The 007 adventures of the 1990s include some of James Bond’s most beloved outings of all time and the decade remains a cherished period of cinema for Bond fans around the world. During the 1990s, the role of 007 was played exclusively by Pierce Brosnan. This would be the first time in the history of the James Bond franchise that one actor had solely played the role of 007 for the duration of a single decade, a feat that would eventually be matched by Daniel Craig. As a result, many fans growing up in the 1990s have a strong affinity for the actor and the films in which he appeared, particularly his first outing in GoldenEye, which many critics and fans consider one of the finest Bond films of all time.
Fate intervened once more, with Pierce Brosnan’s involvement in the Remington Steele television series preventing him from doing so. By the time Timothy Dalton had made his exit in the early 1990s, Pierce Brosnan was free to make the role his own, debuting in explosive return of the franchise in 1995’s GoldenEye. The film was a resounding success, sparking reignited interest in the franchise as fans buzzed about the new 007. This momentum continued with the release of two more iconic adventures – Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997 and The World Is Not Enough in 1999. By the time the millennium had come to an end, James Bond was back in a big way, ending the decade as one of the most beloved and recognisable movie characters in the world.
In addition to the casting of Pierce Brosnan as 007, the Bond films of the 1990s also included an exceptional cast of supporting characters; from Sean Bean’s memorable outing as Alec Trevelyan, Jonathan Pryce as Elliot Carver and Robert Carlyle’s sinister portrayal of Renard to the legendary Judi Dench reinventing the role of M and Hong Kong cinema icon Michelle Yeoh’s turn as the formidable Wai Lin. Even veteran British actor John Cleese joined the series as Q’s right-hand man R in The World Is Not Enough, whilst Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane appeared as Russian mafioso Valentin Zukovsky in both GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough.
With the franchise’s momentum at the box office, the series was undoubtedly firing on all cylinders with Pierce Brosnan as its new centrepiece. Heading into the new millennium, he would once again play the lead for the milestone 20th film in the series for Die Another Day. Whilst the film would ultimately prove to be his last as 007, Pierce Brosnan’s legacy as James Bond is ironclad due in no small part to the iconic films of the 1990s that captured the hearts and minds of audiences around the globe.
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