It’s hard to believe, but incredible Sir Sean Connery turns 90
He has not acted in films for a long time, almost does not appear in public, but he still delights fans. And why do we only love the impudent Scotsman?
He was born in Edinburgh to a very poor family and had to earn money before school. At the age of 12, he got a permanent job, and at 13 he dropped out. It happened during the Second World War, but to this day Sir Sean is afraid to return to poverty and hopelessness.
In his youth, he did not disdain any work – he made coffins, was a coal miner and steelmaker. Enlisted in the Royal Navy to finally eat everyday and dress in the government, but was discharged. He was seriously involved in football. He played for Scottish East Fife as a midfielder and even received an invitation to Manchester United from legendary coach Matt Busby. Connery refused: the football player’s career is too short, and he would like to find a business to old age. This decision may have saved his life: a few years later, most of the Manchester United players died in a plane crash in Munich …
Meanwhile, Connery had a new hobby – bodybuilding. He became his own among the jocks, and from there the path led him, an athlete with an irresistible smile, to the set. The first appearance in the cinema took place in 1954, the first main role in 1958, and the first Bond film in 1962. We must pay tribute to Connery – he worked hard to take place in the new profession. For months he sat in the library, mastering the world classics, recording himself on a dictaphone to get rid of the sharp Scottish accent.
Until the premiere of the first Bond film took place, Bond’s godfather Ian Fleming did not stop expressing dissatisfaction with the leading role. Sean Connery is too long, the writer complained, and in general, he is more of a stuntman than an actor. But seeing how 007 looked, moved, and raised an eyebrow on-screen, Fleming was blown away – as have generations of viewers. The writer and the actor became so good friends that in the next book there was a mention of the Scottish origin of Bond – and later this detail was emphasized in every possible way.
Connery’s life was completely turned upside down. Overnight, he became a world celebrity, journalists (and women, what to hide) literally hunted him. No more poverty, no more hopelessness!
… It’s hard to imagine, but Connery hated Bond with all his heart. And I did not even think to hide it in interviews and conversations. His close friend Michael Caine confided in his acquaintances: if you don’t want a scandal, then no talk about super agents. Not a word!
Maybe it was the paparazzi annoyance, or maybe it was also the fact that the film producers from now on wanted to see in him only a hero-lover. In 1962, Sean Connery married Australian actress Diane Cilento. The ceremony was held in secret so as not to spoil Bond’s playboy image. And the newlywed’s lifestyle continued to be appropriate – with parties, ladies, secrets.
However, the runaway playboy has managed to change. After the divorce, Sean Connery married the Moroccan artist Micheline Roquebrune. The wedding took place 45 years ago, but even today Connery does not appear in public without his wife, whom she holds by the hand. Since 2003, the couple has lived in seclusion. Sean Connery finished his acting career without pathos and fanfare and never changed his mind. Not when he was called to appear in Skyfall Coordinates as the caretaker of the Bond family estate, not when the Wachowskis were looking for the Architect for The Matrix. He even turned down the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings.
One can only sigh how much we, the audience, lost because of his decision to retire. But Connery himself is not bored. He tirelessly studies and promotes the history and culture of Scotland and promotes independence. Even when Queen Elizabeth II knighted him, he could not resist and said that he would be much more grateful for granting independence to his homeland.
PS In 2008, the first book by Sir Sean was published. And this is not an actor’s tales, but a monograph about Scotland and the Scots. For the past 10 years, Connery and his wife have been living in the Bahamas. The actor says that he will move to his homeland as soon as Scotland gains independence. Who knows, maybe he will wait? He managed to get the title of the sexiest actor of the century, being on a well-deserved retirement.
