Sean Connery plaque near the site of his birth inFountainbridge, EdinburghConnery's birth certificate
Thomas Sean Connery was born at theRoyal Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 25 August 1930; he wasnamed after his paternal grandfather.[7][8] Connery was of half-Irish and half-Scottish descent. He was brought up at No. 176Fountainbridge, 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 fromCeres in Fife.[10][11] Connery's father, Joseph Connery, was a factory worker and lorry driver.[12]
Two of his paternal great-grandparents emigrated to Scotland fromWexford, Ireland, in the mid-19th century,[13] with his great-grandfather James Connery being anIrish Traveller.[14] The remainder of his family was of Scottish descent, and his maternal great-grandparents were nativeScottish Gaelic-speakers fromFife andUig onSkye.[15][16] His father was aRoman Catholic, and his mother was aProtestant. Connery had a younger brotherNeil and was generally referred to in his youth as "Tommy".[17] 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.[18] Connery was known during his teen years as "Big Tam", and he said that he lost his virginity to an adult woman in anATS uniform at the age of 14.[19][20] He had an Irish childhood friend named Séamus;[14] when the two were together, those who knew them both called Connery by his middle name Sean, emphasising the assonance of the two names.[14] Since then Connery preferred to use his middle name.[14]
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.[15]
In 1946, at the age of 16, Connery joined theRoyal 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'".[22] He trained inPortsmouth at the naval gunnery school and in an anti-aircraft crew. He was later assigned as an Able Seaman onHMSFormidable.[23] Connery wasdischarged from the navy at the age of 19 on medical grounds because of aduodenalulcer, a condition that affected most of the males in previous generations of his family.[24]
Afterwards, he returned to the co-op and worked as a lorry driver, a lifeguard atPortobello swimming baths, a labourer, anartist's model for theEdinburgh College of Art, and after a suggestion by the former Mr. ScotlandArchie Brennan,[25][26] as a coffinpolisher, amongst other jobs. The modelling earned him 15 shillings an hour.[26] ArtistRichard 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".[27]
Connery beganbodybuilding at the age of 18, and from 1951 trained heavily with Ellington, a former gym instructor in theBritish Army.[28] While his official website states he was third in the 1950Mr. Universe contest, most sources place him in the 1953 competition, either third in the Junior class[29] or failing to place in the Tall Man classification.[30] 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.[31]
Connery was a keenfootballer, having played forBonnyrigg Rose in his younger days.[32] He was offered a trial withEast Fife. While on tour withSouth Pacific, Connery played in a football match against a local team thatMatt Busby, manager ofManchester United, happened to be scouting.[33] 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".[34]
Career
1951–1959: Career beginnings
Seeking to supplement his income, Connery helped out backstage at theKing's Theatre in late 1951.[29] During a bodybuilding competition held in London in 1953, one of the competitors mentioned that auditions were being held for a production ofSouth Pacific,[29] 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.[35] The production returned the following year, out of popular demand, and Connery was promoted to the featured role of Lieutenant Buzz Adams, whichLarry Hagman had portrayed in theWest End.[35]
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 abilliard 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.[36] There, Connery grabbed one by the throat and another by the biceps, cracking their heads together. From then on, the gang treated him with respect and he had a "hard man" reputation.[37]
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 the journalist Peter Noble and his actress wifeMarianne, which earned him 10 shillings a night.[39] He met the Hollywood actressShelley 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.[39] Around this time, Connery was residing at TV presenter Llew Gardner's house. Henderson landed Connery a role in a £6-a-weekQ Theatre production ofAgatha Christie'sWitness for the Prosecution, during which he met and befriendedIan Bannen.[40] This role was followed byPoint of Departure andA Witch in Time at Kew, a role as Pentheus oppositeYvonne Mitchell inThe Bacchae at theOxford Playhouse, and a role oppositeJill Bennett inEugene O'Neill's playAnna Christie.[40]
During his time at the Oxford Theatre, Connery won a brief part as a boxer in the TV seriesThe Square Ring, before being spotted by the Canadian directorAlvin Rakoff, who gave him multiple roles inThe Condemned, shot on location inDover in Kent. In 1956, Connery appeared in the theatrical production ofEpitaph, and played a minor role as a hoodlum in the "Ladies of the Manor" episode of theBBC Television police seriesDixon of Dock Green.[40] This was followed by small television parts inSailor of Fortune andThe Jack Benny Program (in a special episode filmed in Europe).[40]
Connery had a major role in the melodramaAnother Time, Another Place (1958) as a British reporter named Mark Trevor, caught in a love affair oppositeLana Turner andBarry Sullivan. During filming, Turner's possessive gangster boyfriend,Johnny Stompanato, who was visiting from Los Angeles, believed she was having an affair with Connery.[46] Connery and Turner had attendedWest End shows and London restaurants together.[47] 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.[48] TwoScotland Yard detectives advised Stompanato to leave and escorted him to the airport, where he boarded a plane back to the United States.[49] Connery later recounted that he had to lie low for a while after receiving threats from men linked to Stompanato's boss,Mickey Cohen.[47]
The choice of Connery for the role of James Bond owed much to Dana Broccoli, wife of the producerAlbert "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 girlfriendBlanche Blackwell told him Connery had the requisite sexual charisma, and Fleming changed his mind after the successfulDr. No premiere; he was so impressed that he subsequently gave the character a Scottish heritage, with his father stated as being fromGlencoe in theScottish Highlands in the 1964 novelYou Only Live Twice.[59]
Connery's portrayal of Bond owes much to stylistic tutelage from the directorTerence Young, who helped polish him while using his physical grace and presence for the action.Lois Maxwell, who playedMiss 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 the opening ofDr. No, and he became a majorsex symbol in film.[61]
Following the release of the filmDr. No in 1962, the line "Bond ... James Bond", became acatchphrase in thelexicon of Western popular culture.[62] The film criticPeter 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 ofThunderball in 1965, Connery's life was in danger in the sequence with the sharks inEmilio Largo's pool. He had been concerned about this threat when he read the script. Connery insisted thatKen Adam should build a specialPlexiglas 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]
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 asAlfred Hitchcock'sMarnie (1964) andSidney Lumet'sThe Hill (1965), which film critic Peter Bradshaw regards as his two great non-Bond pictures from the 1960s.[63] InMarnie, Connery starred oppositeTippi 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 ofNorth by Northwest orNotorious. When told by Hitchcock's agent thatCary 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] InThe 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 theCannes 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 inThe 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]
Having played Bond six times, Connery's global popularity was such that he shared aGolden Globe Henrietta Award withCharles Bronson for "World Film Favorite – Male" in 1972.[81] He appeared inJohn Huston'sThe Man Who Would Be King (1975) opposite Michael Caine. Playing two former British soldiers who set themselves up as kings inKafiristan, both actors regarded it as their favourite film.[82][83] The same year, he appeared inThe Wind and the Lion oppositeCandice Bergen who played Eden Pedecaris (based on the real-lifePerdicaris incident), and in 1976 playedRobin Hood inRobin and Marian oppositeAudrey Hepburn, who playedMaid Marian. The film criticRoger Ebert, who had praised the double act of Connery and Caine inThe 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]
In the 1970s Connery was part of ensemble casts in films such asMurder on the Orient Express (1974) withVanessa Redgrave andJohn Gielgud, and played a British Army general inRichard Attenborough's war filmA Bridge Too Far (1977), co-starringDirk Bogarde andLaurence Olivier.[85] In 1974, he starred inJohn Boorman's sci-fi thrillerZardoz. Often called one of the "weirdest and worst movies ever made" it featured Connery in a scarletmankini – a revealing costume which generated much controversy for its un-Bond-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 filmTime Bandits asAgamemnon. The casting choice derives from a jokeMichael 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 thrillerOutland. In 1982, Connery narratedG'olé!, theofficial film of the1982 FIFA World Cup.[92] That same year, he was offered the role ofDaddy Warbucks inAnnie, going as far as taking voice lessons for the John Huston musical before turning down the part.[93]
Connery agreed to reprise Bond inNever 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 productionThe Name of the Rose (1986), for which he won aBAFTA Award for Best Actor, Connery's interest in more commercial material was revived.[94] That same year, a supporting role inHighlander showcased his ability to play older mentors to younger leads, which became a recurring role in many of his later films.[95]
Connery's later films included several box-office and critical disappointments such asFirst Knight,Just Cause (both 1995),The Avengers (1998), andThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003); however, he received positive reviews for his performance inFinding Forrester (2000). He also received aCrystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema. In a 2003 UK poll conducted byChannel 4, Connery was ranked eighth on its list of the100 Greatest Movie Stars.[101] The failure ofThe 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".[citation needed] 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][better source needed]
When Connery received the American Film Institute'sLifetime 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 thefourthIndiana Jones film, saying "retirement is just too much damned fun".[113] In 2010 a bronze bust sculpture of Connery was placed inTallinn, 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 filmSir Billi. Connery served as executive producer for an expanded 80-minute version.[115]
During the production ofSouth 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 feministJill 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 akilt, declaring him to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.[117] He also shared a mutual attraction with jazz singerMaxine 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 the Australian actressDiane Cilento from 1962 to 1973,[119] though they separated in 1971.[120] They had a son, the actorJason Connery. Connery illustrated the cover of Cilento's 1967 novel:The Manipulator.[121] Connery was separated in the early 1970s when he datedDyan Cannon,[122]Jill St. John,[123]Lana Wood,[124]Carole Mallory,[125] andMagda 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 theScottish Parliament in 2006 because of controversy over his alleged support of abuse of women. He denied claims he toldPlayboy 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 toVanity 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 toldThe Times, "I don't believe that any level of abuse of women is ever justified under any circumstances. Full stop".[129]
Connery was married to the 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 songwriterLynsey de Paul, which she later regretted due to his views concerning domestic violence.[133]
Connery wasknighted by Queen Elizabeth II at an investiture ceremony atHolyrood 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 byDonald Dewar owing to Connery's political views.[66][139] Connery had a villa inKranidi, Greece. His neighbour was KingWillem-Alexander of the Netherlands, with whom he shared a helicopter platform.[140]Michael Caine (who co-starred with Connery inThe Man Who Would Be King in 1975) was among Connery's closest friends.[141]
Growing up, Connery supported the Scottish football clubCeltic 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 toCeltic'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] The English professional golferPeter Alliss gave Connery golf lessons before the filming of the 1964 James Bond filmGoldfinger, which involved a scene where Connery, as Bond, played golf against the gold magnateAuric Goldfinger atStoke Park Golf Club inBuckinghamshire.[143] The golf scene saw him wear aSlazenger 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] The record major championship winner and golf course designerJack 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 driverJackie Stewart helped me open our design of the PGA Centenary Course atGleneagles 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-leftScottish National Party (SNP),[146][147] which supportsScottish 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 toGeorge Leslie, the SNP candidate in the1967 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 theBritish Parliament passed legislation prohibiting overseas funding of political activities in the United Kingdom.[148]
Tax status
In response to accusations that he was atax exile, Connery released documents in 2003 showing he had paid £3.7 million inUK 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 the2014 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 hisMarbella villa in 1999, Spanish authorities launched a tax evasion investigation, alleging that theSpanish 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 theLyford Cay community ofNassau in the Bahamas.[1][2] His death was announced by his family andEon 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 haddementia in his final years.[159][160] Connery'sdeath certificate was obtained byTMZ a month after his death, showing the cause of death waspneumonia 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]
In 2004, a poll in the UKSunday Herald recognised Connery as "The Greatest Living Scot"[172] and a 2011EuroMillions survey named him "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure".[173] He was voted byPeople magazine as the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century" in 1999.[174] If the non-Eon Bond movieNever Say Never Again is included, Connery shares the record for the most portrayals as James Bond withRoger 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, theEdinburgh International Film Festival established an annual award in Connery's honour. TheSean 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 premieres at the festival each year.[176]
^Kohn, George C. (2001)The New Encyclopedia of American Scandal. Facts on File: Library of American History New York: Infobase Publishing (revised ed.), p. 388.[ISBN missing]
^Turner, Lana. (1982)Lana: The Lady, the Legend, the Truth, New York: Dutton (1st ed.) p. 170.[ISBN missing]
^Van Wagner, Danielle (2004). Fischlin, Daniel (ed.)."Macbeth".Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project. University of Guelph. Archived fromthe original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved22 April 2018.
^Telotte, J.P.; Duchovnay, Gerald (2015).Science Fiction Double Feature: The Science Fiction Film as Cult Text. Oxford University Press. p. 75.ISBN978-1-78138-183-0.
^"Zardoz".High-Def Digest. Retrieved14 November 2020.
^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.ISBN978-0-7546-7592-1.
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