Pierce Brosnan Defends Wild Accent in “MobLand” After Backlash: “I Just Gave It Full Tilt”
Pierce Brosnan has spoken out in defense of his Irish accent in “MobLand”, the new gangster series directed by Guy Ritchie for Paramount+. The 72-year-old actor, best known for playing James Bond, stars alongside Dame Helen Mirren in the show, portraying crime boss and family patriarch Conrad Harrigan.
Pierce Brosnan Receives Backlash For “MobLand” Accent
The portrayal has drawn attention due to the strong and distinctive accent Brosnan adopts for the character—one that some viewers found surprising, particularly given the actor’s Irish heritage. Born in Drogheda, County Louth, Brosnan explained that his real-life voice differs significantly from the one he uses in the series.
“My own accent is very soft. Conrad’s accent is a million miles away from me,” Brosnan said in an interview with Radio Times. He noted that he worked with a dialect coach to develop the accent, which was based on a real person from Kerry in Ireland’s southwest.
“I told him that I needed a Kerry accent,” he explained. “So he gave me the name of a man and I Googled the guy and that was it. It was a Kerry accent. And so, I just gave it full tilt.”
Brosnan also reflected on the challenges that come with each new acting role, describing the emotional intensity that accompanies his work. “Every job is a challenge and it all comes with a thump of anxiety, because you have to do something. What are you doing on the stage? Why are you there? So that’s constant. You live with that,” he said. “You live with that stress all the time, and that’s what’s so exhilarating. That’s what makes you alive.”
Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren’s Work Together
“MobLand” brings Brosnan and Mirren back together more than four decades after they co-starred in “The Long Good Friday” (1979). The series also features Tom Hardy and marks another major project for Brosnan, who famously played James Bond in four films between 1995 and 2002.
He and Mirren are set to share the screen again later this year in a film adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel “The Thursday Murder Club”.
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