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Cinematic Legend Sir Sean Connery Passes Away at 90

October 31, 2020 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
Dr. No James Bond - Sir Sean Connery Image Credit: United Artists

Cinematic icon and Academy Award winner Sir Sean Connery has left us. The first actor to portray legendary super-spy, James Bond, on the big screen passed away this week. Connery’s son, Jason, informed the BBC that the actor passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in the Bahamas of a longstanding illness.

According to Jason Connery, his father had been “unwell for some time.” Many of his family were around him during his passing, which occurred overnight in Nassau. The Scottish thespian was 90 years old.

Jason Connery stated on his father, “We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time. A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor.”

Connery was best known for his cinematic portrayal as James Bond, debuting as the character in 1962’s Dr. No. He would go on to play Bond in multiple films in the 1960s, including From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice. He would later return to the role two more times, first with Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and later in 1983 with Never Say Never Again. When Connery first uttered the iconic line, “Bond. James Bond,” in Dr. No, a movie legend was born.

Connery went on to have an illustrious acting career spanning six decades. In 1988, he won his first and only Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the 1987 film, The Untouchables. He had many other notable film roles, including his portrayal of Indiana Jones’ father in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Ramirez in the Highlander franchise, The Hunt for Red October, The Rock, First Knight, Finding Forrester, and many more. His last major film role was Allan Quatermain in 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, based on the Alan Moore comic of the same name.

Sir Sean Connery was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Holyrood Palace in 2000. He turned 90 years old last August. He has one son, Jason, from his first marriage to the Australian actress and writer Diane Cilento. He was married to Moroccan-French painter Micheline Roguebrune from 1975 until his passing.