Jump to content

Sean Connery

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from S.connery)

Sir
Sean Connery
Connery in 1964
Born
Thomas Sean Connery

(1930-08-25)25 August 1930
Edinburgh, Scotland
Died31 October 2020(2020-10-31) (aged 90)
Lyford Cay, Bahamas
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
Years active
  • 1954–2007
  • 2012
WorksFull list
Spouses
(m. 1962; div. 1974)
Micheline Roquebrune
(m. 1975)
ChildrenJason Connery
RelativesNeil Connery (brother)
AwardsKnight Bachelor (2000)
Websiteseanconnery.com
Signature

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983.[1][2][3] Connery originated the role 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). Connery made his final appearance in the franchise in Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon-produced Bond film.

Connery is also known for his notable collaborations 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 (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996) and Finding Forrester (2000). His final on-screen role was as Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).

Connery received numerous accolades. For his role in The Untouchables (1987), he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the first Scottish actor to win the achievement,[4] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture, and in the same year he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his role in The Name of the Rose (1986). He also received honorary awards such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1987, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1998[5] and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Connery 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 2000.[6]

Early life and education

Sean Connery plaque near the site of his birth in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh
Connery's birth certificate

Thomas Sean Connery was born at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 25 August 1930; he was named after his paternal grandfather.[7][8] He was brought up at No. 176 Fountainbridge, a block which has since been demolished.[9] His mother, Euphemia McBain "Effie" McLean, was a cleaning woman. The daughter of Neil McLean and Helen Forbes Ross, she was named after her father's mother, Euphemia McBain, wife of John McLean and daughter of William McBain from Ceres in Fife.[10][11][12] Connery's father, Joseph Connery, was a factory worker and lorry driver.[13]

Two of his paternal great-grandparents emigrated to Scotland from Wexford, Ireland, in the mid-19th century,[14] with his great-grandfather James Connery being an Irish Traveller.[15] The remainder of his family was of Scottish descent, and his maternal great-grandparents were native Scottish Gaelic speakers from Fife and Uig on Skye.[16][17] His father was a Roman Catholic, and his mother was a Protestant. Connery had a younger brother Neil and was generally referred to in his youth as "Tommy".[18] Although he was small in primary school, he grew rapidly around the age of 12, reaching his full adult height of 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) at 18.[19] Connery was known during his teen years as "Big Tam", and he said that he lost his virginity to an adult woman in an ATS uniform at the age of 14.[20][21] He had an Irish childhood friend named Séamus;[15] when the two were together, those who knew them both called Connery by his middle name Sean, emphasising the alliteration of the two names.[15] Since then Connery preferred to use his middle name.[15]

Connery's first job was as a milkman in Edinburgh with St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society.[22] In 2009, Connery recalled a conversation in a taxi:

When I took a taxi during a recent Edinburgh Film Festival, the driver was amazed that I could put a name to every street we passed. "How come?" he asked. "As a boy I used to deliver milk round here", I said. "So what do you do now?" That was rather harder to answer.[16]

In 1946, at the age of 16, Connery joined the Royal Navy, during which time he acquired two tattoos. Connery's official website says "unlike many tattoos, his were not frivolous – his tattoos reflect two of his lifelong commitments: his family and Scotland. ... One tattoo is a tribute to his parents and reads 'Mum and Dad', and the other is self-explanatory, 'Scotland Forever'".[23] He trained in Portsmouth at the naval gunnery school and in an anti-aircraft crew. He was later assigned as an Able Seaman on HMS Formidable.[24] Connery was discharged from the navy at the age of 19 on medical grounds because of a duodenal ulcer, a condition that affected most of the males in previous generations of his family.[25]

Afterwards, he returned to the co-op and worked as a lorry driver, a lifeguard at Portobello swimming baths, a labourer, an artist's model for the Edinburgh College of Art, and after a suggestion by former Mr. Scotland Archie Brennan,[26][27] as a coffin polisher, among other jobs. The modelling earned him 15 shillings an hour.[27] Artist Richard Demarco, at the time a student who painted several early pictures of Connery, described him as "very straight, slightly shy, too, too beautiful for words, a virtual Adonis".[28]

Connery began bodybuilding at the age of 18, and from 1951 trained heavily with Ellington, a former gym instructor in the British Army.[29] While his official website states he was third in the 1950 Mr. Universe contest, most sources place him in the 1953 competition, either third in the Junior class[30] or failing to place in the Tall Man classification.[31] Connery said he was soon deterred from bodybuilding when he found that Americans frequently beat him in competitions because of sheer muscle size and, unlike Connery, refused to participate in athletic activity which could make them lose muscle mass.[32]

Connery was a keen footballer, having played for Bonnyrigg Rose in his younger days.[33] He was offered a trial with East Fife. While on tour with South Pacific, Connery played in a football match against a local team that Matt Busby, manager of Manchester United, happened to be scouting.[34] According to reports, Busby was impressed with his physical prowess and offered Connery a contract worth £25 a week (equivalent to £882 in 2023) immediately after the game. Connery said he was tempted to accept, but he recalls, "I realised that a top-class footballer could be over the hill by the age of 30, and I was already 23. I decided to become an actor and it turned out to be one of my more intelligent moves".[35]

Career

1951–1959: Career beginnings

Seeking to supplement his income, Connery helped out backstage at the King's Theatre in late 1951.[30] During a bodybuilding competition held in London in 1953, one of the competitors mentioned that auditions were being held for a production of South Pacific,[30] and Connery landed a small part as one of the Seabees chorus boys. By the time the production reached Edinburgh, he had been given the part of Marine Cpl. Hamilton Steeves and was understudying two of the juvenile leads, and his salary was raised from £12 to £14–10s a week.[36] The production returned the following year, out of popular demand, and Connery was promoted to the featured role of Lieutenant Buzz Adams, which Larry Hagman had portrayed in the West End.[36]

While in Edinburgh, Connery was targeted by the Valdor gang, one of the most violent in the city. He was first approached by them in a billiard hall where he prevented them from stealing his jacket and was later followed by six gang members to a 15-foot-high (4.6 m) balcony at the Palais de Danse.[37] There, Connery singlehandedly launched an attack against the gang members, grabbing one by the throat and another by the biceps and cracking their heads together. From then on, he was treated with great respect by the gang and gained a reputation as a "hard man".[38]

Connery first met Michael Caine at a party during the production of South Pacific in 1954, and the two later became close friends.[36] During this production at the Opera House, Manchester, over the Christmas period of 1954, Connery developed a serious interest in the theatre through American actor Robert Henderson, who lent him copies of the Ibsen works Hedda Gabler, The Wild Duck, and When We Dead Awaken, and later listed works by the likes of Proust, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Bernard Shaw, Joyce, and Shakespeare for him to digest.[39] Henderson urged him to take elocution lessons and got him parts at the Maida Vale Theatre in London. He had already begun a film career, having been an extra in Herbert Wilcox's 1954 musical Lilacs in the Spring alongside Errol Flynn and Anna Neagle.[40]

Although Connery had secured several roles as an extra, he was struggling to make ends meet and was forced to accept a part-time job as a babysitter for journalist Peter Noble and his actress wife Marianne, which earned him 10 shillings a night.[40] He met Hollywood actress Shelley Winters one night at Noble's house, who described Connery as "one of the tallest and most charming and masculine Scotsmen" she had ever seen, and later spent many evenings with the Connery brothers drinking beer.[40] Around this time, Connery was residing at TV presenter Llew Gardner's house. Henderson landed Connery a role in a £6 a week Q Theatre production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution, during which he met and became friends with fellow Scot Ian Bannen.[41] This role was followed by Point of Departure and A Witch in Time at Kew, a role as Pentheus opposite Yvonne Mitchell in The Bacchae at the Oxford Playhouse, and a role opposite Jill Bennett in Eugene O'Neill's play Anna Christie.[41]

During his time at the Oxford Theatre, Connery won a brief part as a boxer in the TV series The Square Ring, before being spotted by Canadian director Alvin Rakoff, who gave him multiple roles in The Condemned, shot on location in Dover in Kent. In 1956, Connery appeared in the theatrical production of Epitaph, and played a minor role as a hoodlum in the "Ladies of the Manor" episode of the BBC Television police series Dixon of Dock Green.[41] This was followed by small television parts in Sailor of Fortune and The Jack Benny Program (in a special episode filmed in Europe).[41]

Connery with Lana Turner in 1957 on the set of Another Time, Another Place

In early 1957, Connery hired agent Richard Hatton, who got him his first film role, as Spike, a minor gangster with a speech impediment in Montgomery Tully's No Road Back, alongside Skip Homeier, Paul Carpenter, Patricia Dainton, and Norman Wooland.[42] In April 1957, Rakoff – after being disappointed by Jack Palance – decided to give the young actor his first chance in a leading role, and cast Connery as Mountain McLintock in BBC Television's production of Requiem for a Heavyweight, which also starred Warren Mitchell and Jacqueline Hill. He then played a rogue lorry driver, Johnny Yates, in Cy Endfield's Hell Drivers (1957) alongside Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, and Patrick McGoohan.[43] Later in 1957, Connery appeared in Terence Young's poorly received MGM action picture Action of the Tiger, opposite Van Johnson, Martine Carol, Herbert Lom, and Gustavo Rojo; the film was shot on location in southern Spain.[44][45] He also had a minor role in Gerald Thomas's thriller Time Lock (1957) as a welder, appearing alongside Robert Beatty, Lee Patterson, Betty McDowall, and Vincent Winter; this commenced filming on 1 December 1956 at Beaconsfield Studios.[46]

Connery had a major role in the melodrama Another Time, Another Place (1958) as a British reporter named Mark Trevor, caught in a love affair opposite Lana Turner and Barry Sullivan. During filming, Turner's possessive gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, who was visiting from Los Angeles, believed she was having an affair with Connery.[47] Connery and Turner had attended West End shows and London restaurants together.[48] Stompanato stormed onto the film set and pointed a gun at Connery, only to have Connery disarm him and knock him flat on his back. Stompanato was banned from the set.[49] Two Scotland Yard detectives advised Stompanato to leave and escorted him to the airport, where he boarded a plane back to the United States.[50] Connery later recounted that he had to lie low for a while after receiving threats from men linked to Stompanato's boss, Mickey Cohen.[48]

In 1959, Connery landed a leading role in director Robert Stevenson's Walt Disney Productions film Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959), alongside Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, and Jimmy O'Dea. The film is a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. Upon the film's initial release, A. H. Weiler of The New York Times praised the cast (save Connery whom he described as "merely tall, dark, and handsome") and thought the film an "overpoweringly charming concoction of standard Gaelic tall stories, fantasy and romance".[51] He also had prominent television roles in Rudolph Cartier's 1961 productions of Adventure Story and Anna Karenina for BBC Television, co-starring with Claire Bloom in the latter.[52] Also in 1961 he portrayed the title role in a CBC television film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth with Australian actress Zoe Caldwell cast as Lady Macbeth.[53]

1962–1983: James Bond and stardom

Connery as Bond (with co-star Tania Mallet) while filming Goldfinger in 1964

Connery's breakthrough came in the role of British secret agent James Bond. He was initially reluctant to commit to a film series, but understood that if the franchise succeeded, his film career would greatly benefit.[54][55][56] Between 1962 and 1967, Connery played 007 in Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice, the first five Bond films produced by Eon Productions. After departing from the role, Connery returned for the seventh film, Diamonds Are Forever, in 1971. Connery made his final appearance as Bond in Never Say Never Again, a 1983 remake of Thunderball produced by Jack Schwartzman's Taliafilm. All seven films were commercially successful. James Bond, as portrayed by Connery, was selected as the third-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute.[57]

The choice of Connery for the role of James Bond owed a lot to Dana Broccoli, wife of producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, who is reputed to have been instrumental in persuading her husband that Connery was the right man.[58] James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, originally doubted Connery's casting, saying, "He's not what I envisioned of James Bond looks", and "I'm looking for Commander Bond and not an overgrown stunt-man", adding that Connery (muscular, 6' 2", and a Scot) was unrefined.[59] Fleming's girlfriend Blanche Blackwell told him Connery had the requisite sexual charisma, and Fleming changed his mind after the successful Dr. No première. He was so impressed, he wrote Connery's heritage into the character. In his 1964 novel You Only Live Twice, Fleming wrote that Bond's father was Scottish and from Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands.[59]

Connery during filming for Diamonds Are Forever in 1971

Connery's portrayal of Bond owes much to stylistic tutelage from director Terence Young, who helped polish him while using his physical grace and presence for the action. Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny, related that "Terence took Sean under his wing. He took him to dinner, showed him how to walk, how to talk, even how to eat".[60] The tutoring was successful; Connery received thousands of fan letters a week after Dr. No's opening, and he became a major sex symbol in film.[61]

Following the release of the film Dr. No in 1962, the line "Bond ... James Bond", became a catch phrase in the lexicon of Western popular culture.[62] Film critic Peter Bradshaw writes, "It is the most famous self-introduction from any character in movie history. Three cool monosyllables, surname first, a little curtly, as befits a former naval commander. And then, as if in afterthought, the first name, followed by the surname again. Connery carried it off with icily disdainful style, in full evening dress with a cigarette hanging from his lips. The introduction was a kind of challenge, or seduction, invariably addressed to an enemy. In the early 60s, Connery's James Bond was about as dangerous and sexy as it got on screen".[63]

During the filming of Thunderball in 1965, Connery's life was in danger in the sequence with the sharks in Emilio Largo's pool. He had been concerned about this threat when he read the script. Connery insisted that Ken Adam build a special Plexiglas partition inside the pool, but this was not a fixed structure, and one of the sharks managed to pass through it. He had to abandon the pool immediately.[64]

1964–1986

Connery in Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964)

Although Bond had made him a star, Connery grew tired of the role and the pressure the franchise put on him, saying "[I am] fed up to here with the whole Bond bit"[65] and "I have always hated that damned James Bond. I'd like to kill him".[66] Michael Caine said of the situation, "If you were his friend in these early days you didn't raise the subject of Bond. He was, and is, a much better actor than just playing James Bond, but he became synonymous with Bond. He'd be walking down the street and people would say, 'Look, there's James Bond'. That was particularly upsetting to him".[67]

While making the Bond films, Connery also starred in other films such as Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964) and Sidney Lumet's The Hill (1965), which film critic Peter Bradshaw regards as his two great non-Bond pictures from the 1960s.[63] In Marnie, Connery starred opposite Tippi Hedren. Connery had said he wanted to work with Hitchcock, which Eon arranged through their contacts.[68] Connery also shocked many people at the time by asking to see a script, something he did because he was worried about being typecast as a spy and he did not want to do a variation of North by Northwest or Notorious. When told by Hitchcock's agent that Cary Grant had not asked to see even one of Hitchcock's scripts, Connery replied: "I'm not Cary Grant".[69] Hitchcock and Connery got on well during filming, and Connery said he was happy with the film "with certain reservations".[70] In The Hill, Connery wanted to act in something that wasn't Bond related, and he used his leverage as a star to feature in it. While the film wasn't a financial success it was a critical one, debuting at the Cannes Film Festival winning Best Screenplay.[71] The first of five films he made with Lumet, Connery considered him to be one of his favourite directors.[72] The respect was mutual, with Lumet saying of Connery's performance in The Hill, "The thing that was apparent to me – and to most directors – was how much talent and ability it takes to play that kind of character who is based on charm and magnetism. It's the equivalent of high comedy and he did it brilliantly."[73]

In the mid-1960s, Connery played golf with Scottish industrialist Iain Maxwell Stewart,[74] a connection which led to Connery directing and presenting the documentary film The Bowler and the Bunnet in 1967.[75][76][77] The film described the Fairfield Experiment, a new approach to industrial relations carried out at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Glasgow, during the 1960s; the experiment was initiated by Stewart and supported by George Brown, the First Secretary in Harold Wilson's cabinet, in 1966.[78][79] The company was facing closure, and Brown agreed to provide £1 million (£13.135 million; US$15.55 million in 2021 terms) to enable trade unions, the management and the shareholders to try out new ways of industrial management.[80]

Connery with Audrey Hepburn in Robin and Marian (1976)

Having played Bond six times, Connery's global popularity was such that he shared a Golden Globe Henrietta Award with Charles Bronson for "World Film Favorite – Male" in 1972.[81] He appeared in John Huston's The Man Who Would Be King (1975) opposite Michael Caine. Playing two former British soldiers who set themselves up as kings in Kafiristan, both actors regarded it as their favourite film.[82][83] The same year, he appeared in The Wind and the Lion opposite Candice Bergen who played Eden Pedecaris (based on the real-life Perdicaris incident), and in 1976 played Robin Hood in Robin and Marian opposite Audrey Hepburn, who played Maid Marian. Film critic Roger Ebert, who had praised the double act of Connery and Caine in The Man Who Would Be King, praised Connery's chemistry with Hepburn, writing: "Connery and Hepburn seem to have arrived at a tacit understanding between themselves about their characters. They glow. They really do seem in love".[84]

During the 1970s, Connery was part of ensemble casts in films such as Murder on the Orient Express (1974) with Vanessa Redgrave and John Gielgud, and played a British Army general in Richard Attenborough's war film A Bridge Too Far (1977), co-starring Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Olivier.[85] In 1974, he starred in John Boorman's sci-fi thriller Zardoz. Often called one of the "weirdest and worst movies ever made" it featured Connery in a scarlet mankini – a revealing costume which generated much controversy for its unBond-like appearance.[86][87] Despite being panned by critics at the time, the film has developed a cult following since its release.[88][89] In the audio commentary to the film, Boorman relates how Connery would write poetry in his free time, describing him as "a man of great depth and intelligence" and possessing the "most extraordinary memory".[90] In 1981, Connery appeared in the film Time Bandits as Agamemnon. The casting choice derives from a joke Michael Palin included in the script, which describes the character's removing his mask and being "Sean Connery – or someone of equal but cheaper stature".[91] When shown the script, Connery was happy to play the supporting role. In 1981 he portrayed Marshal William T. O'Niel in the science fiction thriller Outland. In 1982, Connery narrated G'olé!, the official film of the 1982 FIFA World Cup.[92] That same year, he was offered the role of Daddy Warbucks in Annie, going as far as taking voice lessons for the John Huston musical before turning down the part.[93]

Connery at the 1988 Academy Awards

Connery agreed to reprise Bond as an ageing agent 007 in Never Say Never Again, released in October 1983. The title, contributed by his wife, refers to his earlier statement that he would "never again" return to the role. Although the film performed well at the box office, it was plagued with production problems: strife between the director and producer, financial problems, the Fleming estate trustees' attempts to halt the film, and Connery's wrist being broken by the fight choreographer, Steven Seagal. As a result of his negative experiences during filming, Connery became unhappy with the major studios and did not make any films for two years. Following the successful European production The Name of the Rose (1986), for which he won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor, Connery's interest in more commercial material was revived.[94] That same year, a supporting role in Highlander showcased his ability to play older mentors to younger leads, which became a recurring role in many of his later films.[95]

1987–2006

In 1987, Connery starred in Brian De Palma's The Untouchables, where he played a hard-nosed Irish-American cop alongside Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness. The film also starred Charles Martin Smith, Patricia Clarkson, Andy Garcia, and Robert De Niro as Al Capone. The film was a critical and box-office success. Many critics praised Connery for his performance, including Roger Ebert, who wrote: "The best performance in the movie is Connery ... [he] brings a human element to his character; he seems to have had an existence apart from the legend of the Untouchables, and when he's onscreen we can believe, briefly, that the Prohibition Era was inhabited by people, not caricatures".[96] For his performance, Connery received a BAFTA nomination and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[97]

Connery in 1999

Connery starred in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), playing Henry Jones Sr., the title character's father, and received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. Harrison Ford said Connery's contributions at the writing stage enhanced the film. "It was amazing for me in how far he got into the script and went after exploiting opportunities for character. His suggestions to George [Lucas] at the writing stage really gave the character and the picture a lot more complexity and value than it had in the original screenplay".[98] His subsequent box-office hits included The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Russia House (1990), The Rock (1996), and Entrapment (1999). In 1996, he voiced the role of Draco the dragon in the film Dragonheart. He also appeared in a brief cameo as King Richard the Lionheart at the end of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).[99] In 1998, Connery received the BAFTA Fellowship, a lifetime achievement award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.[100]

Connery's later films included several box-office and critical disappointments such as First Knight (1995), Just Cause (1995), The Avengers (1998), and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003); however, he received positive reviews for his performance in Finding Forrester (2000). He also received a Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema. In a 2003 UK poll conducted by Channel 4, Connery was ranked eighth on their list of the 100 Greatest Movie Stars.[101] The failure of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was especially frustrating for Connery. He sensed during shooting that the production was "going off the rails", and announced that the director, Stephen Norrington should be "locked up for insanity". Connery spent considerable effort in trying to salvage the film through the editing process, ultimately deciding to retire from acting rather than go through such stress ever again.[102]

Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings films, saying he did not understand the script.[103] He was reportedly offered US$30 million along with 15% of the worldwide box office receipts, which would have earned him US$450 million.[104][105] He also turned down the opportunity to appear as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series and the Architect in The Matrix trilogy.[106][107] In 2005, he recorded voiceovers for the From Russia with Love video game with recording producer Terry Manning in the Bahamas, and provided his likeness.[108][109] Connery said he was happy the producers, Electronic Arts, had approached him to voice Bond.[110]

Retirement

Connery at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2008

When Connery received the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award on 8 June 2006, he confirmed his retirement from acting.[111] Connery's disillusionment with the "idiots now making films in Hollywood" was cited as a reason for his decision to retire.[112] On 7 June 2007, he denied rumours that he would appear in the fourth Indiana Jones film, saying "retirement is just too much damned fun".[113] In 2010, a bronze bust sculpture of Connery was placed in Tallinn, Estonia, outside The Scottish Club, whose membership includes Estonian Scotophiles and a handful of expatriate Scots.[114] In 2012, Connery briefly came out of retirement to voice the title character in the Scottish animated film Sir Billi. Connery served as executive producer for an expanded 80-minute version.[115]

Personal life

Connery's first wife Diane Cilento in 1954

During the production of South Pacific in the mid-1950s, Connery dated a Jewish "dark-haired beauty with a ballerina's figure", Carol Sopel, but was warned off by her family.[116] He then dated Julie Hamilton, daughter of documentary filmmaker and feminist Jill Craigie. Given Connery's rugged appearance and rough charm, Hamilton initially thought he was an appalling person and was not attracted to him until she saw him in a kilt, declaring him to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.[117] He also shared a mutual attraction with jazz singer Maxine Daniels, whom he met while working in theatre. He made a pass at her, but she told him she was already happily married with a daughter.[118]

Connery was married to actress Diane Cilento from 1962 to 1974,[119] though they separated in 1971.[120] They had a son, actor Jason Joseph. Connery illustrated the cover of Cilento's 1967 novel: The Manipulator.[121] Connery was separated in the early 1970s when he dated Dyan Cannon,[122] Jill St. John,[123] Lana Wood,[124] Carole Mallory,[125] and Magda Konopka.[126] In her 2006 autobiography, Cilento alleged that he had abused her mentally and physically during their relationship.[127][128] Connery cancelled an appearance at the Scottish Parliament in 2006 because of controversy over his alleged support of abuse of women. He denied claims he told Playboy magazine in 1965, "I don't think there is anything particularly wrong in hitting a woman, though I don't recommend you do it in the same way you hit a man".[129] He was also reported to have stated to Vanity Fair in 1993, "There are women who take it to the wire. That's what they are looking for, the ultimate confrontation. They want a smack".[130] In 2006, Connery told The Times of London, "I don't believe that any level of abuse of women is ever justified under any circumstances. Full stop".[129]

Connery at a Tartan Day celebration in Washington, D.C. When knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, he wore a green-and-black hunting tartan kilt of his mother's MacLean clan.[131]

Connery was married to French-Moroccan painter Micheline Roquebrune (born 4 April 1929) from 1975 until his death.[132] The marriage survived a well-documented affair Connery had in the late 1980s with the singer and songwriter Lynsey de Paul, which she later regretted due to his views concerning domestic violence.[133]

Connery owned the Domaine de Terre Blanche in the South of France from 1979.[134] He sold it to German billionaire Dietmar Hopp in 1999.[135] He was awarded an honorary rank of Shodan (1st dan) in Kyokushin karate.[136] Connery relocated to the Bahamas in the 1990s; he owned a mansion in Lyford Cay on New Providence.[137]

Connery was knighted by the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh on 5 July 2000.[138] He had been nominated for a knighthood in 1997 and 1998, but these nominations were reportedly vetoed by Donald Dewar owing to Connery's political views.[66][139] Connery had a villa in Kranidi, Greece. His neighbour was King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, with whom he shared a helicopter platform.[140] Michael Caine (who co-starred with Connery in The Man Who Would Be King in 1975) was among Connery's closest friends.[141]

Growing up, Connery supported the Scottish football club Celtic F.C., having been introduced to the club by his father who was a lifelong fan of the team. Later in life, Connery switched his loyalty to Celtic's bitter rival, Rangers F.C., after he became close friends with the team's chairman, David Murray.[142] He was a keen golfer, introduced to the game by his friend Iain Stewart.[75] English professional golfer Peter Alliss gave Connery golf lessons before the filming of the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, which involved a scene where Connery, as Bond, played golf against gold magnate Auric Goldfinger at Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire.[143] The golf scene saw him wear a Slazenger v-neck sweater, a brand which Connery became associated with while playing golf in his free time, with a light grey marl being a favoured colour.[144] Record major championship winner and golf course designer Jack Nicklaus said, "He loved the game of golf – Sean was a pretty darn good golfer! – and we played together several times. In May 1993, Sean and legendary driver Jackie Stewart helped me open our design of the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles in Scotland".[145]

Political views

Connery's Scottish roots and his experiences in filming in Glasgow's shipyards in 1966 inspired him to become a member of the centre-left Scottish National Party (SNP),[146][147] which supports Scottish independence from the United Kingdom (in 2011, Connery said "The Bowler and the Bunnet was just the beginning of a journey that would lead to my long association with the Scottish National Party").[75] Connery supported the party both financially[148] and through personal appearances. In 1967, he wrote to George Leslie, the SNP candidate in the 1967 Glasgow Pollok by-election, saying, "I am convinced that with our resources and skills we are more than capable of building a prosperous, vigorous and modern self-governing Scotland in which we can all take pride and which will deserve the respect of other nations."[149] His funding of the SNP ceased in 2001, when the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed legislation prohibiting overseas funding of political activities in the United Kingdom.[148]

Tax status

In response to accusations that he was a tax exile, Connery released documents in 2003 showing he had paid £3.7 million in UK taxes between 1997 and 1998 and between 2002 and 2003; critics pointed out that had he been continuously residing in the UK for tax purposes, his tax rate would have been far higher.[150][151] In the run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Connery's brother Neil said Connery would not come to Scotland to rally independence supporters, since his tax exile status greatly limited the number of days he could spend in the country.[152]

After Connery sold his Marbella villa in 1999, Spanish authorities launched a tax evasion investigation, alleging that the Spanish treasury had been defrauded of £5.5 million. Connery was subsequently cleared by officials, but his wife and 16 others were charged with attempting to defraud the Spanish treasury.[153][154]

Death and legacy

Connery died in his sleep on 31 October 2020, aged 90, at his home in the Lyford Cay community of Nassau in the Bahamas.[1][2] His death was announced by his family and Eon Productions;[155] although they did not disclose the cause of death, his son Jason said he had been unwell for some time.[156][157][158] A day later, his widow revealed he had dementia in his final years.[159][160] Connery's death certificate was obtained by TMZ a month after his death, showing the cause of death was pneumonia and respiratory failure, and the time of death was listed as 1:30 am.[161] His remains were cremated, and the ashes were scattered in Scotland at undisclosed locations in 2022.[162][163]

Following the announcement of his death, many co-stars and figures from the entertainment industry paid tribute to Connery, including Sam Neill,[164] Nicolas Cage, Robert De Niro, Michael Bay, Tippi Hedren,[165] Alec Baldwin,[166] Hugh Jackman, George Lucas, Shirley Bassey, Kevin Costner, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Barbra Streisand, John Cleese,[167] Jane Seymour and Harrison Ford,[168] as well as former Bond stars George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, including the family of late former Bond actor Roger Moore.[169][170] Connery's longtime friend Michael Caine called him a "great star, brilliant actor and a wonderful friend".[171] James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli released a statement saying Connery had "revolutionized the world with his gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent. He is undoubtedly largely responsible for the success of the film series and we shall be forever grateful to him".[155][170]

In 2004, a poll in the UK Sunday Herald recognised Connery as "The Greatest Living Scot"[172] and a 2011 EuroMillions survey named him "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure".[173] He was voted by People magazine as the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century" in 1999.[174] Connery shares the record for the most portrayals as James Bond with Roger Moore (with seven apiece). In June 1965, Time magazine observed "James Bond has developed into the biggest mass-cult hero of the decade".[175]

In 2024, the Edinburgh International Film Festival established an annual award in Connery's honour. The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is a prize of £50,000 given to the makers of a film chosen by audience vote from a short-list of ten feature films that receive their world premières at the festival each year.[176]

Filmography

Awards and honours

Year Award Category Project Result Ref.
1987 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor The Untouchables Won [177]
1987 British Academy Film Awards Best Actor The Name of the Rose Won [94]
Best Supporting Actor The Untouchables Nominated [178]
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Nominated [179]
1990 Best Actor The Hunt for Red October Nominated [180]
1998 BAFTA Fellowship Recipient [179]
1965 Golden Globe Awards Henrietta Award (World Film Favorite – Male) Nominated [181]
1968 Nominated [181]
1972 Won [81]
1987 Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture The Untouchables Won [182]
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Nominated [183]
1995 Cecil B. DeMille Award Recipient [184]

Honours

References

  1. ^ a b Harmetz, Aljean (31 October 2020). "Sean Connery, Who Embodied James Bond and More, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b Shapiro, T. Rees (31 October 2020). "Sean Connery, first James Bond of film, dies at 90". The Washington Post. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Profile: Sean Connery". BBC News. 12 March 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2007.
  4. ^ Hepburn, David (8 March 2023). "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. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  5. ^ "100 BAFTA Moments – Sean Connery's Emotional Reaction to Receiving the BAFTA Fellowship". bafta.org. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Sir Sean's pride at knighthood". BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  7. ^ Pendreigh, Brian (1 November 2020). "Obituary: The Sean Connery I knew". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Connery, Sir Sean". Who's Who. Vol. 2015 (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  9. ^ "Sir Sean visits site of his childhood Edinburgh home". BBC. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Scottish Roots People – Sean Connery". scottishroots.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Family tree of Euphemia McBain". Geneanet. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Familyrelatives.com | Case Study 1 – Sean Connery – James Bond". familyrelatives.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Case Study 1 – Sean Connery – James Bond". familyrelatives.com. Treequest Limited. Archived from the original on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  14. ^ Yule 1992, p. 1.
  15. ^ a b c d Harry Brent (18 August 2021). "Five things you never knew about Sean Connery's Irish roots". The Irish Post. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021.
  16. ^ a b Connery, Sean; Grigor, Murray (2009). Being a Scot. Phoenix Illustrated.
  17. ^ "Scottish Genealogy Scottish Ancestry Family Tree Scottish Genealogists". Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  18. ^ Yule 1992, p. 8.
  19. ^ Sellers 1999, p. 25.
  20. ^ Yule 1992, p. 18.
  21. ^ Yule 1992, p. 21.
  22. ^ "From the Co-op with love ... the days Sir Sean earned £1 a week". The Scotsman. 21 November 2005. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
  23. ^ "The Official Website of Sir Sean Connery – Biography". Seanconnery.com. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  24. ^ "Catch up on all the Belly Buzz ... – Celebrity Veterans – Sean Connery, British Royal Navy 1946–1949". bellybuzz.squarespace.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  25. ^ Yule 1992, p. 4.
  26. ^ Davidson, Lynn (22 August 2003). "Even as an unknown, Sean was still a draw". The Scotsman. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
  27. ^ a b Yule 1992, p. 28.
  28. ^ Yule 1992, p. 29.
  29. ^ Yule 1992, p. 31.
  30. ^ a b c Wills, Dominic. "Sean Connery – Biography". Tiscali. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  31. ^ "1953 Mr. Universe – NABBA". Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  32. ^ Yule 1992, p. 35.
  33. ^ Crawford, Kenny (7 December 2016). "Bonnyrigg Rose: Four things you might not know about the Rosey Posey". BBC Scotland. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  34. ^ Christopher Bray (2010). Sean Connery: The measure of a man. Faber & Faber. p. 27.
  35. ^ "Scottish Junior Football Association > Mud & Glory > Sean Connery". Mud & Glory. April 2005. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  36. ^ a b c Yule 1992, p. 36.
  37. ^ Sellers 1999, p. 21.
  38. ^ Yule 1992, pp. 32–33.
  39. ^ Yule 1992, pp. 38–39.
  40. ^ a b c Yule 1992, p. 43.
  41. ^ a b c d Yule 1992, p. 45.
  42. ^ Yule 1992, p. 291.
  43. ^ Sellers 1999, p. 42.
  44. ^ Baldwin, Louis (1999). Turning Points: Pivotal Moments in the Careers of 83 Famous Figures. McFarland. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-7864-0626-5. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  45. ^ Callan, Michael Feeney (2002). Sean Connery. Virgin. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-85227-992-9. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  46. ^ Pfeiffer, Lee; Lisa, Philip (1997). The films of Sean Connery. Carol Pub. Group. ISBN 978-0-8065-1837-4. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  47. ^ Morella, Joe; Epstein, Edward Z. (1971) Lana: The Public and Private Lives of Miss Turner pp. 177–182 New York: Citadel Press [ISBN missing]
  48. ^ a b "Sean Connery: How he seduced a movie legend and faced the wrath of the Mafia". Evening Standard. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  49. ^ Kohn, George C. (2001) The New Encyclopedia of American Scandal. Facts on File: Library of American History (Revised ed.) p. 388. New York: Infobase Publishing [ISBN missing]
  50. ^ Turner, Lana (1982) Lana: The Lady, the Legend, the Truth (1st ed.) p. 170. New York: Dutton [ISBN missing]
  51. ^ Weiler, A. H. (1 July 1959). "Darby O'Gill and the Little People". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  52. ^ Wake, Oliver. "Cartier, Rudolph (1904–1994)". Screenonline. Retrieved 25 February 2007.
  53. ^ Van Wagner, Danielle (2004). Fischlin, Daniel (ed.). "Macbeth". Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project. University of Guelph. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  54. ^ "Why Sean Connery eventually "hated" playing James Bond". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  55. ^ Stone, Sam (30 November 2020). "James Bond: Why Sean Connery Left the 007 Franchise". CBR. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  56. ^ Journal, The Gentleman's. "The true story of how Sean Connery became James Bond". www.thegentlemansjournal.com. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  57. ^ "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains" Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine AFI Retrieved 20 December 2013
  58. ^ Bray, Christopher (3 March 2004). "Sean Connery: The Measure Of A Man". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
  59. ^ a b "8 Things You Didn't Know About James Bond". HuffPost. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  60. ^ Macintyre, Ben (2009). For Your Eyes Only : Ian Fleming and James Bond. London: Bloomsbury. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-7475-9866-4.
  61. ^ "Playboy Interview: Sean Connery 1965". the007dossier.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  62. ^ Cork & Scivally 2002, p. 6.
  63. ^ a b Bradshaw, Peter (25 August 2020). "Sean Connery: a dangerously seductive icon of masculinity". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  64. ^ Buckland, Damien (2016). Collection Editions James Bond. CreateSpace Independent. ISBN 978-1-5305-7325-7.
  65. ^ Berman, Eliza (25 August 2015). "Happy Birthday, Sean Connery: See Him as James Bond on the Cover of Life". Time. Archived from the original on 27 August 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  66. ^ a b Ferguson, Euan (2 October 2004). "Scotch myth". The Observer. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  67. ^ Yule 1992, p. 34.
  68. ^ Broccoli & Zec 1999
  69. ^ "Canny Scot". Time. 10 January 1964.
  70. ^ "Playboy Interview: Sean Connery". Playboy. November 1965. p. 78. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  71. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Hill". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  72. ^ "Sidney Lumet". The Herald. Glasgow. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  73. ^ "Sir Sean Connery 34th AFI Life Achievement Award Honoree". AFI. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  74. ^ Naughtie, James (2020). On the Road: Adventures from Nixon to Trump. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781471177439.
  75. ^ a b c Connery, Sean (27 February 2011). "Sir Sean Connery exclusive: The Clyde yard that shaped my politics ... and its Tory boss who introduced me to golf". Herald on Sunday. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  76. ^ Galbraith, Russell (4 November 2020). "Sean Connery: An enduring myth". Scottish Review. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  77. ^ "Bowler and the Bunnet, The (1967)". screenonline.org.uk. BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  78. ^ Whatever Happened at Fairfields?, by Sydney Paulden and Bill Hawkins, published by Gower Press, 1969.
  79. ^ Walker, Fred M (2010). Ships & Shipbuilders: Pioneers of Design and Construction. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781783830404.
  80. ^ Dudgeon, Piers (2012). Our Glasgow: Memories of Life in Disappearing Britain. Headline. ISBN 9780755364466. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  81. ^ a b "Winners & Nominees Henrietta Award (World Film Favorites)". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  82. ^ "Sean Connery still has special Bond with movie fans". The Sunday Post. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  83. ^ Michael Caine: "People forget I know a few gangsters" Archived 13 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine Sabotage Times Retrieved 19 March 2019
  84. ^ Ebert, Roger (21 April 1976). ""Robin and Marian" review". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  85. ^ "A Bridge Too Far, for allied forces and for viewers". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  86. ^ "14 unnecessarily revealing movie costumes". The Daily Telegraph. 14 November 2017. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  87. ^ "Celebrating The 13 Strangest Moments in Zardoz". Den of Geek. 3 September 2016. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  88. ^ Shankel, Jason; Stamm, Emily; Krell, Jason (7 March 2014). "30 Cult Movies That Absolutely Everybody Must See". io9. Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  89. ^ Telotte, J.P.; Duchovnay, Gerald (2015). Science Fiction Double Feature: The Science Fiction Film as Cult Text. Oxford University Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-78138-183-0.
  90. ^ "Zardoz". High-Def Digest. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  91. ^ "Time Bandits Extras". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  92. ^ "FIFA World Cup and Official FIFA Events: Programming" Archived 17 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine FIFA Films Retrieved 28 January 2013
  93. ^ Mell, Eila (2015). Casting Might-Have-Beens: A Film by Film Directory of Actors Considered for Roles Given to Others. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0976-8.
  94. ^ a b "1988 BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  95. ^ "Highlander: 35 years since Scotland stole the show in cult film starring Queen, Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  96. ^ "The Untouchables Review". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  97. ^ "The 60th Academy Awards (1988) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  98. ^ "Ford's father figure". Variety. 5 May 1997. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  99. ^ Pugh, Tison (2009). "8: Sean Connery's Star Persona and the Queer Middle Ages". In Coyne Kelly, Kathleen; Pugh, Tison (eds.). Queer movie medievalisms. Farnham: Ashgate. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-7546-7592-1.
  100. ^ Robson, Ben (21 August 2008). "The name's Connery, Sean Connery: the life of Scotland's James Bond". The Times. London. Retrieved 16 March 2019.[dead link]
  101. ^ "100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest Movie Stars (Part 1))". ITN Source. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  102. ^ "An ignominious exit". Looper.com. 21 March 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  103. ^ "Connery 'turning back on movies'". BBC News. 1 August 2005. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  104. ^ "Sean Connery lost $450m refusing Gandalf role". The New Zealand Herald. 21 November 2012. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  105. ^ Ransom Riggs (20 October 2008). "5 million-dollar mistakes by movie stars". CNN. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  106. ^ "Harry Potter: The Actors Who Almost Played Dumbledore". ScreenRant. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  107. ^ Norrington, Stephen (Director) (16 December 2003) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (DVD) United States: 20th Century Fox
  108. ^ "IGN: Sean Connery Back as Bond". Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  109. ^ Lipsey, Sid (10 November 2005). "Review: Connery brings Bond back to the USSR". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 February 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  110. ^ "IGN: Sean Connery Back as Bond". Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  111. ^ a b Dalton, Ben (31 October 2020). "Sean Connery, the original James Bond, dies aged 90". screendaily.com. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  112. ^ Hewitson, Michele (9 July 2005). "Sexy? It's all in the hand-shake". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  113. ^ "Connery bows out of Indiana film". BBC News. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
  114. ^ "Sean Connery immortalised with Estonian bust". apnews.myway.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  115. ^ Carson, Alan (12 April 2010). "Sir Sean makes film comeback as a retired vet". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 12 October 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  116. ^ Yule 1992, p. 40.
  117. ^ Yule 1992, p. 41.
  118. ^ Yule 1992, p. 37.
  119. ^ Gardner, Hy (3 August 1974). "Personal Postscripts". Lansing State Journal.
  120. ^ "Sean Connery, Wife Reveal Separation". The La Crosse Tribune. Associated Press. 17 February 1971.
  121. ^ A Visit to "James Bond's" – Sean Connery Home 1967! (Interviewed by F. Lee Bailey), 14 February 2018, retrieved 19 January 2024
  122. ^ Instagram video by Dyan Cannon. 20 March 2023.
  123. ^ "Friends Say It's Love". People. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  124. ^ "Bond girl Lana Wood talks about Sean Connery affair". mi6-hq.com. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  125. ^ "Norman Mailer's Norristown mistress: I've been defamed". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  126. ^ "The Private Life and Times of Magda Konopka". glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  127. ^ "Jealous Connery beat me, says ex-wife". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  128. ^ Neal, Aly (12 February 2013). "No more free passes to famous men who abuse women". The Washington Post. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  129. ^ a b "Connery: to hit a woman is wrong". The Times. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  130. ^ "Sean Connery: 'Abuse is never justified' Actor speaks out after cancelling Holyrood festival appearance". The Herald. Glasgow. 25 June 2006. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  131. ^ "Former James Bond actor Sean Connery dies aged 90". Reuters. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  132. ^ "Connery: Bond and beyond". BBC News. 21 December 1999. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  133. ^ "Pop star Lynsey de Paul reveals the truth about her love-life". Evening Standard. 10 April 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  134. ^ "We half expected someone to tuck us in with a goodnight kiss". The Guardian. 1 August 2004. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  135. ^ "No doubting Thomas". Executive Golf Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  136. ^ Rogers, Ron. "Hanshi's Corner 1106" (PDF). Midori Yama Budokai. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  137. ^ "Sir Sean Connery says he's lucky to avoid Hurricane Dorian after Bahamas battered by storm". Edinburgh Live. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  138. ^ "No. 55950". The London Gazette. 22 August 2000. p. 9336.
  139. ^ "Sir Sean's pride at knighthood". BBC News. 5 July 2000.
  140. ^ "Dutch prince buys villa next to James Bond actor". BBC News. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  141. ^ Farndale, Nigel (4 October 2010). "Michael Caine interview – for his autobiography The Elephant to Hollywood". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  142. ^ Christie, Kevan (26 August 2008). "Celtic fans give me pelters since I switched loyalty to Rangers, says Sir Sean Connery". Daily Record. Scotland.
  143. ^ "Peter Alliss: The colourful, and controversial, voice of golf". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  144. ^ "Sean Connery and Slazengers jumpers". Slazenger Heritage. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  145. ^ ""The best" – Jack Nicklaus pays tribute to Sir Sean Connery". Bunkered. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  146. ^ Seenan, Gerard (27 April 1999). "Connery goes on the SNP offensive". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2009.
  147. ^ Pender, Paul (2 May 1999). "patriotgames". Sunday Herald. Retrieved 22 May 2009. [dead link]
  148. ^ a b "Connery funds SNP through Jersey account". BBC News. 7 March 2003. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  149. ^ Christopher Bray, Sean Connery: The Measure of a Man (London: Faber, 2011), p. 140
  150. ^ "Sir Sean lays bare his tax details". BBC News. 6 March 2003. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  151. ^ Collinson, Patrick (21 February 2004). "Join the club and become a tax exile". The Guardian.
  152. ^ Cramb, Auslan (16 September 2014). "Sir Sean Connery's tax exile status keeps him away from independence debate, says brother". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022.
  153. ^ "Sean Connery's wife faces €22 million fine over Marbella villa sale". thinkspain.com.
  154. ^ Gayle, Damien (27 November 2015). "Sean Connery's wife charged with Spanish property tax fraud". The Guardian.
  155. ^ a b "Sean Connery: James Bond actor dies aged 90". BBC News. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  156. ^ "Obituary: Sir Sean Connery". BBC News. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  157. ^ "Obituary: Sir Sean Connery". The Sunday Times. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  158. ^ Natale, Richard; Ravindran, Manori (31 October 2020). "Sean Connery, Oscar Winner and James Bond Star, Dies at 90". Variety. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  159. ^ "Sean Connery widow reveals he had suffered from dementia". france 24.com. Agence France-Presse. 1 November 2020.
  160. ^ Nolasco, Stephanie (15 December 2023). "James Bond icon Sean Connery's final days battling dementia: 'It was hard to watch'". Fox News. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  161. ^ "Sir Sean Connery: Scottish actor and Bond legend died from pneumonia and heart failure". Edinburgh Evening News. 29 November 2020.
  162. ^ O'Connor, Rachael. "Sean Connery's ashes to be scattered in Scotland as it was his 'final wish', his wife says". The Irish Post. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  163. ^ Wilkie, Stephen (26 August 2022). "Sir Sean Connery's ashes scattered at secret Scottish locations". Scotsman.com. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  164. ^ @TwoPaddocks (31 October 2020). "Every day on set with #SeanConnery was an object lesson in how to act on screen. But all that charisma and power – that was utterly unique to Sean. RIP that great man, that great actor" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  165. ^ Earl, William (31 October 2020). "Hollywood Mourns Sean Connery: 'He Revolutionized the World'". Variety. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  166. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (31 October 2020). "Alec Baldwin Pays Tribute To 'The Hunt For Red October' Co-Star Sean Connery: "You Made Life Better"". Yahoo! Sport. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  167. ^ Calvario, Liz (31 October 2020). "Sean Connery Dead at 90: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and More Celebs Honor Actor". etonline.com. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  168. ^ "Sean Connery: Harrison Ford pays tribute to 'dear friend'". BBC. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  169. ^ Dessem, Matthew (31 October 2020). "Sean Connery Has Died. Friends, Fans, and the Other James Bonds Are Saluting Him on Social Media". Slate. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  170. ^ a b Drury, Sharareh; Beresford, Trilby (31 October 2020). "Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Sam Neill, George Lucas and More of Hollywood Pay Tribute to Sean Connery". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  171. ^ "Sir Michael Caine remembers 'great star, wonderful friend' Sir Sean Connery". The Herald. Glasgow. Press Association. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  172. ^ Flockhart, Susan (25 January 2004). "Would The Greatest Living Scot Please Stand Up?; Here they are". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  173. ^ "Sir Sean Connery named Scotland's greatest living treasure". STV News. 25 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  174. ^ "Sexy Celebrity Pictures". CBS News. 20 January 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  175. ^ Chapman, James (2007). Licence to Thrill A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 92.
  176. ^ "Edinburgh International Film Festival launches Sean Connery award". BBC News. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  177. ^ Cieply, Michael (12 April 1988). "Last Emperor Reigns Over Oscar Ceremonies: Best Picture Winner Adds Eight Other Awards; Cher and Douglas Take Top Prizes for Acting". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  178. ^ "1988 Film Actor in a Supporting Role; BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  179. ^ a b "Film in 1990; BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  180. ^ "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  181. ^ a b "HFPA". HPFA. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  182. ^ Finke, Nikki (25 January 1988). "'Emperor' Reigns at Golden Globes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  183. ^ Dutka, Elaine (22 January 1990). "Globes Enter the '90s With a Nod Toward Social Relevance". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  184. ^ "Winners & Nominees 1996". The Golden Globes. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  185. ^ "En images: Les rôles iconiques de Sean Connery". Orange. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  186. ^ "Sean Connery". Kennedy Center. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  187. ^ "Sir Sean's pride at knighthood". BBC News. 5 July 2000. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  188. ^ "European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award". EFA. Retrieved 31 October 2020.

Bibliography