Sean Connery

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25, 1930 in Edinburgh, Scotland) better known simply as Sean Connery, is a Scottish film actor who has starred in many Hollywood films.

Connery is well known to audiences around the world for his role as James Bond. Connery first appeared as Bond in Dr. No (1962), and played Bond in several other films:

• From Russia With Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)

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, and Pierce Brosnan.

Connery has also appeared in other major films, including:

• Another Time, Another Place (1958)
• Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)
• Marnie (1964, directed by Alfred Hitchcock)
• Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
• Zardoz (1974)
• The Wind and the Lion (1975)
• The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
• Robin and Marian (1976)
• Outland (1981)
• Highlander (1986)
• The Name of the Rose (1986); his performance earned him an BAFTA Award for Best Actor
• The Untouchables (1987); this performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor)
• The Presidio (1988)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
• The Hunt for Red October (1990)
• The Russia House (1990)
• The Rock (1996)
• Entrapment (1999)
• Finding Forrester (2000)
• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Connery is known for his trademark Scottish accent and his good looks, repeatedly being mentioned as one of the most attractive men alive by magazines even after he was considerably older than more conventional sex symbols.

Personal life

Connery was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He joined the Royal Navy after leaving school, and after being discharged on medical grounds went on to a succession of jobs, including labourer and lifeguard. He competed for Scotland in the Mr. Universe competition in 1953, which led to work on the stage, TV, and eventually film.

He has long advocated greater independence for Scotland, and has supported the Scottish National Party, a centre-left political party founded to serve Scotland, financially and through personal appearances despite himself living in the Bahamas. This support is illustrated by a comment from his official website:

While it is generally accepted that his support of Scotland's independence and the Scottish National Party delayed his knighthood for many years, his commitment to Scotland has never wavered. Politics in the United Kingdom often has more intrigue than a James Bond plot. While Scotland is not yet independent, she does have a new parliament. Sir Sean campaigned hard for the yes vote during the Scottish Referendum that created the new Scottish Parliament. He believes firmly that the Scottish Parliament will grow in power and that Scotland will be independent within his lifetime.[1] (http://www.seanconnery.com/biography/knighthood/)

Connery received the Legion D'Honneur in 1991. He received Kennedy Center Honors from the United States in 1999. He was knighted on July 5, 2000, wearing a hunting tartan kilt of the MacLean of Duart clan .

He was married to Australian-born actress Diane Cilento from 1962 until 1973; they are the parents of actor Jason Connery. He has been married to French-Moroccan artist Micheline Roquebrune Connery since 1975.

In September 2004, media reports indicated that Connery intended to retire following the production of Josiah's Canon, which is to be released in 2005. However, in a December 2004 interview with The Scotsman newspaper, the 74-year-old actor denied he was retiring and said he still plans to do more movies, but that he is taking a break from acting in order to concentrate on writing his autobiography.