James Bond star Sean Connery dies at 90: ‘One of the real greats of cinema’

Sean Connery, most famous for his portrayal of James Bond, died at the age of 90, his family said Saturday. The actor, who played 007 in seven movies From 1962 Dr. No, he died in his sleep in the Bahamas. The actor had been “ill for some time,” his son Jason told the BBC.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Connery had an acting career that spanned decades and included multiple award-winning performances. He won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his work in The Untouchables in 1988 and won three Golden Globes. He also acted opposite Harrison Ford in 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in which he played Jones’ father.

Connery was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. He largely retired from acting that decade, but last played Bond via voice-over in the 2005 video game adaptation of From Russia With Love. His last role was a voiceover in the 2012 Scottish animated film Sir Billi.

Over the years, he appeared in dozens of films, working with directors from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Steven Spielberg and Brian De Palma. In his pre-Bond work, he was probably best known for a Disney movie about goblins, Darby O’Gill and the Little People from 1959.

It was his appearance in Dr. No, the first big screen adaptation of one of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, that catapulted Connery to stardom. It followed in rapid succession with From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice, over a span of five years. He walked away from the role, yielding the title of 007 to George Lazenby for a movie, then returned in 1971 in Diamonds Are Forever.

Connery made one more comeback as Bond, starring in 1983’s Never Say Never Again (a reworking of Thunderball), which is said to have taken its name from Connery’s earlier opposition to returning to the role and then giving in.

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Although other notable actors, including Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig, have played james bond, Connery has been widely considered the definitive 007. He brought a distinctive blend of smooth sophistication and steely brutality to the role, and his performances became the yardstick by which his successors were judged.

In his later years, he performed performances that were almost as iconic. Often bearded where Bond was clean-shaven, but sometimes almost as physical as the British secret agent, he brought authority and wit to films such as The Name of the Rose, The Untouchables, The Hunt for Red October and The Rock, along with his turn into the Indiana Jones series.

Tributes to Connery

Many paid tribute to the actor online, including current James Bond Daniel Craig, who called Connery “one of the real greats of cinema.”

Another Bond actor, George Lazenby, who was the first to take on the role after Connery’s great success, also offered his condolences. He noted that “Sean Connery as James Bond inspired me personally, but he seems to have encapsulated an era.”

“Every day on set with Sean Connery was a practical lesson in how to act on screen,” said Sam Neill, who starred opposite Connery in 1990’s The Hunt for Red October. “But all that charisma and power, that was absolutely unique to Sean.”

“It broke my heart to learn this morning of Sir Sean Connery’s passing,” said Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s Prime Minister. “Our nation today is in mourning for one of its dearest children.”

Roger Moore, the actor who succeeded Connery in the role of Bond with 1973 Live and Let Die, died in 2017.

A representative for Connery did not respond to a request for comment.

CNET’s Sean Keane and Jon Skillings contributed to this report.