See 9 Immigrants Who Became Famous In The United States

9. Pierce Brosnan, Ireland

The actor, film producer and environmentalist was born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, where Brosnan lived primarily with his grandparents until he was 12. Then he left Ireland and relocated to London to reunite with his mother and her new husband. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan dreamed of being a painter, but ended up joining the circus for three years before training as an actor at the Drama Centre London. Brosnan has described the feeling of becoming an actor and the impact it had on his life, “When I found acting, or when acting found me, it was a liberation. It was a stepping stone into another life, away from a life that I had, and acting was something I was good at, something which was appreciated. That was a great satisfaction in my life.” In 1982, Brosnan moved to Southern California and rose to popularity playing the title role in the NBC romantic detective series Remington Steele. Today, Brosnan is best known for his role as James Bond, which he played from 1995-2002, appearing in four Bond films. Brosnan also starred in hit movies like The Matador, Mamma Mia! and The Ghost Writer. He became a citizen of the United States in 2004.