Sean Connery Dead at 90

Posted by: Erin Ward in Notable Deaths | July 8, 2021

Sean Connery


Actor
August 25, 1930 — October 31, 2020

Sir Thomas Sean Connery, the world-renowned Scottish actor, has sadly passed away at the age of 90. Connery was an accomplished television and film actor best known for his portrayal of the character James Bond in several films. While seven actors have since portrayed the role in films, Connery was the first actor to star as the legendary British spy.

Connery was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1930. Born to a working-class family, Connery worked as a milkman delivering milk around Edinburgh during his youth. At the age of 16, he joined the Royal Navy where he served until he was medically discharged at 19. During his early adult years, Connery was an active bodybuilder and placed third in a Mr. Universe contest in 1953.

Eventually, Connery would enter the world of acting and never look back. His first taste of the stage came when he landed a small part as a chorus boy in the 1953 production of “South Pacific.” During the early years of his career, Connery landed several roles as an extra but struggled to break through as a star. Finally, in 1957, he got his first film role in “No Road Back.” Over the next few years, Connery began to get bigger roles in several film and television projects.

His breakthrough role finally came in 1962 when Connery starred in “Dr. No” as the British secret agent James Bond. Initially, Bond’s creator Sir Ian Fleming was hesitant to have Connery star as Bond due to the actor’s physical size. Fleming felt that Connery was too muscular and rough to portray the character. From 1962-1967, Connery portrayed Bond in five different films. After leaving the franchise to pursue other roles, he returned to star in two more Bond films. In 2003, Connery was selected as the third-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute.

As time went on, Connery eventually began to grow tired of the Bond role and looked to distance himself from it. After his first five films portraying Bond, he sought different roles and characters to play as he grew as an actor. In the post-Bond years, he would go on to star in several major films including “The Man Who Would Be King” opposite Michael Caine and “Robin and Marian” as Robin Hood opposite Audrey Hepburn. Other notable Connery films included “Murder on the Orient Express,” “A Bridge Too Far,” “The Untouchables,” and “The Hunt For Red October,” among many others.

Connery was married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was to Diane Cilento from 1962-1973 and they had one son together. After his divorce, Connery married his second wife Micheline Roquebrune and they remained married from 1975 until his passing. Although he lived around the world, Connery chose to spend the last chapter of his life living in the Bahamas from the ‘90s until his death.

1 Comment

J

Janice Seymour

December 26, 2020

Rest In Peace, Mr. Connery. Jehovah (Psalms 83:18) the true and living God of the heavens has promised a resurrection (John 5:28,29). There is hope.

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