It has come to my attention that the casting of the new Thursday Murder Club adaptation, due on Netflix later this year, has caused some controversy. “Controversy” is a grandiose word, but anyway…in an illustrious cast that includes Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, and Naomi Ackie, some fans do not like that Pierce Brosnan has been cast to play Ron Ritchie, the brash, rash, divorced, retired ex-union organizer with neck tattoos and a penchant for vengeance.
Now, I get it. I get the frustration. On the surface, the suave, gentlemanly Brosnan hardly seems like a “Ron.” Would Ray Winstone have been a great Ron? Yes. Mark Addy? Yes! Even (and these two are slightly out-of-the-box) Robert Carlyle or Brendan Gleeson.
But we we have Pierce Brosnan in the lead. Some people are not happy.
Now, this is not a big deal. By a long shot. But the series’ author Richard Osman has weighed in. In an interview with Empire, he said that “Pierce Brosnan” is how Ron sees himself. He remarked, “Here’s the key thing about Pierce Brosnan playing Ron: Pierce Brosnan is who Ron would choose to play Ron. In the next book, I’ve got a scene with Ron and Ibrahim discussing who the best Bond is, and Ron is very much a Pierce Brosnan man. And Ibrahim is Timothy Dalton. For me, that’s the joy.”
That’s very charming, but I have another defense for why Pierce Brosnan should play Ron… besides, of course, the defense that Pierce Brosnan is an actor and the point of being an actor is to be able to play characters who are different than oneself, and the challenge of being an actor is to be able to embody those who seem the most different from oneself.
But here’s my defense: let Pierce Brosnan do whatever he wants. He deserves it.
I will say that I do think Pierce was under-served by the Bond movies he was in, offering a take on the character that was too subtly emotional, more elegant, and generally much smarter than the surrounding material. So, I’m not saying that Brosnan matches up perfectly with every movie.
Here’s the thing about The Thursday Murder Club… it’s a very gentle story. Yes, there’s murder, but it’s ultimately a novel (and a series) about love and friendship and how one of the most fulfilling things in life is hanging out with friends. Ron might be rough around the edges, but he’s arguably the most loving character in the whole film. He’s a big softie. If anyone can convey love and tenderheartedness, it’s Pierce.
But also, I think we’re just at the point where we can let Pierce Brosnan do whatever he wants. He’s a treasure. Makeup can stick a bunch of neck tattoos on him. He can growl. Look at this production photo, for crying out loud. He’s got an open bathrobe over a hairy chest, exposing a large gold necklace. Is that channeling Ray Winstone or what?
So, yeah, let him do it. He’s an actor. He’s adorable. This series is adorable. I rest my case.
