Sean Connery

Lore & Background

Connery originated the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962) and continued starring as Bond in the Eon Productions films From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). His final appearance in the role was with Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon-produced Bond film. He is also known for his work with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Lumet and John Huston. Their films in which Connery appeared included Marnie (1964), The Hill (1965), The Offence (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975). He also acted in Robin and Marian (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Time Bandits (1981), Highlander, The Name of the Rose (both 1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart, The Rock (both 1996) and Finding Forrester (2000). His final film roles were The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) and Sir Billi (2012).

In Their Own Story

The corridor is cold and smells of gunpowder. Somewhere above, the hum of the GoldenEye satellite's ground station thrums through the concrete like a second heartbeat. Bond doesn't run. He walks, one hand resting on the grip of his Walther PPK, the other adjusting the cuff of his jacket. A crackle of static, then that voice—low, unhurried, carrying the particular Irish-Scottish cadence that has been synonymous with the name for thirty-five years—comes through the comms: "Right then. Let's see what they've got in the back room." No music swells. No orchestral sting. Just the sound of a man who has walked into worse situations over a glass of whisky, and the soft click of a safety being released.

Reader's Guide

Connery received numerous accolades. For his role in The Untouchables (1987), he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (making him the first Scottish actor to win a major Oscar) and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. In the same year, Connery received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in The Name of the Rose. As producer of Art, he won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1998. Connery also received honorary awards such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1987, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1998 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. He was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and a knight by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama in the 2000 New Year Honours.

Did You Know?

• Connery was the first Scottish actor to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, for The Untouchables (1987), though he was not the first Scottish-born actor to win a major Oscar—Donald Crisp won Best Supporting Actor in
• He served in the Royal Navy from age 16 but was discharged at 19 due to a duodenal ulcer.
• Connery was a keen footballer and was offered a contract by Manchester United manager Matt Busby.
• He was named after his paternal grandfather and preferred to use his middle name Sean.