Sean Connery
Who was Sean Connery?
Scottish actor (1930–2020)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Sean Connery (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor known as one of the most influential screen performers of the twentieth century. Born in the working-class area of Fountainbridge in Edinburgh, he rose from modest beginnings to gain international fame, becoming best known as the first actor to play the fictional British secret agent James Bond in films starting in 1962. He starred in seven Bond films, beginning with Dr. No, and followed by From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and finally Never Say Never Again (1983), which was made outside the main Eon Productions series. His portrayal of Bond set a lasting standard for the character that influenced the role for years.
Outside of the Bond films, Connery had a varied career, working across different genres and teaming up with some of the most well-known directors in cinema. He collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock on the psychological thriller Marnie (1964), appeared in Sidney Lumet's The Hill (1965) and The Offence (1973), and acted in John Huston's The Man Who Would Be King (1975) with Michael Caine. He also appeared in Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Robin and Marian (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Time Bandits (1981), Highlander (1986), and The Name of the Rose (1986), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1988.
Connery's career reached both critical and commercial success in the late 1980s. His role as Jimmy Malone in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (1987) earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him the first Scottish actor to win a major Oscar, along with the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Other notable roles included a Soviet submarine commander in The Hunt for Red October (1990), a supporting role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and appearances in The Rock (1996) and Finding Forrester (2000). His last film roles were in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) and the animated feature Sir Billi (2012).
Connery was married twice. His first marriage was to Australian actress Diane Cilento, and his second, which lasted until his death, was to French-Moroccan artist and golfer Micheline Roquebrune. He died on 31 October 2020 in Lyford Cay, Bahamas, at the age of ninety. Besides his film achievements, he received the BAFTA Fellowship in 1998, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999, and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2000 New Year Honours for his contributions to drama. France also honored him by making him a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.
Before Fame
Sean Connery was born into a working-class family in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland. He went to Tollcross Primary School but left school at thirteen to help support his family, taking on various jobs like delivering milk. He joined the Royal Navy but was discharged due to medical reasons before completing his service. After returning to Edinburgh, he worked as a laborer, lorry driver, and coffin polisher, among other jobs, while also pursuing bodybuilding, which led him to represent Scotland in the 1950 Mr. Universe competition.
His interest in acting grew from his involvement in the Edinburgh amateur theater scene and a small part in a touring production of South Pacific in 1951. Through persistent effort and small roles on British TV and films during the mid-to-late 1950s, Connery gradually built a reputation that got him noticed by producers. This combination of stage, television, and minor film work led him to be considered when the producers of the James Bond film adaptation began searching for an actor to play 007 in 1962.
Key Achievements
- First actor to portray James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983
- Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Untouchables (1987), the first Scottish actor to win a major Oscar
- Received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for The Name of the Rose (1986)
- Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to drama
- Won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1998 as a producer of the stage production Art
Did You Know?
- 01.Before his acting career, Connery worked as a milk deliverer in Edinburgh and later competed in the 1950 Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition, where he placed third in his category.
- 02.Connery was the first Scottish actor to win a major Academy Award, taking the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for The Untouchables in 1988.
- 03.Despite being strongly associated with James Bond, Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, reportedly because he did not understand the script.
- 04.Connery's natural Edinburgh accent was never fully suppressed, even when playing characters of other nationalities, including a Russian submarine captain in The Hunt for Red October.
- 05.As a producer of the stage play Art, Connery won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1998, demonstrating his involvement in theatre as well as film.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Henrietta Award | 1971 | — |
| London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year | 1987 | — |
| National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor | 1987 | — |
| German Film Award for Best Actor | 1987 | — |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor | 1987 | — |
| Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres | 1987 | — |
| Knight of the Legion of Honour | 1987 | — |
| BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role | 1988 | — |
| Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | 1988 | — |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | 1988 | — |
| Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award | 1995 | — |
| MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo | 1997 | — |
| BAFTA Fellowship | 1998 | — |
| Kennedy Center Honors | 1999 | — |
| Jameson People's Choice Award for Best Actor | 1999 | — |
| Knight Bachelor | 2000 | — |
| Grand Officer of Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero | 2003 | — |
| European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award | 2005 | — |
| AFI Life Achievement Award | 2006 | — |
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire | — | — |
| honorary doctor of the University of St Andrews | — | — |
| Ordre des Arts et des Lettres | — | — |
| Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero | — | — |
| Golden Globe Awards | 1972 | — |
| Golden Lion | 1998 | — |
| Saturn Awards | 1995 | — |