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You are > Home > Sligo stars want to fill Brosnan’s shoes
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Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Sligo stars want to fill Brosnan’s shoes
Two Sligo actors are in the running to become the new James Bond following Pierce Brosnan’s announcement he will not play the British spy again.
Brosnan announced on the Jonathan Ross show on Friday, November 5, that he has been told he will not play Bond in the 21st film to feature the MI6 secret agent.
And so the spotlight has fallen on his potential replacements, which includes Sligo-based actor Chris Feeney and Sligo-born actor and producer Roger Barton Smith.
Roger has made no bones about the fact that he wants to be the next actor with a licence to kill.
He earned himself some welcome media exposure earlier this year when speculation first started that Brosnan would step down as Bond, but in the eyes of those in the know, he is still an outside shot for the role.
However, the profile of 36 year-old Chris Feeney is far more prominent, with William Hill bookmakers giving odds of 6/1 on him being the next 007.
The Spiddal-born actor and former US Army paratrooper studied drama at the Dayton School of Dance in Ohio following his retirement from the forces in the mid 90s.
It was while stationed in America that Chris’ passion for acting first came to prominence. He starred in theatre and made some brief television appearances in the US.
When he returned to Ireland he continued his acting career appearing on a number of Irish TV series, including Fair City, Ros Na Run and most recently Bachelor’s Walk.
Feeney had been on a short-list of actors in line for the Bond role following meetings between his agent and Barbara Broccoli, daughter of Cubby Broccoli, the founder of Eon Productions who produce the James Bond franchise.
If the Connemara actor gets the role he will be well able to live up to the high-intensity all-action James Bond image.
The father of five was trained as a paratrooper by the American army, performing almost 40 parachute jumps during his military career. And his military training means he can drive anything from a motorbike to a tank.
He is also a proficient sniper and is qualified to use most modern weaponry and explosives. Away from the army qualifications he is also a horse-rider and downhill skiier.
Chris also has a B.A. in Drama from the Dayton School of Drama.
Current favourites to take over the mantle of James Bond are Scottish actor Dougray Scott and Welsh filmstar Ioan Gruffud, both of whom are 4/1. The only other Irish actor in the running according to William Hill is Colin Farrell at 5/1.
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