Sean Connery

The original James Bond and Oscar-winning Scottish actor.

Born on 25 August 1930 at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sir Thomas Sean Connery was a Scottish actor and film producer.^[1][2] Connery originated the role of James Bond on film, appearing as the character in seven movies released from 1962 through 1983.^[1] The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor went to Connery for his performance in The Untouchables (1987), which made him the first Scottish actor to win a major Oscar.^[3]

Last updated 2026-09-30 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Thomas Sean Connery
Born: 25 August 1930
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Died: 31 October 2020
Place of death: Lyford Cay, Bahamas
Occupation: Actor, film producer
Years active: 1954–2006 (2012)
Children: Jason Connery

Facts from the source article.

Life and work

Connery was brought up at No. 176 Fountainbridge in Edinburgh, the son of a cleaning woman and a factory worker.^[4][5] He joined the Royal Navy at age 16 and was discharged at 19 on medical grounds due to a duodenal ulcer.^[6][7] After the navy, he worked as a lorry driver, lifeguard, labourer, artist's model, and coffin polisher.^[8] Connery began bodybuilding at 18 and trained heavily from 1951.^[9]

Matt Busby offered Connery a contract with Manchester United, but he declined to pursue acting.^[10][11] Connery's breakthrough came as James Bond, a role he initially was reluctant to commit to.^[12] For his performance in The Untouchables, Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[13] He received the BAFTA Fellowship in 1998 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2000 New Year Honours.^[14][15]

Connery confirmed his retirement from acting in 2006.^[16] Connery's Bond films were Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Never Say Never Again (1983).^[1][17]

What the cited sources add

The same website notes that Connery was voted People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989.^[18]

References

Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Harmetz, "Sean Connery, Who Embodied James Bond and More, Dies at 90", The New York Times, 31 October 2020; Shapiro, "Sean Connery, first James Bond of film, dies at 90", The Washington Post, 31 October 2020; "Profile: Sean Connery", BBC News, 12 March 2006 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pendreigh, "Obituary: The Sean Connery I knew", The Scotsman, 1 November 2020; (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hepburn, "Scottish Oscar Nominees: Here are 16 Scots who have won or been nominated for an Academy Award – from Sean Connery to Peter Capaldi", The Scotsman, 8 March 2023 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sir Sean visits site of his childhood Edinburgh home", BBC News, 17 June 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Scottish Roots People – Sean Connery", scottishroots.com; "Family tree of Euphemia McBain", Geneanet; "Case Study 1 – Sean Connery – James Bond", familyrelatives.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Official Website of Sir Sean Connery – Biography", Seanconnery.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Catch up on all the Belly Buzz ... – Celebrity Veterans – Sean Connery, British Royal Navy 1946–1949", bellybuzz.squarespace.com; Yule 1992, p. 1 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Davidson, "Even as an unknown, Sean was still a draw", The Scotsman, 22 August 2003; Yule 1992, p. 1 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Yule 1992, p. 1; Wills, "Sean Connery – Biography", Tiscali; "1953 Mr. Universe – NABBA"; Yule 1992, p. 1 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bray, "Sean Connery: The measure of a man", Faber & Faber, 2010, p. 27 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Scottish Junior Football Association > Mud & Glory > Sean Connery", Mud & Glory, April 2005 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Why Sean Connery eventually "hated" playing James Bond", 13 December 2022; Stone, "James Bond: Why Sean Connery Left the 007 Franchise", Comic Book Resources, 30 November 2020; Journal, "The true story of how Sean Connery became James Bond", www.thegentlemansjournal.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Untouchables Review", rogerebert.com; "The 60th Academy Awards (1988) Nominees and Winners", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "100 BAFTA Moments – Sean Connery's Emotional Reaction to Receiving the BAFTA Fellowship", British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 23 January 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sir Sean's pride at knighthood", BBC News, 5 July 2000 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dalton, "Sean Connery, the original James Bond, dies aged 90", 31 October 2020; Hewitson, "Sexy? It's all in the hand-shake", The New Zealand Herald, 9 July 2005; "Connery bows out of Indiana film", BBC News, 8 June 2007; "Sean Connery immortalised with Estonian bust", Associated Press (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "Sean Connery" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains" AFI Retrieved 20 December 2013 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
"The Official Website of Sir Sean Connery – Biography", Seanconnery.com. facts only, no text reused. seanconnery.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sean Connery (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.