Pierce Brosnan has confirmed that his time as the world's most famous secret agent James Bond 007 is up.
Speaking to the press in the Bahamas about his new action-comedy, 'After the Sunset', the Irish actor said that he would not be returning for the 21st James Bond film.
Although he had been asked by producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson to reprise the role after 'Die Another Day' was completed, no contracts were signed and they changed their minds.
Brosnan told the Toronto Sun, "it was their prerogative to change their minds. They can do it! It was disappointing. It was surprising. And I accepted the knowledge after 24 hours of being in shock."
He said that he always knew that the end was coming. "If you have that thought ruminating in your head - knowing that things are going to change, knowing that you're going to get older, knowing it only lasts a certain amount of time playing a certain role - then you clearly prepare yourself for what's down the road, even though you don't know what's down the road. But you prepare yourself emotionally."
"So you know something's going to be finished, it's going to be over. And it comes with a great disappointment, but it also comes with a great satisfaction of having achieved the success with it that I had achieved."
Brosnan's replacement as James Bond has yet to be announced but the next film in the long-running franchise has been delayed from November 2005 to 2006.
