Halle Berry revealed how Pierce Brosnan saved her life during a steamy 'Bond' scene: "I ended up..."
Halle Berry is the perfect epitome of beauty and grace, who grabbed major headlines with her stellar act on 'Die Another Day.' While being a Bond girl comes with its own pressure, Berry once revealed that she almost choked herself while filming a sexy scene in the movie. However, channeling his inner Bond, Pierce Brosnan stepped in and rescued Berry from the misfortune.
During her interview with Jimmy Fallon for 'The Tonight Show,' Berry shared an anecdote while filming a scene for 'Die Another Day.' The actress recalled how she was supposed to look sexy and seduce Brosnan's character, but she fumbled and ended up in a life-threatening situation. Recalling the incident, the Academy Award winner said, "I was supposed to be all sexy, trying to seduce him with a fig, and then I ended up choking on it, and he had to get up and do the Heimlich." The actress further added, "That was so not sexy." Berry further added, "James Bond knows how to Heimlich! He was there for me; he will always be one of my favorite people in the whole world."
The spy thriller 'Die Another Day' was the twentieth film in the 'James Bond' franchise and was released back in 2002, in which Berry played the character of an NSA agent, Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson. Directed by Lee Tamahori, the movie was Brosnan's last film as the MI6 agent. Showering love on her 'Die Another Day' co-star, Berry, in an interview with Wired, made it clear that Brosnan is her favorite agent, as per Deadline. Talking about it, Berry said, "He will always be my Bond, always. I'm a Pierce Brosnan fan. She further added. “He restored my faith in men in that movie. There couldn't be a human who is more of a gentleman than Pierce Brosnan."
Reportedly, while 'Die Another Day' had divided fans and critics, it was a box office success, grossing $431 million globally, as per Collider. The movie successfully held the record as the highest-grossing Bond film until 'Casino Royale' in 2006. MGM planned to capitalize on its success with a spin-off centered on Berry’s character Jinx and had also enlisted Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to craft a Euro-centric adventure. Director Stephen Frears, known for dramas and comedies, was set to helm what would have been his first large-scale action film.
With an $80 million budget and a planned 2004 release, the film was expected to feature 'Die Another Day's Michael Madsen and potentially Javier Bardem in a lead role. Despite its promising development, Entertainment Weekly reported that producer Barbara Broccoli ultimately canceled the film due to "creative differences." The Independent elaborated on the situation, citing Berry's own disappointment. She reflected, "It was very disappointing. It was ahead of its time. Nobody was ready to sink that kind of money into a Black female action star. They just weren’t sure of its value. That's where we were then."