Pierce Brosnan and His Wife After Almost 30 Years of Marriage

When you’re talking about someone who’s as much of a household name as Pierce Brosnan, it’s no surprise his life has stayed rather public over the years. His relationship with Smith has been rather public as well, unsurprisingly.

However, it hasn’t made for the drama-fueled stories we’re often used to hearing about in Hollywood. Rather, these two seem to be truly in love even decades down the road, painting a rather wholesome picture of their life as a couple.

Pierce Brosnan is a man who nearly needs no introduction. The Irish actor has been in some of the biggest movies we’ve seen in recent history and branched out as a producer.

You can catch him in films like Mamma Mia! and Mrs. Doubtfire but his most memorable role is probably taking on the mantel of James Bond himself. Starring in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day, Brosnan was the fifth Bond.

Brosnan’s marriage to Smith isn’t his first marriage. The star married actress Cassandra Harris in 1980 and was with her until her passing in 1991. The actor has also been rather open about his grief and how it has affected him — both in his love life and other aspects of his personal life.

The star has shared his appreciation for life despite misfortune for one, saying, “I have been very lucky in my life. I was able to go through quite a lot of lives and still retain a certain identity and love of life.” When asked about losing Harris to ovarian cancer, Brosnan has said, “That kind of sorrow becomes an indelible part of your psyche.”

Later on, Brosnan would credit some of his path through grief to the support from Smith. He discussed Smith’s regard towards Harris in an interview.

He said, “The memory of Cassie and her fight against cancer is never forgotten. Keely has always been kind and compassionate and encouraged me to mourn Cassie.” He added of the importance of his wife’s support, “I suppose Keely is my North Star, always looking out for me.”

Of course, dating again after the loss of a partner isn’t easy. It seems like Brosnan and Smith did a lot to support one another, though.

Discussing meeting Smith well after their relationship started, the James Bond actor said about their meeting, “I had a great marriage, which sadly had its own ending, and I was lucky enough to find love again. We were meant to find each other. I thank God for her every day.”

We’ve talked a lot about Pierce Brosnan at this point but who is Keely Shaye Smith? You actually might recognize her from a few different places. The star has worked as an actress, TV host, journalist, and author.

You can see her work on a season of General Hospital or the more educational The Home Show from ABC. True crime fans might recognize her for her work on Unsolved Mysteries for two years as a correspondent.

When these two famous faces finally met, it was a chance meeting. Smith was actually at the same party as Brosnan in the hopes of interviewing Ted Danson. The bad news was that the interview fell through.

On the other hand, it seems like the 1994 beach party in Cabos San Lucas had more potential than a single project. It was here Brosnan and Smith met for the first time.

When it comes to meeting a long-term partner for the first time, people might ask what you thought the moment you met each other. Did you know then?

For these two, it seems like they definitely saw something special in each other right away. Brosnan once told People, “Wherever I went in the world I missed her, and I’d send her tickets to come so we could be together. We just seemed to fit.”

He isn’t the only one who shared his first thoughts on their meeting, though. Smith also spoke to People about her initial reaction.

“He was captivating,” Smith gushed, “Tall, dark, and handsome — everything that everybody would immediately be attracted to. He had this mischievous sparkle in his eye. I thought, ‘Wow! Wow!'” We have to say, as far as first thoughts about someone go, this is pretty high praise for her future husband.

Even famous couples we’ve swooned over for decades had to start somewhere — so, of course, Smith and Brosnan had a first date. From what Smith says, it was a romantic affair.

She once described their first date, saying that the pair “sat down under the stars and he held my hand. There were fireworks going off over our heads, and Kenny Loggins was singing. We talked until three in the morning.” It seems like it was meant to be!

In Hollywood, we’re used to seeing a lot of couples rush to the altar. For some, it really works while for others it fizzles out as quickly as it started. This couple decided to forego this trend, though.

Rather, Smith and Brosnan dated for seven years before they decided to tie the knot. Still, fans managed to stay rather up-to-date on their relationship thanks to public appearances and interviews.

One thing that we saw from the couple before they tied the knot was quite a bit of philanthropy. That’s something that continued into their marriage as well.

While they were dating, the couple worked with both the Natural Resources Defence Council and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. In 2007, they donated to help replace a Kauai playground. The couple has also been involved in supporting the Roots and Shoots program by Jane Goodall.

Many fans know that Brosnan is a father as well as a husband. Before he met Smith, he had one son with Harris and adopted two of her children in 1986.

Before Brosnan and Smith tied the knot, they expanded their family further too. In January 1997, about three years after they first met, the two announced they’d welcomed a son into the world — Dylan. As he’s gotten older, Dylan has stepped into the public eye like his parents as an actor, model, and singer.

Before becoming a father to Dylan with Smith, Brosnan did become a father during his previous marriage to Cassandra Harris. Brosnan and Harris had their son, Sean — and Harris had two children, Charlotte and Chris, from a previous marriage.

When their father passed, Brosnan adopted both Charlotte and Chris, becoming their father as well. So, he was no stranger to parenting when he welcomed his kids with Smith.

The two didn’t stop there when it came to growing their family either. In 2001, the couple would welcome another son into the world.

This time, the two announced the birth of their younger son, Paris. Much like his older brother, Paris has made a name for himself as a model and his Instagram is full of his work. As for his parents, they haven’t shied away from posting about their love for their son either.

When it was time for the wedding bells to chime, the couple did face a few delays. In all, their wedding was postponed three times.

The first time, Smith and their then-four-year-old son were stuck in their home during a flood. Then, the second date was moved when Brosnan’s son Sean was in a car accident and sustained injuries. The final postponement was rather happy, though, when Smith found out she was pregnant with Paris.

Still, in the end, nothing was going to stop this couple from getting married. Three postponed dates later, the two had their big day.

The pair held the ceremony in Brosnan’s native Ireland, at Ballintubber Abbey to be specific. The 2001 ceremony was beautiful and largely kept a bit private prior to the couple announcing their new union. Once everyone heard, they were quick to gush over the details.

After all of those postponed dates, the couple’s final wedding date landed on August 4th, 2001. The anniversary has proved incredibly important to both of them. This date wouldn’t be forgotten later either.

As we’ll see, the two are happy to post about their anniversary every year and make it clear that they’re still as smitten with one another as the day they tied the knot and their life together before that.

Of course, Brosnan had all of his children there and his daughter, Charlotte, even served as one of the bridesmaids.

Charlotte once spoke to People about the occasion. She even shared her own personal feelings on Brosnan’s remarriage, telling them, “Just seeing the ultimate love that these two people have for each other was unbelievable. My dad found it again, and that makes me happy.” It seems like the whole family was smitten with Smith!

Even years down the line from their meeting, Brosnan hasn’t been afraid to share exactly how he feels about his wife with the world.

One thing the star noted after they were married was how strong his wife was and how much he loved it. Once asked about his marriage to Smith, he responded, “She has this strength that I wouldn’t be able to live without. When Keely looks at me, I go weak.

Over the years, the couple hasn’t shied away from public appearances either. So, the paparazzi keeps their eyes peeled for the happy couple on the red carpet.

In 2004, the two made a joint appearance at the Academy Awards, donned in a Bond-worthy suit and a red and gold gown. The couple would appear again that same year in a matching black suit and gown for the 2004 Oscars as well.

The two stars have also stepped out in Malibu before. It makes sense, given that they did take up residence there for quite some time. Still, fans and photographers alike were excited to see them step out for an event in Malibu in 2007.

The two actually appeared for a press conference titled “Terminate the Terminal” to stop a terminal installation off the coast of Malibu, California. Like many other causes, the two stepped out to make their stance known.

Another public appearance from the couple came in 2010. This was when the pair appeared at the 25th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards in LA, held in March of 2010.

The actor didn’t take home any awards that night but people still took note of his presence. While not the star of the show, photographers rushed to snag a picture of the couple as they approached the red carpet.

In 2012, Brosnan went for a romantic comedy role and starred as Philip in Love Is All You Need. All in all, the movie was a success! The married pair headed out together for premieres and screenings too, of course.

This is a snapshot a photographer snagged while the two were attending a screening of the movie shortly after its release. As usual, the two were caught arm-in-arm with big smiles.

Like many stars, the Brosnans keep fans updated on social media a lot. This includes a lot of content through Instagram, especially as birthdays and anniversaries roll around.

Given that the couple started dating in the ’90s, they were already long-together by the time Instagram became popular. Both of these stars joined in 2013 only a month apart and their Instagram has since seen an array of posts celebrating their relationship.

In January 2018, Closer had the chance to sit down with Pierce Brosnan and the star talked about his love life a bit.

He told them, “You have to trust and follow your heart and try to meet the best people in life.” The star also added, “I’ve been a married man most of my life — that’s the way I like it. I’m one of those guys who believes you need a strong woman in your life.”

Of course, the actor wasn’t the only one to comment on their relationship either. Around the same time, Smith added her own opinions about her husband.

In a touching quote, she said that “Pierce is intelligent, captivating, and his real beauty emanates from the soul. And […] he’s aging beautifully.” It seems like this is one Hollywood duo that truly love each other and enjoy one another’s company.

Smith added more to her comments about her husband as well. Each one really paints the picture that these two are deeply in love.

In one Instagram post, she told her husband, “Thank you for joining me on this wild, joyous ride into parenthood, for your love, support, and encouragement. Your heart is so big, so generous, so tender and compassionate. You inspire me every day and you continue to make me laugh. God bless you! My heart is filled with gratitude.”

The two have discussed building their private life as well as their careers. Brosnan discussed this with Parade, highly praising his wife.

“We have a beautiful garden. We have a wee cottage out there on the North Shore, and it sits on five acres, which Keely has groomed. She’s a get-your-hands-dirty girl. She tells me what to do.” He also described their Malibu home, which sustained extensive fire damage in 2015.

Aside from his role as James Bond, one of Brosnan’s more famous roles is the one he took on for Mamma Mia! and its sequel.

So, when Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again released in 2018, of course, Brosnan took to the red carpet with his wife. The two easily stole the show both for Brosnan’s performance and the appearance of the beloved Hollywood couple. Not to mention, people were quick to compliment the dress Smith donned.

In 2018, the happy couple had the chance to celebrate 25 years of their relationship. The two were quick to make their declarations public.

On Brosnan’s Instagram, he wrote, “Thank you for the love, my love, of these past 25 years onward.” As for Keely, she added a simple “Happy Anniversary” to her husband and added, “Life is beautiful with you in it!” It’s the sort of sweet exchange fans have come to expect from this couple.

As we’ve mentioned, Brosnan isn’t the only one with big projects underway in Hollywood. In 2018, Smith also released a movie titled Poisoning Paradise.

Brosnan was quick to support his wife’s endeavors, too. When Smith celebrated the release of the environmental film, Brosnan was quick to jump online and offer a shout-out to both her and the film, saying, “Stepping out for another showing of Keely’s movie Poisoning Paradise. Still working and loving life after 25 years.”

Of course, the Brosnans rarely miss a chance to celebrate their love for one another publicly. So, it’s not much of a surprise Pierce jumped online to share his feelings.

In August of 2020, the two celebrated the 19th anniversary of their wedding. The actor posted a picture of the two with the caption, “Happy anniversary my love Keely…my brown-eyed girl, should I fall behind wait for me…as ever, my love.”

Just like the year before, the pair jumped online in August 2021 to celebrate their anniversary with public messages to one another.

Pierce jumped on Instagram once again to let his wife and the world know exactly how he felt about her. He wrote, “Happy anniversary, my dear Keely, my love is forever growing with you…” It was definitely a sign that the two were still head over heels for one another.

April of that same year, Brosnan made sure to add a few moments with his wife online even without the prompt of an anniversary or holiday. The star shared a throwback photo of himself and his wife spending time together on a boat.

The photo is captioned, “Like only yesterday, the years fly by my love, so many dreams with you, onwards my love.” It didn’t take long for the likes and positive comments to start rolling in.

In 2022, the couple got to celebrate another anniversary. As we’ve come to expect, the two were quick to share their marital joy with the world.

As per usual, the Mamma Mia! actor took to Instagram. He shared a wedding photo of the two before adding the caption, “Happy Anniversary my love Keely, we danced that night and still dance the dance today. I could do it all again.”

As you may have expected, Brosnan wasn’t the only one from the pair that made sure to post an anniversary note in 2021. She posted on the anniversary of them starting a relationship, not their wedding.

Smith posted, “Happy 27th my love! Celebrating the day we met (April 8th, 1994 as well as the we married August 4th, 2001). Love you and the life we share,” before adding a throwback photo of the two lounging in a hammock.

Another, more recent time the couple stepped out together was for a Valentine’s Date that involved dinner and a Van Gogh exhibit.

The paparazzi didn’t catch them at the immersive L.A. exhibit either – the two shared their Valentine’s Day plans on Instagram. Along with this photo of his wife, he added the caption, “A beautiful St. Valentine’s Day with my love @keelyshayebrosnan at the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit…kissing Van Gogh.”

There are times, even outside of anniversaries, that you might sit back and contemplate your life with your partner. Brosnan definitely did.

In April 2022, the actor jumped on Instagram to share a quick but touching thought about his wife. He wrote, “28 years ago this day, the 4th of the 8th we met in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico…and married in Ireland at Ashford Castle three years later on the 8th of the 4th…4884…my love always, you have made my life one of joy and happiness, light of my life, love.”

When you’re together as long as this couple has been, you might start to get a few questions. For instance, how do you make it work so well?

First of all, it’s clear these two are well-matched for one another. If you ask Brosnan, though, he points at one key concept as what keeps their relationship going. The star says the two spend a lot of quality time just enjoying each others’ company.

The pair isn’t shy to share what really helps them bond. It’s quite simple really — they talk about spending a lot of quality time together.

The Bond actor once shared a story about a road trip the two of them shared. While many people use a road trip to listen to their favorite songs or even catch a nap if you aren’t driving, Brosnan said, “We didn’t listen to any music, but we just listened to the sounds of each other’s voices and sorted out the world.”

We see a lot of stars while they’re working. We don’t really know what they’re like when the cameras aren’t rolling unless someone says something.

The answer was expectedly wholesome and touching. The actor told People back in 2017, “It was yesterday. I painted in my studio, then I went down and sat on the beach, read and did some drawing – and then I had lunch with Keely.” He continued saying that the two watched the sunset together and “It’s very simple – and the best.”

Even though this couple has been together for nearly three decades, it seems like their joint charm hasn’t faded as far as their fame is concerned.

With the couple being rather public and still going strong, plenty of people tune in every time they make an appearance or add a social media post. Each time, fans are quick to leave a like and comment about how wholesome the couple is.

While fans flock to these posts, not all of their fans are watching from outside of the sphere of fame. Even other celebs love this couple.

When the pair posted one photo, comedian Chelsea Handler was among one of the famous faces to show up in their comments section. The comedian left a comment on an anniversary post congratulating them by saying, “Congratulations, you two! Way to set an example!”