In loving memory of Sean Connery, 1930 – 2020
Born Thomas Sean Connery in 1930, Connery lived in the challenging Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh for many years. His early life was marked by hardship and a pressing need for work to support his family. By 14, he had left school and worked as a Co-op milkman; by 16, he had joined the Royal Navy, only to be discharged later on medical grounds. But Connery’s slow journey to the big screen began when he started bodybuilding at age 18 – a decision that would ultimately lead him to enter the ‘Mr Universe’ contest of 1953. Mr Universe brought Connery to London, where he auditioned for the stage musical South Pacific and landed a role in the chorus. This break gave Thomas Sean Connery a range of small TV opportunities.
Connery’s early TV career ranged from small parts in Dixon of Dock Green to The Sailor of Fortune. However, his big break came in 1957 with the BBC adaptation of Requiem for a Heavyweight, a drama that allowed him to stretch his wings in a leading role. From there, Connery’s film career took flight with Another Time, Another Place (1958) and Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959). But as he hit his 30th birthday, his place as a legend of modern cinema was born, as a young Barbara Broccoli suggested his name for the new adaptation of Ian Fleming’s Dr No. Fleming fiercely opposed it; however, for Albert Broccoli, Connery was a gamble worth taking.
The rest, as they say, is history; Connery made James Bond his own, and his success in the role was both a blessing and a curse as the money flooded in. Bond opened the door to Hollywood fame, but Connery fell out of love with the spy he helped create after his fifth film. His arguments with the Bond team on the set of You Only Live Twice led to his departure from the role, but he was coaxed back several years later with a significant pay cheque for Diamonds Are Forever.
Sean Connery worked hard in the years that followed to shake off the ghost of Bond, taking roles that subverted the all-action hero image, from In the Name of the Rose to Robin and Marian. However, critics often responded with mixed reviews. In truth, the spirit of Bond never strayed far from some of his best-known and most praised work. By the mid-1980s, Connery opted for larger-than-life supporting characters over the leading man. This decision would lead to some of his most notable works outside of Bond, from The Untouchables to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. His final on-screen appearance came in the 2003 flop The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, though he continued voice-over work before retiring from the movie business.
Connery was a Hollywood giant; his name on any film poster was enough to ensure audience success. However, he was also a private man who never shied away from conveying his disdain for the press. His fiery temperament led to many disagreements with producers, directors, and fellow actors over the years, while his political beliefs in Scottish Independence earned fans and opponents in equal measure. But it was his ability to hold court on the big screen that ultimately earned him love, respect and a well-earned place in the film industry Hall of Fame. Connery leaves behind his second wife, Micheline Roquebrune, and his only son, Jason, from his first marriage to Diane Cilento, along with a stunning body of timeless work.
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