6. Robinson Crusoe – Robinson Crusoe (1997)

Pierce Brosnan’s Robinson Crusoe, in the movie of the same name that was based off of a book of the same name written by Daniel Dafoe, was an exemplary performance to watch despite the clear liberal interpretations and many deviations from the source material. Brosnan’s performance perfectly encapsulated the thoughts and actions of a castaway stranded on an island and provides a show that even moviegoers who have and haven’t read the original book will enjoy. However, the biggest flaw with Brosnan’s acting in this film is also the inaccuracies it has between the novel and the movie. Fans of the novel will find the portrayal of the character of Robinson Crusoe inaccurate and faulty when compared to the original novel, while fans that do not mind the many alterations will find Brosnan’s performance and the movie overall to be quite enjoyable, meaning that Brosnan’s role as Robinson Crusoe is not ranked nearly as highly up on this list.

5. Tom Ryan – Shattered (2007)

This time playing the part of a ruthless, cold psychopath to serve as the antagonist in Shattered (2007), originally titled Butterfly on a Wheel, Pierce Brosnan gives his all in the performance as the kidnapper Tom Ryan, perfectly capturing the mannerisms of an insane villain. The audience will likely be captivated by the two protagonists, Gerard Butler and Maria Bello as Neil and Addy Randall, respectively, as they attempt to reclaim their daily life from Brosnan’s Tom Ryan. Acting as a psychopath, Brosnan expertly delivers a bone-chilling performance and provides the audience with a gripping villain unseen from many modern movies. One of the biggest reasons why Brosnan’s role in this film isn’t any higher up on this list is mainly because of his voice in the role. The eerie calm helps bring about a lot of tension throughout the film, but it does detract slightly from the overall ambiance the movie tries hard to create.

4. Gideon – Seraphim Falls (2006)

Playing the role of a Union soldier both hunting and being hunted by a Confederate officer, Pierce Brosnan brings the era of the Civil War to a more recent light, with an exemplary performance that embodies the revenge story that Seraphim Falls wishes to tell. Not only is Pierce Brosnan’s performance as Gideon rather impressive for a film of its time, he manages to provide some of the most dramatic and stunning lines of dialogue, and, when combined with the character of Gideon, makes for an interesting, conflicted character. Throughout the film, Brosnan portrays Gideon’s guilt and desperation exceptionally well as Gideon attempts to survive as he’s hunted by a Confederate officer seeking vengeance. While this performance is one of the most impressively done characters played by Brosnan, it only falls slightly short of the others by being a rather one-note performance, falling under the next entry on this list.

3. Desmond Doyle – Evelyn (2002)

Desmond Doyle as portrayed by Pierce Brosnan might lead a viewer to constantly think of his multiple performances as James Bond and expect Doyle to say “The name’s Bond. James Bond,” but don’t be fooled by the somewhat similar voice of Desmond Doyle. Brosnan acts brilliantly as Doyle, capturing the essence of a divorced father who longs to get his children back from an unjust system. The pinnacle of this performance is the sheer amount of emotion Brosnan expresses in the role of Desmond Doyle, being able to wonderfully depict the joys and woes of a father in such a situation. The film will move the audience to tears and laughter alike in the span of 1 hour and 34 minutes. While Pierce Brosnan’s performance here is phenomenal, it is not his most iconic, which unfortunately places this at number three.

2. Thomas Crown – The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

In this ‘90s remake of a ‘60s movie of the same name, Pierce Brosnan elevates the original to new levels with his considerably exemplary performance as Thomas Crown, making the film worth watching for any fan of the original The Thomas Crown Affair in 1968. Brosnan’s rendition of Thomas Crown improves upon the 1968 film, increasing the intrigue and tension in the thrilling cat and mouse game that revolves around Crown’s treachery. Brosnan’s acting is sure to keep the audience on their toes at all times, with a charismatic performance, playing the part of being a sophisticated character quite similar to James Bond. In this remake, Pierce Brosnan can be seen through his performance to be nearly at the top of his acting game, being topped only by one other role, that being arguably the one he was most well known and critically acclaimed for.

1. James Bond – GoldenEye (1995)

At the top of this list is Pierce Brosnan’s first ever iconic performance as James Bond in GoldenEye (1995). His performance as the famous British spy is arguably one of the most remembered and accurate there has ever been. From the sheer amount of charisma he pulls off in his dialogue and actions constantly throughout the film to doing an impressively dashing display of Bond’s skills as M16’s top spy in the plentiful action sequences, Brosnan can truly be said to have perfectly encapsulated the spirit of being the secret agent codenamed 007, making this performance take the top of this list. It is not just one of the best roles Pierce Brosnan has taken, but is also arguably the most recognizable film in which he took on the role of James Bond. With acting of such high caliber, it is no wonder why the film is widely enjoyed, being regarded as the best Bond film Brosnan ever took part in.