Pierce Brosnan is in an embarrassing situation, accused of trespassing in the Yellowstone thermal zone

CHEYENNE, Wyoming – Pierce Brosnan, whose fictional movie character James Bond has been in hot water many times, is now facing heat in real life, tasked with going out of bounds in a thermal zone during a recent visit to Yellowstone National Park.

Brosnan walked into a restricted area at Mammoth Terraces, in the northern part of Yellowstone near the Wyoming-Montana line, on Nov. 1, according to two federal citations issued Tuesday.

Brosnan, 70, is scheduled to make a mandatory court appearance on January 23 in a courtroom in the world's oldest national park. The Associated Press sent a request for comment to his Instagram account on Thursday, and emails to his agent and attorney.

Yellowstone officials declined to comment. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Wyoming said Brosnan was at the park for a personal visit and not to work on a movie.

Mammoth Terraces is a scenic area featuring mineral-filled hot springs flowing from a hillside. They're just some of the park's hundreds of thermal features, which range from hot springs to bubbling mud pots, where the water is at or near boiling point.

Going off-limits in such areas can be dangerous: some of the millions of people who visit Yellowstone each year are severely burned by ignoring warnings not to veer off trail.

Getting caught can pose legal risks too, as jail time, hefty fines and bans are regularly imposed on trespassers.

In addition to the four James Bond films, Brosnan starred in the TV series “Remington Steele” in the 1980s, and is best known for his starring roles in the “Mrs. Bond” films. “Doubt Fire” and “The Thomas Crown Affair”.