In the film world there is a term know as typecasting, and it refers to an actor who keeps choosing/being cast in roles that are similar, monotonous, or just plain copies of each other, and the actor then finds it difficult landing other roles because the audience has trouble seeing them out of their element. Pierce Brosnan was one such actor who unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how one looks at it, experienced such an episode in his acting career.
Pierce became famous for taking on the role of a spy/thief, no matter what film he did. As soon as his face came up on screen, the audience either went, "hey that's James Bond," or "hey that's Remington Steele," immediately bringing a halt to the audience's suspension of disbelief and interest in the film being watched, a big minus for producers and casting directors when looking for potential actors to fit certain roles.
Then came The Matador, and Pierce was able to step outside of his comfort zone by essentially making fun of himself, or rather the characters he tended to play.
For those not familiar with the goofball buddy comedy, The Matador tells the story of a burnt out hitman, sorry "facilitator of fatalities"(Brosnan), and a down on his luck business man(Greg Kinnear), who bump into each other in a Mexican bar and strike up an unlikely friendship.
Pierce gives the performance of a lifetime playing a sleazy, crude, and distasteful screw up you can't stand but who's honesty and unwavering loyalty you love. Pierce pokes fun at himself, doing things you would never imagine James Bond would ever have done, throughout the film, and helped pave the way for many roles, both dramatic and comedic, to come for the actor who has now begun to truly harness his talent.
If you are a diehard Pierce Brosnan fan, or you just can't stand him because all his roles are essentially the same, then the Matador will entirely change your impression of the actor.
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