Sean Connery played 007 in seven films. (Image courtesy: RealHughJackman)
Highlights
- Sean Connery died on Saturday
- He had reportedly been ill for some time
- He reportedly died in his sleep
Sir Sean Connery, the original and, for many, the only screen James Bond, has died. He was 90. A verified Twitter handle for the James Bond franchise shared this statement on behalf of producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson: "We are devastated by the news of the passing of Sir Sean Connery. He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words - "The name's Bond... James Bond" - he revolutionised 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."
Sir Sean Connery died in his sleep, reported BBC. The actor's son Jason Connery told BBC, "We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time. A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor."
Tributes to Sean Connery, who played 007 in seven films, have flooded social media. Among them was one from Abhishek Bachchan who tweeted: "We lost another legend today. After watching Highlander I hoped he'd remain immortal. He will live on through his immense work. RIP Sean Connery. There will never be a better Bond than you." A legacy account maintained for Sir Roger Moore who died in 2017 tweeted: "How infinitely sad to hear the news Sir Sean Connery has passed away. He and Roger were friends for many decades and Roger always maintained Sean was the best ever James Bond. RIP." Sir Roger Moore played 007 in seven films including Octopussy, which was set in India.
Sir Sean Connery, known for his distinctive Scottish accent, made the role of super spy James Bond iconic but was also admired for his many other memorable performances - among them the film Entrapment, The Hunt For Red October, Finding Forrester, Highlander, The Man Who Would Be King, The Name Of The Rose and The Untouchables. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1988 for his performance as an Irish police officer in The Untouchables.
Sir Sean Connery's portrayal of Indiana Jones' father Professor Henry Jones in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade became a fan favourite, as did his appearance in the ensemble cast of the 1974 adaptation of Murder On The Orient Express. His most famous role - also his breakout - however was as James Bond, playing the agent with a licence to kill in Dr No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever and Never Say Never Again. The last film was the only Bond film not to be produced by Eon Productions which has made every other 007 film before or since - it was a cheeky reference to Sir Sean having quit the role of James Bond only to return to it one last time.