Sean Connery is a relic from the Golden Age of Hollywood. He became an icon in the ’60s playing the role of James Bond and is highly regarded as one of the best actors of all-time.
This Wednesday, the legendary actor turns 90-years-old! Get to know him better and check out these 10+ interesting facts about Sean Connery fans didn’t know.
Sean is a proud Scotsman.
Sean Connery was born in the capital of Edinburgh, Scotland , into a working-class family and neighborhood.
Much of Sean’s younger life was spent doing menial labor jobs for minimal pay. He quit school early and began working full time.
He’s an Oscar winner!
As odd as it may seem, Sean has only one Oscar statue to his name. He won Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Untouchables back in 1988.
To this day, it remains his only nomination/win.
At one point, he was being considered for the role of Gandalf in *The Lord Of The Rings*.
Can you imagine if James Bond was cast as Gandalf?
How crazy would that have been!? I can’t see it.
His accent never wanes.
Over the course of Sean Connery’s career, he’s played Americans, Irishmen, Brits — heck, he was once a freaking Russian submarine captain! Regardless of the character’s lineage, Connery’s sultry Scottish twang prevails.
While we’re on the subject, if you haven’t seen The Hunt for Red October , you need to add it to your list.
He’s sexy and he knows it.
Sean was voted People Magazine’s ” Sexiest Man Alive ” back in 1989. At the time he won, Sean was 59-years-old.
At that point, Sean was the oldest person to ever be selected for the honor.
Sean was the very first million dollar actor!
It happened back in the 1970s when Sean was still attached to James Bond.
He raked in a cool $1 million for his work in the legendary spy epic Diamonds are Forever .
He used to be a bodybuilder!
I know, hard to believe right? As crazy as it may seem, Sean was at one point contending for Mr. Universe!
He was the second runner-up back in 1950. Can you picture James Bond jacked?
Sean was a member of the Royal Navy.
Sean enrolled when he was only sixteen years old. He served for three years and but was forced to resign due to health reasons.
Apparently, Sean had a long-suffering bout with Stomach ulcers in his younger years.
Sean Connery is a stage name.
Well, it’s a stage name of sorts I suppose. Sean is actually his middle name , his first being Thomas.
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I’ve never really understood the rhyme or reason behind actors changing their names, especially when all they’re doing is swapping out their middle and first?
Growing up, Sean had an incredibly macabre job.
Before Sean became one of the biggest actors on the planet, he worked as a coffin-polisher . That’s right — someone who polishes coffins.
I don’t know why I find that so disturbing but I do.
He has two tattoos!
These were remnants from Sean’s days spent in the Navy. Sean got one tattoo in honor of his mother and father that simply states “Mum and Dad.”
His other tat is much more self-explanatory: ” Scotland Forever .”
He has some incredibly controversial opinions.
Sean Connery once told Barbara Walters , to her face, that he believed there was nothing particularly wrong with a man slapping a woman.
This mirrors a statement Sean gave to Playboy Magazine in a 1965 interview.
He’s not ruling out a return to film, but admits it would take a “mafia-style” offer.
Basically what Sean is saying, is that they’d have to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse .
What are your thoughts, would you like to see Sean on the big screen? Maybe in the new Indiana Jones flick?
There’s a reason why he hasn’t appeared in a movie for more than fifteen years.
According to an interview Sean gave, via The Scotsman he proclaimed:
“I’m fed up with the idiots – the ever-widening gap between people who know how to make movies and the people who green-light the movies.”
He was the first actor to portray James Bond on film!
Sean Connery made his debut as James Bond in 1962’s Dr. No . He played the title character in the first five films of the franchise.
Many fans consider Sean’s portrayal to be the best of all time.
