On This Day

Birthday of Sean Connery

August 25th 1930

10:12 25 August 2024

Scottish actor Sean Connery was born on this day in 1930. Connery is still probably best known for portraying James Bond, having appeared as 007 seven times between 1962 and 1983. Connery began his acting career in the early 1950s as a film extra as well as playing minor roles in British television dramas. His first leading role came in 1957 in the BBC drama 'Blood Money' which in turn led to bigger and better parts in film bringing him to the attention of Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Despite reservations from the producers and Bond creator Ian Fleming who considered Connery unsuitable, he landed the role in part thanks to Broccoli's wife Dana who persuaded her husband that Sean Connery was the actor who should play James Bond. His tenure as Bond was interspersed with starring roles in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Marnie' (1964) and the World War 2 drama 'The Hill' (1965) among others.

The 1970s saw Connery move away from the suave Bond image with starring roles in a wide-ranging series of films including 'The Offence' (1973), 'Zardoz' (1974), 'The Man Who Would Be King' (1975) and 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977). In 1983, after a twelve year hiatus, he returned as 007 in the unofficial Bond film 'Never Say Never Again'. The 80s also brought starring roles in 'Highlander' (1986), 'The Name of the Rose' (1986) and his Academy Award winning role as a tough Irish-American cop in Brian De Palma's 'The Untouchables' (1987) as well as playing Indiana Jones father in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989).

He remained a major international star throughout the 90s and into the new millennium with leading roles in 'The Hunt for Red October' (1990), 'The Rock' (1996) and 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' (2003). Sean Connery died peacefully in his sleep at his home in the Bahamas after a long illness in 2020.