Sir Sean Connery, the Academy Award-winning actor who originated the iconic role of James Bond, died on Saturday at the age of 90.
Connery’s death was confirmed to the BBC [1] by his son Jason, who said that his father died peacefully in his sleep in the Bahamas after having been “unwell for some time.” He added that the actor “had many of his family who could be in the Bahamas around him” when he passed away overnight.
“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,” Jason said. “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.”
Sir Sean Connery has died at the age of 90. He was the first actor to play James Bond on the big screen in Dr. No in 1962, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever followed. pic.twitter.com/VaFPHCM5Ou [2]
— James Bond (@007) October 31, 2020 [3]
Born in Scotland in 1930, Connery became an international star overnight when he originated the role of James Bond in the 1962 movie Dr. No. He would go on to play the role in five more official James Bond movies before going on to have a successful career in other beloved movies like The Hunt for Red October and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Connery’s Oscar came in 1988, when he won the Best Supporting Actor award for his work in the movie The Untouchables.
The actor was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood Palace in 2000, and he celebrated his 90th birthday back in August. He was a supporter of Scottish independence all his life, often saying that he would consider returning to his home country from the Bahamas to live if it broke away from the United Kingdom.
“I was heartbroken to learn this morning of the passing of Sir Sean Connery,” said Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. “Our nation today mourns one of her best loved sons.”
Thank you
Mr.Sean Connery#RIP [4] pic.twitter.com/C3yCz1gjgl [5]— Ali Salat (@Just_ali84) October 31, 2020 [6]
Connery appeared in his final movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in 2003. The New York Times [7] reported that two years later, he said he was retiring from acting for good, but not because of his age. Instead, he said he was done because of the “idiots now making films in Hollywood.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever act again,” he said in 2010. “I have so many wonderful memories, but those days are over.”
In the end, Connery had a decades-long career in movies and died with 94 credits to his name. He summed up his career best in 1987, when he said, “My strength as an actor, I think, is that I’ve stayed close to the core of myself.”
This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com [8] and is used by permission.
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