Sean Connery
Biography
Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor and producer born in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. Over a career spanning six decades, he became internationally renowned as the first actor to portray James Bond on screen, appearing in seven Bond films from Dr. No through You Only Live Twice, and later in Diamonds Are Forever and Never Say Never Again. Connery earned an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards—including the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award—and three Golden Globes, among them the Cecil B. DeMille and Henrietta Awards. He died at age ninety.
Career overview
Connery’s portrayal of James Bond began with Dr. No in 1962 and continued through You Only Live Twice in 1967, establishing the character’s cinematic template. He returned to the role for Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 and, after a hiatus, reprised Bond in the unofficial 1983 production Never Say Never Again. His performance earned him three Golden Globe Awards, including the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award, and two BAFTA Awards, one of which was the Academy Fellowship recognizing his lasting contribution to film. Beyond the Bond series, Connery demonstrated versatility in a range of genres. He starred opposite Hitchcock in the 1964 thriller Marnie, and later appeared in the 1974 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express. His collaboration with director John Huston produced The Man Who Would Be King, adding to his reputation for epic storytelling. In 1988, Connery received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables, confirming his critical acclaim late in his career. Over his lifetime he accumulated 178 credited performances, reflecting a prolific output that cemented his status as one of Britain’s most celebrated actors.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Prins Bernhard (2023) as Self (archive footage)
- Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford (2023) as Self (archive footage)
- MCAINE: An Anagram of Cinema (2023) as Self - Actor (archive footage)
- An Oral History of: The Name of the Rose (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- Rat Pack (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- The Sean Connery Paradox (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- The Real Hunt for Red October (2021) as Self (archive footage)
- HyperNormalisation (2016) as Self (archive footage)
- Spanish Western (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- Sean Connery: In His Own Words (2015) as Self (archive footage)
- Everything or Nothing (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) as (archive footage)
- We're Nothing Like James Bond (2012) as Self
- Close Up (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- The World Of Bond (2012) as Self
- Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars (2012) as Self
- Sir Billi (2012) as Sir Billi (voice)
- Ever to Excel (2012) as Self
- Hollywood sul Tevere (2009)
- Franco Cristaldi e il suo cinema Paradiso (2009)
- Being a Scot (2008) as Sean Connery
- Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner (2008) as Self
- On Tour with the Aston Martin DB5 (2006)
- Nos Bastidores de Hollywood (2005) as Self (archive footage)
- The Untouchables: The Script, the Cast (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- Mr. Connery Goes to Hollywood (2004) as Self
- Making 'Murder on the Orient-Express' (2004) as Self
- The Untouchables: Production Stories (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) as Allan Quatermain
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) Executive Producer
- Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy (2003) as Self
- Gio (2001)
- Finding Forrester (2000) as William Forrester
- Finding Forrester (2000) Producer
- Inside 'You Only Live Twice' (2000) as Self
- Tribute to Desmond Llewelyn (2000) as James Bond (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Trouble with 'Marnie' (2000) as Self (archive footage)
- Inside 'From Russia with Love' (2000) as Self
- Inside 'Dr. No' (2000) as Self (archive footage)
- Entrapment (1999) as Robert 'Mac' MacDougal
- Entrapment (1999) Producer
- Rangers: The Treble- Official Season Reviews 1998/99 (1999)
- The James Bond Story (1999) as Self
- Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Billy Connolly: Erect for 30 Years (1999)
- Parkinson (1998) as Self
- Junket Whore (1998) as Self
- The Avengers (1998) as Sir August de Wynter
- Playing by Heart (1998) as Paul
- Intimate Portrait: Sean Connery (1998) as Self
- Scene by Scene (1997) as Self
- Rangers Fc: Seasons to Be Cheerful (1997) as Self
- The Secrets of 007 (1997) as Self
- The Rock (1996) as John Patrick Mason
- The Rock (1996) Executive Producer
- DragonHeart (1996) as Draco (voice)
- Sad? (1996) as James Bond (archive footage)
- Waiting for Gascoigne: The Story of a Legend (1996)
- First Knight (1995) as Arthur
- Just Cause (1995) as Paul Armstrong
- Just Cause (1995) Producer
- In Search of James Bond with Jonathan Ross (1995) as Self / James Bond
- Behind the Scenes with 'Thunderball' (1995) as Self
- Behind the Scenes with 'Goldfinger' (1995) as Self
- A Good Man in Africa (1994) as Dr. Alex Murray
- Rising Sun (1993) as Capt. John Connor
- Rising Sun (1993) Executive Producer
- Sean Connery: Private (1993) as Self
- Audrey Hepburn: Remembered (1993) as Self (archive footage)
- Meridian: The First Ten Minutes (1993) as Self
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)
- Medicine Man (1992) as Dr. Robert Campbell
- Medicine Man (1992) Executive Producer
- 30 Years of James Bond (1992) as Self
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) as King Richard (uncredited)
- Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
- Sean Connery Documentary (1991) as Sean Connery
- The Hunt for Red October (1990) as Capt. 1st Marko Ramius
- The Russia House (1990) as Bartholomew 'Barley' Scott Blair
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) as Professor Henry Jones
- Family Business (1989) as Jessie McMullen
- The Presidio (1988) as Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell
- Memories of Me (1988) as Self (uncredited)
- The World's Greatest Stunts: A Tribute to Hollywood Stuntmen (1988) as Self (archive footage)
- The Untouchables (1987) as Jim Malone
- The Dame Edna Experience (1987) as Self
- La rosa dei nomi (1987) as Self
- Happy Anniversary 007: 25 Years of James Bond (1987) as Self (archive footage)
- Highlander (1986) as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
- The Name of the Rose (1986) as William of Baskerville
- The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' (1986) as Self
- Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1984) as The Green Knight
- Afghanistan For What? (1984)
- Never Say Never Again (1983) as James Bond
- G'olé! (1983) as Commentator (voice)
- Na sowas! (1982) as Self
- Five Days One Summer (1982) as Douglas Meredith
- Wrong Is Right (1982) as Patrick Hale
- Sean Connery’s Edinburgh (1982) as Self
- Time Bandits (1981) as King Agamemnon / Fireman
- Outland (1981) as Marshal William T. O'Niel
- Cuba (1979) as Maj. Robert Dapes
- Meteor (1979) as Paul Bradley
- The Kennedy Center Honors (1978) as Self
- The First Great Train Robbery (1978) as Edward Pierce
- A Bridge Too Far (1977) as Maj. Gen. Robert E. Urquhart
- Cérémonie des César (1976) as Self - President
- Robin and Marian (1976) as Robin Hood
- The Next Man (1976) as Khalil Abdul-Muhsen
- Circasia (1976) as Clown
- The Man Who Would Be King (1975) as Daniel Dravot
- The Wind and the Lion (1975) as Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- Murder on the Orient Express (1974) as Colonel Arbuthnot
- Ransom (1974) as Col. Nils Tahlvik
- Zardoz (1974) as Zed
- The Vocation (1974) as Narrator (voice)
- The Offence (1973) as Detective Sergeant Johnson
- The Big Screen (1973) as Self
- Film '72 (1971) as Self
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971) as James Bond
- The Anderson Tapes (1971) as Duke Anderson
- Lesson #007: Close Quarters Combat (1971) as Self
- The Molly Maguires (1970) as Jack Kehoe
- Treffpunkte (1970) as Self
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre (1969) as MacNeil
- Male of the Species (1969) as MacNeil
- The Red Tent (1969) as Roald Amundsen
- Male of the Species (1969) as MacNeil
- Shalako (1968) as Moses Zebulon 'Shalako' Carlin
- Omnibus (1967) as Self
- You Only Live Twice (1967) as James Bond
- The Castles of Scotland (1967) as Narrator
- The Bowler and the Bunnet (1967) as Self
- The Bowler and the Bunnet (1967) Producer
- The Bowler and the Bunnet (1967) Director
- A Fine Madness (1966) as Samson Shillitoe
- A Young World (1966) as Self (uncredited)
- Thunderball (1965) as James Bond
- The Incredible World of James Bond (1965) as Self (archive footage)
- The Hill (1965) as Joe Roberts
- The Sun... the Sand... the Hill (1965) as Self
- Goldfinger (1964) as James Bond
- Marnie (1964) as Mark Rutland
- Woman of Straw (1964) as Anthony Richmond
- The Guns of James Bond (1964) as Self
- From Russia with Love (1963) as James Bond
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Dr. No (1962) as James Bond
- The Longest Day (1962) as Pvt. Flanagan
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Host
- Macbeth (1961) as Macbeth
- Anna Karenina (1961) as Count Alexei Vronsky
- On the Fiddle (1961) as Pedlar Pascoe
- The Frightened City (1961) as Paddy Damion
- Adventure Story (1961) as Alexander, King of Macedon
- An Age of Kings (1960) as Hotspur
- Riders to the Sea (1960) as Bartley
- Twentieth Century Theatre: Colombe (1960) as Julian
- Whicker's World (1959)
- Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) as Michael MacBride
- Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959) as O'Bannion
- I Captured the King of the Leprechauns (1959) as Michael MacBride
- A Night to Remember (1958) as Deckhand (uncredited)
- Another Time, Another Place (1958) as Mark Trevor
- Sailor of Fortune (1957) as Achmed
- Blood Money (1957) as Harlan 'Mountain' McClintock
- Action of the Tiger (1957) as Mike
- Hell Drivers (1957) as Johnny Kates
- Time Lock (1957) as Welder #1
- No Road Back (1957) as Spike
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Winner
- Armchair Theatre (1956)
- Dixon of Dock Green (1955) as Joe Brasted
- The Wonderful World of Disney (1954) as Michael MacBride
- Reflets de Cannes (1954) as Self
- Simon (1954) as Policeman
- Lilacs in the Spring (1954) as Extra in crowd scene (uncredited)
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- German Film Award (1951) as Self
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Mystery Guest
- The Jack Benny Program (1950) as Porter
- Sunday Night Theatre (1950) as Mountain McClintock
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Bambi (1948) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Presenter
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Cecil B. DeMille Award Recipient