removed it. He admitted to still having a deep connection to Maibu but his heart was very much in Hawaii. The actor reiterated, “It has my heart. [But these days], home is very much here in the islands.”
