Thirdage Celebrity Spotlight

by Beth Peters

For your information, he's Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan. And the 47-year-old actor, currently starring as 007 in "The World Is Not Enough," would like to set the record straight.

"It's quite a kick in the pants playing James Bond," he says. "But I don't think I'm much like him at all. Can't remember the last time I blew up anything. ... "

But it's easy to see where fans might confuse things: Brosnan, with his perfect hair, chiseled chin, and baby blues, certainly has all the makings of the dashing and debonair British secret agent. Then there's that slow seductive grin -- you know, the one that can turn a woman's legs to Jell-O...

Denise Richards, the newest Bond Girl (playing nuclear scientist Dr. Jones), doesn't have to hunt for a word to describe him. "Charming," she says. "Perfectly charming." Rene Russo, his costar in "The Thomas Crown Affair," echoes the sentiment: "He just oozes charisma," she reveals. "He's such a gentleman -- he just can't help it."

Brosnan shrugs off the compliments. "I certainly don't see myself as a sex symbol," he admits. "If you pay any attention to that, it's like shooting yourself in the foot. There are other things in life that are more important."

Such as? "Such as being a grandpa [to his daughter Charlotte's one-year-old daughter] and a husband [he's engaged to TV journalist Keely Shaye Smith] and a father [they have a two-year-old son, Dylan Thomas]," he insists. "And I have several projects in the works--I enjoy making plans."

So is there life beyond Bond? "Most definitely," Brosnan replies. "And you can quote me on that."

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