Pierce Brosnan on Traveling As James Bond, Sipping Tequila, and Living in Hawaii

Pierce Brosnan is a legend, undeniably. The star of four James Bond films (1995 - 2002), he's also known for his unforgettable roles in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Mamma Mia!," among many, many others. Brosnan has solidified his legacy in the world as an actor, activist, and philanthropist, not to mention he was once named People's Sexiest Man Alive.

Now, the former Mr. Bond is taking on a new role: global spokesperson for Casa Don Ramón, a luxury tequila company from Mexico. Making a new presence in the U.S., Casa Don Ramón is launching a new limited-edition, collectible line of tequila that's "a bespoke, high-end 100% Jalisco Blue Agave tequila" in a gorgeous bottle embellished with Swarovski crystals.

To celebrate the launch of the Tequila Don Ramón Limited Edition collection, Travel + Leisure joined Brosnan by Zoom to chat about tequila, living in Hawaii during the pandemic, and the celebrated actor's favorite filming locations around the world.

Travel + Leisure: How is life in Hawaii, and what's your favorite thing about spending time there?

Pierce Brosnan: "Well, you can just walk out on the beach and sit there quietly, all day. You can walk into the mountains and sit there quietly, all day. As soon as you get off the plane you're embraced by the warm trade winds, scent of the gardens. My wife is a gardener and life is very simple."

Why did you decide to partner with Casa Don Ramón?

"We need a little tequila in life these days and there's no better tequila than Don Ramón. The product [is] just smooth and elegant and the whole marketing and the packaging of it seemed to go hand in hand with, you know, a life that I've created, an image I've created as an actor."

What's your favorite way to drink these new tequilas?

"It's a sophisticated taste, but I think you get big bang for your bucks with the bottle. It is one of those bottles that you would share with friends on a particular night or particular afternoon, just sipping away till sunset. You just keep it there and take it out every Friday night and give yourself a little tequila shot."

Speaking of this image you've created as an actor, how has playing Bond, with all of his suave and savvy, influenced your own life?

"Well, I wish I could be that person too. I'm just an actor, I'm just a conduit to that dream. I'm just the foil, really, to creating that world. I think that's the alchemy of acting. The movies have always been a great seduction. They've always allowed me to transport myself for two hours then maybe more into this heroic character."

Between Bond and your other films, where's the best place you've ever filmed?

"Seychelles was one of the good [ones]. Papua New Guinea was utterly captivating and wild. I love Paris. Paris I'd fly to in a heartbeat, any time. I love the city. I love French cooking. I love French people, the arts, the intimacy of it."

Is there a place that you hold near and dear to your heart?

"You can't beat the Irish countryside. The Irish countryside, the Scottish countryside — Scotland, England, and Wales. I mean any of those countrysides, they have their own articulation and similarity and yet their own kind of unique texture and spiritual meaning for me. I've traveled a lot. I never thought I was gonna travel."

How are you dealing with the pandemic, and what advice from slowing down in Hawaii would you share with the rest of us?

"Well, we're dealing with her own mortality and it's coming pretty hard and fast, and we've all been touched by it some to greater or lesser degrees. You're dealing with yourself, being good to yourself, and learning how to just be in the moment and let the fear, the anxiety, the doubt, the darkness — whatever grips you — fade away. Just let it pass away and get back into yourself."

This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity.