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Pierce Brosnan is unrecognizable as a World War II vet for new film

"The Last Rifleman" is inspired by a true story of a veteran who slipped out of his nursing home to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day in France.
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan makes a stunning transformation for his role in "The Last Rifleman."Francois G. Durand / Getty Images

Pierce Brosnan is disappearing into his upcoming role.

The “Misfits” star, 69, was spotted in costume on the set of “The Last Rifleman,” wearing heavy aging makeup that made him almost unrecognizable.

Pierce Brosnan in ‘The Last Rifleman.’
Brosnan, left, plays a World War II veteran in "The Last Rifleman."Splash.com

In the film, Brosnan will play Artie Crawford, a World War II veteran who travels from his nursing home in Northern Ireland to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.

Crawford makes the emotional journey “to pay his final respects to his best friend and find the courage to face the ghosts of his past,” according to an official description of the film.

Pierce Brosnan in ‘The Last Rifleman.’
A closer look at Brosnan as he works on "The Last Rifleman."Splash.com

To portray Crawford, Brosnan appeared to be sporting extensive facial prosthetics, as well as a silvery wig. He wore a dark suit and carried a wooden cane as he walked alongside another person in a military uniform.

“The Last Rifleman” is inspired by the true story of Bernard Jordan, a British World War II veteran who slipped out of his nursing home in England in 2014, wearing his war medals pinned to a jacket under his raincoat.

He traveled by bus and ferry to France to attend commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

After his safe return to England, Jordan said he had made the surprise trip to France to honor his comrades who had been lost in battle.

“My thoughts were with my mates who had been killed,” he said in a statement, according to the BBC. “”I was going across to pay my respects. I was a bit off course but I got there.”

Jordan died at 90 in 2015. 

Brosnan's involvement in “The Last Rifleman” was announced in 2020.

“With the recent anniversary of the end of WW2, I feel the timing is perfect to tell this story, while an ever-diminishing handful of veterans are still with us to share their lives,” director Terry Loane said in a statement on the film’s website.