Connery dies aged 90
Sir Sean Connery, James Bond actor, being the first to bring the role to the big screen and appearing in seven of the spy thrillers. The Scottish star died peacefully in his sleep in the Bahamas, having been “unwell for some time”, his son said.
Daniel Craig the current James Bond said Sir Sean was “one of the true greats of cinema, and will be remembered as Bond and so much more. He defined an era and a style. The wit and charm he portrayed on screen could be measured in megawatts, he helped create the modern blockbuster”.
Dame Shirley Bassey, who sang the themes to three Bond films including Goldfinger, paid tribute saying: “ I’m incredibly saddened to hear of Sean’s passing. My thoughts are with his family. He was a wonderful person, a true gentleman, and we will be forever connected by Bond.”
Sir Sean, from Fountbridge in Edinburgh, had his first major film appearance in 1957 British gangster film No Road Back.
He first played James Bond in Dr No in 1962 as he made the character of James Bond his own, blending ruthlessness with sardonic wit, and went on to appear in five other official films and the unofficial Never Say Never Again in 1983. He was largely regarded as being the best actor to have played 007 in the long-running franchise, often being named as such in polls.
He was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood Palace in 2000, in August, he celebrated his 90th birthday.
His acting career spanned five decades and he won the Oscar in 1988 for his role in The Untouchables. Sir Sean’s other films included The Hunt for Red October, Highlander, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Rock. His bond films included
Dr No ( 1962), From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Never Say Never Again (1983).
Sir Sean, was born into a working class Edinburgh family, started as a milkman and footballer before opting for the acting career, through sheer hardwork and tale nt became an international icon and one of the world’s most accomplished actors. Sir Sean was a long time supporter of Scottish independence saying in interviews in the run up to the 2014 referendum that he might return from his Bahamas home to live in Scotland it if voted to break away from the rest of the UK.