Career Sean Connery

1 career

1.1 1950s
1.2 james bond: 1962–1971, 1983
1.3 beyond bond
1.4 retirement

career
1950s

looking pick money, connery helped out backstage @ king s theatre in late 1951. became interested in proceedings, , career launched. during bodybuilding competition held in london in 1953, 1 of competitors mentioned auditions being held production of south pacific, , connery landed small part 1 of seabees chorus boys. time production reached edinburgh, had been given part of marine cpl hamilton steeves , understudying 2 of juvenile leads, , salary raised £12 £14–10s week. production returned following year out of popular demand, , connery promoted featured role of lieutenant buzz adams, larry hagman had portrayed in west end. while in edinburgh, connery targeted notorious valdor gang, 1 of ruthless gangs in city. first approached them in billiard hall on lothian street prevented them stealing jacket , later followed 6 gang members 15 ft high balcony @ palais. there connery launched attack singlehandedly against gang members, grabbing 1 throat , biceps , cracked heads together. on treated great respect gang , gained reputation hard man .

connery first met michael caine @ party during production of south pacific in 1954, , 2 later become close friends. during production of south pacific @ opera house, manchester on christmas period of 1954, connery developed serious interest in theatre through american actor robert henderson lent him copies of henrik ibsen works hedda gabler, wild duck, , when dead awaken, , later listed works likes of marcel proust, leo tolstoy, ivan turgenev, george bernard shaw, james joyce , william shakespeare him digest. henderson urged him take elocution lessons , got him parts @ maida vale theatre in london. in addition, had begun pursuing film career, having been in herbert wilcox s 1954 musical lilacs in spring alongside anna neagle.

although connery had secured several roles extras, struggling make ends meet, , forced accept part-time job babysitter journalist peter noble , actress wife mary, earned him 10 shillings night. met hollywood actor shelley winters 1 night @ noble s house, described connery 1 of tallest , charming , masculine scotsmen d ever seen, , later spent many evenings connery brothers drinking beer. around time connery residing @ tv presenter llew gardner s house. henderson landed connery role in £6 week q theatre production of agatha christie s witness prosecution, during met , became friends fellow-scot ian bannen. role followed point of departure , witch in time @ kew, role pentheus opposite yvonne mitchell in bacchae @ oxford playhouse, , role opposite jill bennett in eugene o neill s production of anna christie. during time @ oxford theatre, connery won brief part boxer in tv series square ring, before being spotted canadian director alvin rakoff gave him multiple roles in condemned, shot on location in dover in kent. in 1956, connery appeared in theatrical production of epitaph, , played minor role hoodlum in ladies of manor episode of bbc television police series dixon of dock green. followed small television parts in sailor of fortune , jack benny program.

in spring of 1957, connery hired agent richard hatton got him role spike, minor gangster speech impediment in montgomery tully s no road alongside skip homeier, paul carpenter, patricia dainton , norman wooland. in april 1957, rakoff—after being disappointed jack palance—decided give young actor first chance in leading role, , cast connery mountain mclintock in bbc tv s outstanding production of requiem heavyweight, starred warren mitchell , jacqueline hill. played rogue lorry driver, johnny yates, in cy endfield s hell drivers (1957) alongside stanley baker, herbert lom, peggy cummins , patrick mcgoohan. later in 1957, connery appeared in terence young s poorly received mgm action picture action of tiger opposite van johnson, martine carol, herbert lom , gustavo rojo; film shot on location in southern spain. had minor role in gerald thomas s thriller time lock (1957) welder, appearing alongside robert beatty, lee patterson, betty mcdowall , vincent winter; commenced filming on 1 december 1956 @ beaconsfield studios.

he had major role in melodrama time, place (1958) british reporter named mark trevor, caught in love affair opposite lana turner , barry sullivan. during filming, star lana turner s possessive gangster boyfriend, johnny stompanato, visiting los angeles, believed having affair connery. stormed onto set , pointed gun @ connery, have connery disarm him , knock him flat on back. stompanato banned set. connery later recounted had lie low while after receiving threats men linked stompanato s boss, mickey cohen.

in 1959, connery landed leading role in robert stevenson s walt disney productions film darby o gill , little people (1959) alongside albert sharpe, janet munro, , jimmy o dea. film tale wily irishman , battle of wits leprechauns. upon film s initial release, a. h. weiler of new york times praised cast (save connery whom described merely tall, dark, , handsome ) , thought film overpoweringly charming concoction of standard gaelic tall stories, fantasy , romance. . in book disney films, film critic , historian leonard maltin stated that, darby o gill , little people not 1 of disney s best films, 1 of best fantasies ever put on film. had prominent television roles in rudolph cartier s 1961 productions of adventure story , anna karenina bbc television, in latter of co-starred claire bloom.

james bond: 1962–1971, 1983

connery during filming diamonds forever in 1971

connery s breakthrough came in role of british secret agent james bond. reluctant commit film series, understood if films succeeded, career benefit. played 007 in first 5 bond films: dr. no (1962), russia love (1963), goldfinger (1964), thunderball (1965), , live twice (1967) – appeared again bond in diamonds forever (1971) , never never again (1983). 7 films commercially successful. james bond, portrayed connery, selected third-greatest hero in cinema history american film institute.

connery s selection role of james bond owed lot dana broccoli, wife of producer cubby broccoli, reputed have been instrumental in persuading husband sean connery right man. james bond s creator, ian fleming, doubted connery s casting, saying, s not envisioned of james bond looks , , m looking commander bond , not overgrown stunt-man , adding connery (muscular, 6 2 , , scot) unrefined. fleming s girlfriend told him connery had requisite sexual charisma, , fleming changed mind after successful dr. no première. impressed, created half-scottish, half-swiss heritage bond in later novels.

connery s portrayal of bond owes stylistic tutelage director terence young, helped polish actor while using physical grace , presence action. lois maxwell, played miss moneypenny, related terence took sean under wing. took him dinner, showed him how walk, how talk, how eat. tutoring successful; connery received thousands of fan letters week, , actor became 1 of great male sex symbols of film.

during filming of thunderball in 1965, connery s life in danger in sequence sharks in emilio largo s pool. had been concerned threat when read script. connery insisted ken adam build special plexiglas partition inside pool, not fixed structure, , 1 of sharks managed pass through it. had abandon pool immediately.

in 2005, russia love adapted electronic arts video game, titled james bond 007: russia love, featured all-new voice work connery likeness, , of several of film s supporting cast.

beyond bond

connery starring in alfred hitchcock s marnie

although bond had made him star, connery grew tired of role , pressure franchise put on him, saying [i am] fed here whole bond bit , have hated damned james bond. d kill him . michael caine said of situation, if friend in these days didn t raise subject of bond. was, , is, better actor playing james bond, became synonymous bond. d walking down street , people say, look, there s james bond. particularly upsetting him.

while making bond films, connery starred in other acclaimed films such alfred hitchcock s marnie (1964) , hill (1965). having played bond 6 times connery s global popularity such shared golden globe henrietta award charles bronson world film favorite – male in 1972. apart man king , wind , lion, both released in 1975, , robin , marian (1976) played robin hood , starred opposite audrey hepburn played maid marian, of connery s successes in next decade part of ensemble casts in films such murder on orient express (1974) vanessa redgrave , john gielgud, , bridge far (1977) co-starring dirk bogarde , laurence olivier.

in 1981, connery appeared in film time bandits agamemnon. casting choice derives joke michael palin included in script, in describes character removing mask being sean connery — or of equal cheaper stature . when shown script, connery happy play supporting role. in 1982, connery narrated g olé!, official film of 1982 fifa world cup.

connery @ 1988 academy awards

connery agreed reprise bond aging agent 007 in never never again, released in october 1983. title, contributed wife, refers earlier statement never again play bond. although film performed @ box office, plagued production problems: strife between director , producer, financial problems, fleming estate trustees attempts halt film, , connery s wrist being broken fight choreographer, steven seagal. result of negative experiences during filming, connery became unhappy major studios , did not make films 2 years. following successful european production name of rose (1986), won bafta award, connery s interest in more commercial material revived. same year, supporting role in highlander showcased ability play older mentors younger leads, become recurring role in many of later films. following year, acclaimed performance hard-nosed irish-american cop in untouchables (1987) earned him academy award best supporting actor, sole nomination throughout career. fellow nominees included morgan freeman , denzel washington, both of whom go on win award. subsequent box-office hits included indiana jones , last crusade (1989), in played henry jones, sr., title character s father, hunt red october (1990) (where reportedly called in @ 2 weeks notice), russia house (1990), rock (1996), , entrapment (1999). in 1996, voiced role of draco dragon in film dragonheart. in 1998, connery received bafta academy fellowship award.

connery in 2004 @ tartan day celebration in washington d.c. members of usaf reserve pipes , drums.

connery s later films included several box office , critical disappointments such first knight (1995), cause (1995), avengers (1998), , league of extraordinary gentlemen (2003), received positive reviews, including performance in finding forrester (2000). received crystal globe outstanding artistic contribution world cinema.

connery stated in interviews offered role in lord of rings series, declining owing not understanding script . cnn reported actor offered 15% of worldwide box office receipts play gandalf, which—had accepted—could have earned him as $400 million trilogy. connery s disillusionment idiots making films in hollywood cited reason eventual decision retire film-making.

retirement

when connery received american film institute s lifetime achievement award on 8 june 2006, confirmed retirement acting. on 7 june 2007, denied rumours appear in fourth indiana jones film, stating retirement damned fun .

connery returned voice acting, playing title character in animated short sir billi vet, , in 2005 recorded voiceovers new video game version of bond film russia love. in interview on game disc, connery stated happy producers of game (ea games) had approached him voice bond , hoped 1 in near future. in 2010, reprised role in expanded 80-minute version of sir billi, serving executive producer. in 2010, bronze bust sculpture of connery placed in tallinn, capital city of estonia.

in film transformers: dark of moon, character sentinel prime s features based on connery. when leonard nimoy voice role, however, effects altered incorporate nimoy s acting well.