Connery, Sean Connery

Permalink 0

So I am the first to admit that I am a little obsessed with James Bond, and in particular Sean Connery. I remember when I was about 20 years old and I was on vacation and I thought I saw Sean Connery sitting across at a restaurant. It turned out it wasn’t him, just a very handsome older man, and even though it wasn’t him, I still felt inspired at the prospect that it could have been! What a dreamer!

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1930 as Thomas Sean Connery he adopted his middle name Sean. In 2000 he was knighted and is now known as Sir Thomas Sean Connery. I always feel a knighthood is appropriate for the man who inspired me from such a young age and continues to this very day. His bluntness and honesty I have so much respect for. Connery’s work is not at all self indulgent and as such “…he has donated to and supported literally hundreds of charities. One little known fact about Sir Sean’s philanthropy is that he donated his entire salary (well over $1 million) from his Bond film Diamonds Are Forever to the Scottish International Educational Trust which he co-founded. This generous grant — like his many other gifts — has benefited the lives of thousand of ordinary Scots.”

Whilst Connery played the role of James Bond in seven Bond films between 1962-1983, he also had roles in films connected to some other notable people I am inspired by. Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Marnie’ , and in the 1974 film ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ as Colonel Arbuthnott, based on Agatha Christie’s novel. Connery also had a small part in Agatha Christie’s ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ at the Q Theatre in West London early in his career. Hitchcock and Christie have been a huge influence on my life and it was great to see the combinations of that inspiration.

It has been said that Connery had the assistance of director Terence Young who helped with his styling and etiquette to help align him with the class and style that is James Bond. Here are some of my favourite images of Sean Connery from over the years. Enjoy!