Sean Connery was born on August 25, 1930 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He grew up in poor conditions, left school early and got by with odd jobs. The young Sean started with professional bodybuilding and in 1950 even reached third place in the “Mister Universe” competition. His well-trained body and of course his charisma helped him make the leap into the film industry. In 1962, Connery became the first Bond.
For the agent role in the first Bond film “James Bond chases Dr. No” (1962), the then still unknown Connery prevailed against Hollywood legends like Cary Grant. The 1.1 million cost production based on the popular novel series by Ian Fleming was a great success – and Connery became an overnight star.
Connery was also well received by women. His first marriage to the Australian actress Diane Cilento lasted from 1962 to 1973. This relationship resulted in their son Jason Connery, who is now an actor and director.
The second Bond, “Greetings from Moscow”, was shot in 1963. The film, in which 007 is commissioned to obtain a Russian deciphering machine, surpassed the box office results of the first part. The “Bond girl culture” also took off Here in the picture: The Russian special agent Tatiana “Tanja” Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), with whom Bond can flee to Venice in the end.
“Goldfinger” (1964) finally triggered a worldwide Bond mania. To this day, the film is considered the Bond against which all later 007 films have to be measured – also through the acting performance of Sean Connery. Also unforgettable: Gert Fröbe as the megalomaniac Bond villain Goldfinger.
“You Only Live Twice” was the first Bond film to premier Queen Elizabeth II in Leicester Square, London. In 2000 Connery met the Queen again: on July 5th, she beat him for his services to the “Knight Bachelor”, which from then on earned him the title of “Sir”. The ceremony took place in his hometown of Edinburgh.
In 1975 Connery married the painter Micheline Roquebrune. The marriage lasted until one death, the couple remained childless. However, Roquebrune brought three children into the relationship.
In the 1960s, Connery couldn’t land a box-office hit with any other flick other than the Bond films. Still, he didn’t want to stay Bond forever. In the 1970s, he gradually sharpened his profile as a character actor in films such as “Verflucht bis zum Jungs Tag” (1970) or as shown here in the Agatha Christie film adaptation “Mord im Orient-Express” (1974).
In 1983, in “Never Say Never”, the audience saw Sean Connery, an aged and graying Bond. It is the seventh and final 007 role that he took on. As expected, the film was a success. For many Bond fans, Connery’s performance is by far the best and most mature interpretation of the legendary secret agent.
Even after the Bond era, Sean Connery had numerous successes: The film “The Name of the Rose” (1986) was particularly successful in Europe, in which he played the detective monk William von Baskerville. For his role of the patrolman Jim Malone in the gangster thriller “The Untouchables” (1987, picture) he received the Oscar for best supporting actor.
When planning the third Indiana Jones film, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989), Steven Spielberg wanted Connery to play the unfamiliar Professor Jones from the start. So he tailored the role exactly to Connery. The film became one of the box office hits of the year and is still cult today. Interesting aspect: “Indiana Jones” actor Harrison Ford is only twelve years younger than his film dad.
In the 1990s, Sean Connery helped make films such as “Hunt for Red October” (1990), “The Cradle of the Sun” (1993) or “The Rock – The Rock of Decision” (1996) still popular today are. He was also voted the Sexiest Man of the Century in 1999 by People magazine. For the last time as an actor he was seen in “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003, picture).
Connery, who described himself as a Scottish patriot and has always stood up for the interests of his homeland and compatriots, stayed largely away from the public. However, he was passionate about attending tennis tournaments, like the US Open in New York in 2015.
