Pierce Brosnan Says Hand Injury Nearly Ruined His First Day as James Bond in GoldenEye

Pierce Brosnan’s first day as James Bond in 1995’s GoldenEye got off to a difficult start thanks to the actor’s uncooperative pinkie finger.

On the Wednesday, April 2, episode of The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert asked the MobLand star what advice he would give the next actor tapped to play 007.

“What’s the first day like? Your first day shooting as James Bond?” Colbert asked.

“All first days are terrifying,” Brosnan, 71, said. “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 explained that prior to his first day on the GoldenEye set, he’d spent 12 weeks in a hand splint after slicing a tendon in a home accident.

“I got it off the first morning of shooting James Bond, and I could hardly move my hand,” he recalled. “And the very first shot is the camera following Robbie Coltrane, and he comes behind a curtain, and I point the gun to his head, and he says, ‘Only three men in the world own that weapon, and I've killed two of them.’ ”

Brosnan explained that in the middle of the scene, his pinkie finger on the hand holding the gun sprang out. “My finger went, 'Toot!' — like this,” he said, demonstrating.

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The actor said that on the second take, his finger did the same thing.

“So, I got a Band-Aid and I stuck it to the gun,” he said. “And that was it. Problem solved. Got through the day's work.”

It’s safe to assume that Brosnan’s finger eventually started cooperating: The actor went on to reprise the role of James Bond in three more films, 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies, 1999’s The World Is Not Enough and 2002’s Die Another Day, before turning the role over to Daniel Craig for 2006’s Casino Royale.

During a Wednesday, April 2, interview on Today, Brosnan was asked if he'd ever slip back into Bond's tux as the franchise searches for its next leading man.

He admitted he believes he "could get away with" coming back, adding, "in a pinch."

"Let’s see where the wind takes us. Let’s see what happens. They know where to find me," he added. "Why not."