Farewell to Sean Connery, passes away the great actor of 007 and The Name of the Rose

The great actor Sean Connery has passed away at the age of 90. This was announced by the BBC a few minutes ago: the British TV station says the news was communicated by the family. Connery, who according to the BBC was unwell, reportedly died in his sleep at his residence in the Bahamas. The Scottish actor was best known for his role in the James Bond films: he was the first to embody the character from Ian Fleming’s novels on the big screen. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Aug. 25, 1930, the son of Joseph (a farmer and truck driver of Irish descent) and Euphemia McBain, a waiter, as a young man he enlisted in the Royal Navy where he remained until 1950, when he was discharged because of health problems: as a young man he did a variety of odd jobs (lifeguard, bricklayer, dishwasher, model) and, at the age of twenty-one, began to tread the theater stages for small parts. He became especially noted for his beauty, and launching his career was an appearance on Mister Universe in 1953, which opened the doors of show business for him. Great success came to him at the age of thirty-two, in 1962, when he was chosen to play James Bond in the film Agent 007. License to Kill, the first in the highly successful series.

Connery would go on to play the British secret agent in five more films( 1963’sFrom Russia With Love, 1964’s Mission Goldfinger, 1965’s Operation Thunder and 1967’s You Only Live Twice, and 1971’s A Waterfall of Diamonds ). After bidding farewell to the role of 007, Connery starred in many other successful films: most notable are 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express, 1986’s Highlander, and especially The Name of the Rose, the 1986 film based on the novel by Umberto Eco, in which the actor plays the title character, the friar William of Baskerville. The performance earned him a Bafta award. Connery, the following year, also managed to win his first and only Oscar, for best supporting actor, for Brian De Palma’s film The Untouchables, where he played the role of policeman Jimmy Malone acting alongside Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro and Andy García. Then again, another celebrated film starring him was 1990’s Hunt for Red October, while in 1991 he was seen in a cameo in the hugely popular film Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves, where he played King Richard of England.

After 2000 Sean Connery virtually stopped acting. Only two roles in the last two decades: the starring role in the 2000 film Discovering Forrester, directed by Gus van Sant, and yet another starring role in Stephen Norrington’s The Legend of Extraordinary Men in 2003. That was his last film before retiring from the stage. His last performance was as a voice actor, in 2012, when he lent his voice to the protagonist of the animated film Sir Bill.

Strongly proud of his origins (he was often seen wearing a kilt at ceremonies and public outings), he was always an ardent supporter of Scottish independence, and also supported the Scottish National Party financially. Among the awards he has won, in addition to the Oscar for The Untouchables, he boasts two Baftas (one of them as best actor for The Name of the Rose) two European Film Awards, including one for lifetime achievement, and three Golden Globes, including one for lifetime achievement. Many other career awards he has received: the special David di Donatello in 1977, the Marc’Aurelio d’oro in 2006, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2001. He also received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Saint Andrews in 1990 and several honors, including the French Legion of Honor in 1991.

Farewell to Sean Connery, passes away the great actor of 007 and The Name of the Rose

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