“Nobody Does It Better” singer/songwriter Carly Simon has posted a throwback photo of her favorite 007, Pierce Brosnan — but the performers have much more in common than the adventures of the fictional British intelligence officer.
Simon, 74, and Brosnan, 66, both know the importance of relationships in the face of cancer.
Carly with yet another 007 pic.twitter.com/J2ATgN0wwc
Read MoreCarly Simon (@CarlySimonHQ) January 9, 2020Carly Simon’s Cancer Journey
Beloved for now-classic songs such as “Anticipation” and “You’re So Vain,” Simon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 at the age of 52. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy. But what struck her most was how her cancer diagnosis changed the way friends and colleagues treated her, she told Reuters.“I wasn't treated well. I think I was let go of certain jobs and affiliations. It was very confusing,” she recalled.
“When I went to the Grammys that year, I noticed how many people avoided me. It was the first time I was out in public since I'd been diagnosed,” she said.
But of course Simon has thrived. Her book “Touched by the Sun,” about her friendship with Jacqueline Onassis, came out last fall, and, with a new Bond movie, “No Time to Die,” headed for theaters on April 8, Simon is back in the news as people revisit their favorite Bond theme songs. On Monday, British GQ gushed that “Nobody Does It Better” — from “The Spy Who Loved Me” with Roger Moore — is “not just the best Bond theme of all time, but it is one of the greatest three-and-a-half minutes in pop history.”
Pierce Brosnan’s Experience with Cancer
Brosnan and his family have gone through several tragic cancer journeys. He lost both his first wife, Cassandra, and Casandra’s daughter, Charlotte, to ovarian cancer as well as his mother-in-law. (Brosnan adopted Charlotte after he and Cassandra married.)
Brosnan has spoken openly about how deeply he was affected by the loss of his first wife, and how traumatic watching her face the disease really was.
"I don't look at the cup as half full, believe me. The dark, melancholy Irish black dog sits beside me from time to time," Brosnan told Esquire when discussing the cancer in a 2017 interview.
However, as so many members of the SurvivorNet family have told us, family can make a world of difference when you are grieving and Brosnan, who remarried, is a devoted dad who loves spending time with his. He regularly updates his social media accounts to share photos of his children (and granddaughter!) with captions about how proud he is.
And earlier this month, two of Brosan’s sons, Dylan and Paris, filled the role of Golden Globe ambassadors — the first time the position went to men. Brosnan and his wife, Keely Shaye Smith, were shown proudly posing with them at the awards show.
Simon Sings to Brosnan
The first photos of Simon and Brosnan together were taken at the 2000 GQ Men of the Year Awards in New York City. While accepting for Most Stylish, Simon politely interrupted him on stage.
“My apologies to Sean and my apologies to Roger,” she said, “but I’ve gotta say how I feel.” She then sang several lines from “Nobody Does It Better,” to Brosnan’s delight.
Your Support System Matters
SurvivorNet has spoken with many community members about the importance of getting support from friends or family.
Actress and writer Jill Kargman spoke to SurvivorNet about how she handled a bout with melanoma, and then learning she had a risk of developing breast cancer and deciding to get a prophylactic mastectomy. Kargman said the support of her inner circle — including her ex-sister-in-law Drew Barrymore — made her experience with the disease bearable.
"The summer when I had my surgery she was really, really there for me," Jill said. "Even when she had to go to LA, she'd send flowers everyday, and text me, and check in on me. Those types of relationships … they just kept checking in on me. And it made me feel so taken care of."
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