Connery, Sir Sean

Connery, Sir Sean
orig. Thomas Connery

born Aug. 25, 1930, Edinburgh, Scot.

Scottish actor.

He worked at odd jobs and entered bodybuilding competitions before making his London stage debut in the chorus of South Pacific (1951). After several minor roles, Connery starred as James Bond in the film version of Ian Fleming's Dr. No (1962) and went on to play secret agent 007 in six other films. A compelling character actor as well as a perennial sex symbol, he acted in films such as The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Name of the Rose (1986), The Untouchables (1987, Academy Award), and Finding Forrester (2000).

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▪ British actor
original name  Thomas Connery 
born Aug. 25, 1930, Edinburgh, Scot.
 
 Scottish-born actor whose popularity in James Bond spy thrillers led to a successful, decades-long film career.

      After a three-year stint in the navy and a series of odd jobs, Connery became a model for student artists and men's fashion catalogs. He represented Scotland in the 1953 Mr. Universe contest (he finished third in the tall-man's division), which in turn led to work as an extra in stage productions. In 1954 he landed a small part in a touring production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific and eventually took the leading role. More stage and television work followed, including a much-praised performance as washed-up boxer Mountain Rivera in the BBC television production of Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight. Connery made his film debut in Lilacs in the Spring (1955; also released as Let's Make Up) and received top billing for the first time in On the Fiddle (1961; also released as Operation Snafu). His other notable films of the period include the Disney fantasy Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) and the World War II epic The Longest Day (1962).

      In 1962 Connery was cast in the role of James Bond, agent 007 of the British secret service, in the screen adaptation of Ian Fleming (Fleming, Ian)'s spy thriller Dr. No. The immense success of the film and its immediate sequels, From Russia with Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964), established the James Bond films as a worldwide phenomenon and Connery as an international celebrity. Not wanting to be typecast as the superspy, Connery continued to take other acting roles, notably in Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock, Sir Alfred)'s psychological thriller Marnie (1964). After completing the next two James Bond films, Thunderball (1965) and You Only Live Twice (1967), Connery renounced the role of Bond. Four years later, however, he was persuaded to return to the role for Diamonds Are Forever (1971), which he declared was his last movie as Bond.

      He spent the 1970s playing mostly in period dramas and science-fiction films, the best among them being The Molly Maguires (1970), Zardoz (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Wind and the Lion (1975), Robin and Marian (1976), and The First Great Train Robbery (1979; also released as The Great Train Robbery). In 1981 he made a memorable appearance as King Agamemnon in Terry Gilliam's time-travel fantasy Time Bandits, and two years later he delighted Bond fans by returning to the role of 007 in the slyly titled Never Say Never Again (1983).

      Two films in the mid-1980s reestablished him as a major star. He won a British Academy Film Award for his portrayal of a monk turned detective in the film adaptation of Umberto Eco (Eco, Umberto)'s The Name of the Rose (1986) and followed this with a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as a veteran Chicago cop in pursuit of Al Capone in The Untouchables (1987). In Steven Spielberg (Spielberg, Steven)'s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Connery played the title figure's father, and in The Hunt for Red October (1990), a defecting Russian submarine captain. Connery's memorable films of the 1990s include Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), First Knight (1995), The Rock (1996), Dragonheart (1996), and Entrapment (1999).

      Connery received a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement in 1999 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000.

Additional Reading
Andrew Yule, Sean Connery: From 007 to Hollywood Icon (1992; also published as Sean Connery: Neither Shaken nor Stirred, 1993).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Connery, Sir Sean — orig. Thomas Connery (n. 25 ago. 1930, Edimburgo, Escocia). Actor escocés. Trabajó en diversos oficios y participó en competencias de físicoculturismo antes de debutar en el teatro en el coro de la comedia musical Al Sur del Pacífico (1951), en… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • sir — /serr/, n. 1. a respectful or formal term of address used to a man: No, sir. 2. (cap.) the distinctive title of a knight or baronet: Sir Walter Scott. 3. (cap.) a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times: Sir Pandarus of Troy …   Universalium

  • sir — (Voz inglesa.) ► sustantivo masculino Tratamiento honorífico empleado por los británicos. * * * sir (ingl.; pronunc. [ser]) m. *Tratamiento de respeto usado en Inglaterra delante de un nombre de hombre o para dirigirse a la persona de que se… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sean — /shawn/, n. a male given name, form of John. * * * (as used in expressions) Connery Sir Sean Sean Aloysius O Feeney O Casey Sean O Faolain Sean * * * …   Universalium

  • Sean — (as used in expressions) Connery, Sir Sean Sean Aloysius O Feeney O Casey, Sean O Faolain, Sean …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sean Connery — Sir Sean Connery Sean Connery a los 50 años (10 de diciembre de 1980) …   Wikipedia Español

  • Sean Connery — beim International Film Festival in Edinburgh (2008) Sir Thomas Sean Connery (* 25. August 1930 in Edinburgh) ist ein schottischer Schauspieler, Filmproduzent und Oscar Preisträger. Nachdem er in den 1960er Jahren zunächst in der Rolle des… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Connery, Sean — ▪ 2000       In April 1999 Scottish motion picture star Sean Connery cemented his legendary status as an actor when he placed his hand and footprints in the sidewalk outside Mann s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. “The most important day of my… …   Universalium

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