Pierce Brosnan leaves Knaresborough shop owner with 'biggest smile'

Actor Pierce Brosnan with shop owner Jane Mansi in Knaresborough

A major Hollywood star has left the owner of an ice cream parlour with "the biggest smile" after a surprise visit on Friday.

Jane Mansi said she instantly recognised James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan when he walked into the Castle Creamery in Knaresborough.

The shop owner, 50, said she "tried to play it cool" and served him a scoop of vanilla and banana ice cream.

Mrs Mansi, a James Bond fan, said Brosnan's visit had "made my day".

"I've had the biggest smile on my face for the last 24 hours," she told the BBC.

"It's absolutely made my day, he is just an amazing movie star and being in my shop completely normal and charming was just the best thing ever."

It is understood the actor is currently in Leeds to work on biopic film Giant, which centres around the life of Sheffield boxer Naseem Hamed.

Mrs Mansi, who has been running Castle Creamery in the Market Place since November, said the actor later enjoyed his ice cream outside her shop without being recognised by passers-by.

"He went to a couple of other businesses and I think it was very low key," she said.

She said he had been "very discreet" with a cap and sunglasses on and people did not crowd round him.

Mrs Mansi said she never expected to meet the Irish-born star but hoped he would return in the future.

"As soon as I saw him I was like 'that's Pierce Brosnan' but I didn't want to say anything, I was trying to play it cool and act like I was serving any other normal customer," she said.

"I get quite a few of the Leeds United footballers coming but I think having Pierce Brosnan in has absolutely trumped the lot of them."

Brosnan, 70, joins a long line of Hollywood stars who have delighted Yorkshire residents with surprise visits.

Last year, Hugh Jackman was spotted on doorbell cameras near Silsden and Samuel L Jackson enjoyed a meal in Huddersfield while filming in Leeds and Halifax in 2022.

In 2021, filming took Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford to the North Yorkshire villages of Levisham and Grosmont for their Mission: Impossible and Indiana Jones films.