Pierce Brosnan’s First Day as Bond Was Nearly a Disaster—Thanks to His Pinkie Finger

Pierce Brosnan’s first day on set as James Bond was far from smooth sailing, thanks to an uncooperative pinkie finger that nearly derailed his debut as the iconic 007 in GoldenEye (1995). Reflecting on the challenging experience during a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the 71-year-old actor shared the amusing yet tense story of his first day on the job as the legendary spy.

When Colbert asked Brosnan what the first day of filming as James Bond was like, the actor didn’t hold back. “All first days are terrifying,” he admitted. “The first day for me was Robbie Coltrane — he was the bad guy — Minnie Driver was singing ‘Stand by Your Man’ with a Russian accent, and I’d actually just had hand surgery.”

Brosnan went on to explain that, just prior to the start of filming GoldenEye, he had spent 12 weeks wearing a hand splint after suffering a tendon injury in a home accident. Despite this setback, Brosnan pushed forward, removing the splint on the morning of his first day of shooting. However, his hand still wasn’t fully recovered, and as a result, he could hardly move his hand when it came time to film.

The scene that set the stage for his Bond debut was one of the most memorable in the film. Brosnan was to point a gun at Robbie Coltrane’s character, with Coltrane delivering a chilling line: “Only three men in the world own that weapon, and I’ve killed two of them.” But as Brosnan held the gun during the scene, his injured pinkie finger suddenly sprang out of place, causing him some discomfort.

“My finger went, ‘Toot!’—like this,” Brosnan recalled, playfully demonstrating the finger’s unexpected movement. To make matters worse, the same thing happened on the second take. But the seasoned actor quickly found a solution to his problem, saying, “So, I got a Band-Aid and I stuck it to the gun. And that was it. Problem solved. Got through the day’s work.”

Despite the physical challenge of that first day, it’s clear that Brosnan’s determination to make it through the scene—and his ability to improvise—paid off. He went on to star in four James Bond films, including GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002), before handing the 007 mantle over to Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006).

During another recent interview on Today, Brosnan was asked if he would ever slip back into Bond’s tuxedo as the franchise continues its search for the next actor to play 007. While he didn’t offer any concrete answers, Brosnan teased that he might be open to returning, saying with a wink, “I believe I could get away with it… in a pinch.” He added, “Let’s see where the wind takes us. Let’s see what happens. They know where to find me. Why not?”

With his quick wit, charm, and a few Band-Aids, Brosnan not only survived his first day as Bond but went on to leave a lasting impact on the character, solidifying his place in the legacy of one of the most iconic roles in cinematic history.