Sean Connery

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25,1930 in Edinburgh, Scotland) better known simply as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor who has starred in many films and is best known as the original cinematic James Bond. His birth name was Thomas Connery. The name "Sean" was added later as a stage name.

James Bond

Connery is well known to audiences around the world for his role as James Bond. He first appeared as agent 007 in Dr. No (1962) and subsequently played Bond in several sequels.

Related Topics:
James Bond - 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 unofficial)

Connery was discovered by Harry Saltzman after numerous names as possible contenders for Bond were thrown or ruled out, including Roger Moore, David Niven, Cary Grant, and many others. Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond pays tribute to Connery in his 1963 novel, On Her Majesty's Secret Service by stating that 007's surname as well as his father, was Scottish.

Related Topics:
Harry Saltzman - Roger Moore - David Niven - Cary Grant - Ian Fleming - On Her Majesty's Secret Service

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1967 Connery quit the role of Bond, which lead to Albert R. Broccoli hiring George Lazenby to continue the film franchise in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. After the film's release, however, Lazenby backed out of a seven film contract. Broccoli again asked Connery to return to the role and paid him $1.25 million plus 12.5% of the film's profits, or about $6 million total to do so, at the time the highest salary of any actor. Connery returned one final official time in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, quitting the role shortly after release.

Related Topics:
1967 - Albert R. Broccoli - George Lazenby - 1969 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 1971 - Diamonds Are Forever

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Due to, and at the height of an ongoing legal battle between Broccoli's EON Productions and Kevin McClory (co-writer of Thunderball), McClory was allowed to create a remake of Thunderball after a 10 year span after the release of Thunderball In the late 1970s McClory teamed with Connery to write an original James Bond film. The project never got off the ground due to further lawsuits brought about by United Artists; however, in 1983 Connery teamed with McClory again to play the role of secret agent James Bond 007 for the seventh and final time in the unofficial film and remake Never Say Never Again. The title of the film has long believed to have derived from Connery's comments after the release of Diamonds Are Forever who after filming it, claimed he would never play James Bond again. (For the legal battle see the controversy of Thunderball)

Related Topics:
EON Productions - Kevin McClory - Thunderball - United Artists - 1983 - Never Say Never Again - The controversy of Thunderball

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In March 2005, it was announced that Connery would return to his most famous role one more time, providing the voice of James Bond for an upcoming video game adaptation of From Russia With Love.

Related Topics:
Video game - From Russia With Love

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Over 40 years since he first played the role, Connery is still widely regarded as the definitive cinematic incarnation of James Bond, despite credible interpretations of the character by the likes of Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and what many believe to be a more authentic literary performance by Timothy Dalton.

Related Topics:
Roger Moore - Pierce Brosnan - Timothy Dalton

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~