See How Pierce Brosnan Honored Wife Keely While Filming ‘Black Adam’
A second chance at love. Pierce Brosnan endured ups and downs in his love life – which led him to marry Keely Shaye Smith that took more than 20 years.
The actor was previously married to Cassandra Harris from 1980 until her death in 1991. During his first marriage, Brosnan and Harris welcomed son Sean (born September 1983). The actor also adopted Harris’ daughter Charlotte and son Chris from a previous marriage after their father passed away.
After his wife passed away, Brosnan began candidly about coping with the loss. “If your partner gets cancer, life changes. Your timetable and reference to your regular routines and the way you view life changes all of this,” he explained in a 2008 interview, noting that his family “cherished every moment” they had with Harris. “Cassie had a very positive outlook on life. I mean, she had the most amazing energy and outlook on life. She could read people very well. Above all, she had the greatest sense of humor. She had a great smile, which her children inherited.”
The Golden Globe nominee found love again after meeting Smith during a trip to Mexico in 1994. After dating for nearly seven years, the couple exchanged vows in 2001. They also expanded their family with sons Paris and Dylan.
During the 2008 interview, Brosnan thought about finding happiness in his life amid great sadness. “I have been very lucky in my life. I’ve been through a lot of lives and still have a certain identity and love for life,” he said at the time. “I also have a new realization, as a man and as an actor: ‘This is where you belong.’ It’s a great feeling knowing that you don’t have to prove yourself or be on your toes to be seen or heard. Just to feel comfortable in who you are.”
For the Mrs. Doubtfire star, meeting his second wife was something that had to happen.
“I had a wonderful marriage that unfortunately had its own end, and I was lucky enough to find love again. We were supposed to find each other. I thank God for her every day,” he said Closer in January 2018. “When Keely looks at me, I get weak. I love her vitality, her passion. She has this strength that I couldn’t live without.”
The journalist, for her part, also gushed about the family she formed with Brosnan. “@piercebrosnanofficial thank you for joining me on this wild, joyous ride to 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 keep making me laugh. God bless you! My heart is filled with gratitude,” Smith wrote in a sweet tribute to Father’s Day via Instagram in June 2021.
Scroll down to relive the romance of Brosnan and Smith: