Sean Connery, Celebrated James Bond Pioneer, Dies at 90

Celebrated Scottish actor Sean Connery, who was best known for his role as the very first James Bond, has died at the age of 90. According to Deadline, he died peacefully in the Bahamas after a long illness.

Known for his irresistible charm and overall attractiveness, Connery starred in seven films of the James Bond franchise, from Dr. No to Never Say Never Again. The late actor was also knighted in 2000 and won an Oscar for his supporting role in Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables. He received two BAFTAs, one of which was an honorary Fellowship Award.

Connery was born in Edinburgh in 1930 and joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16 before being discharged three years later due to medical reasons. While he dabbled in a few different jobs as a young adult, the strapping actor became an artist’s model in his 20’s before bodybuilding led him to a third place win in a Mr. Universe contest in the early 1950s. He was also an above-average soccer player and manager Matt Busby even once offered for him to try out for Manchester United.

His journey into acting was largely influenced by Michael Caine, whom he met on the set of a small production of South Pacific. The actor would then embrace small theater roles and side gigs before hiring agent Richard Hatton in 1957, who helped gain him notoriety in the film industry by landing him his first lead role in the BBC’s Requiem For A Heavyweight.

Connery also appeared in MGM’s Action Of The Tiger and Another Time, Another Place opposite Lana Turner in his early days. He landed yet another lead role in Disney’s 1959 fantasy film Darby O’Gill And The Little People.

Connery’s career defining moment was when he was casted as James Bond in the early 1960s, despite author Ian Fleming‘s reservations that Sean was simply an “overgrown stuntman.” Fleming, however, quickly changed his opinion after Connery’s performance in Dr. No. Actually, he was so impressed by the actor that he wrote in his Scottish heritage into future Bond novels.

While the film received mixed reviews, it was the beginning of a global franchise, with Connery next starring in From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), and You Only Live Twice (1967), before George Lazenby took over for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). Connery then returned for two additional films: Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Never Say Never Again (1983), the latter of which was said to have been named to represent Connery’s retirement from the Bond franchise.

Connery also starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie and Sidney Lumet’s The Hill and John Huston’s The Man Who Would Be King with his friend Caine, before playing Robin Hood in Robin And Marian, starring opposite Audrey Hepburn.

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor

Where To Stream Never Say Never Again