Sean Connery Dies at 90

Screen legend Sir Sean Connery has passed away at the age of 90 in the Bahamas. A statement from his publicist, Nancy Seltzer, noted that Connery “died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family.” The Scottish actor’s career spanned more than fifty years, earning his first acting credits in 1954 and a final mention for voicing the title character in the animated production Sir Billi in 2012. He was knighted in 2000 by Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland.

Connery may best be remembered as the original James Bond, making his first appearance in Dr. No in 1962. He starred in four subsequent films and then returned to replace onetime Bond George Lazenby in his last Bond appearance, 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. Later roles included 1996’s The Rock and 2000’s Finding Forrester.

Connery won an Oscar on his only nomination, for 1987’s The Untouchables. He was nominated again two years later at the Golden Globes for playing the father of the signature archeologist in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He tied with Charles Bronson for the HFPA’s World Film Favorite – Male honor in 1971 after two previous nominations, and was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1995. BAFTA bestowed on him an Academy Fellowship Award in 1997, and, in addition to the above mentioned performances, he twice contended for Best Actor with the British Academy, winning in 1987 for The Name of the Rose and nominated in 1990 for The Hunt for Red October.

The official 007 Twitter account paid tribute to Connery’s eternal imprint on the franchise and cinema in general, remembering his first “unforgettable words: ‘The name’s Bond…James Bond’” and how he “revolutionised the world with his gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent.”

RIP

Which of Connery’s lines do you remember most, and what are your favorite films of his?