160: Sean Connery’s 85th Birthday


Sean Connery as James Bond in "Dr. No."
Sean Connery as James Bond in “Dr. No.”

Today is the 85th birthday of actor Sean Connery.

Here are some things you may not have known about him:

Connery was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father was a truck driver and his mother was a cleaning woman. He began bodybuilding at the age of 18 and according to his official website he finished third in the 1950 Mister Universe contest. After beginning his acting career and working in a production of “South Pacific,” Connery was offered a contract to play soccer for Manchester United for 25 pounds a week. While working in “South Pacific” he worked his way up from the chorus to the featured role of Lieutenant Buzz Adams. His first starring role in a movie came in the Walt Disney film “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” in 1959.

In 1962, Connery became a superstar after reluctantly agreeing to star as James Bond in “Dr. No.” He would go on to play 007 in the next four films, “From Russia with Love,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball” and “You Only Live Twice.” He returned to the role for 1971’s “Diamonds are Forever” and 1983’s “Never Say Never Again,” a remake of “Thunderball.” Originally author Ian Fleming was not a fan of the casting of Connery, saying he resembled an unrefined, overgrown stuntman. Despite his initial doubts, Fleming was so impressed he made Bond half Scottish in later novels.

Connery eventually grew tired of being known as James Bond and went on to appear in such well-received films as “Time Bandits,” “The Name of the Rose,” and “Highlander” before winning an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in 1987’s “The Untouchables.” Other notable Connery films include: “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Rock,” and “Finding Forrester.” He retired from acting after 2003’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” His most recent appearance was as a voice actor in the computer-animated film “Sir Billi,” which has a 0 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Our question: What type of gun is James Bond most associated with?

Today is also Independence Day in Uruguay and Liberation Day in Paris. In the United States it is unofficially National Whiskey Sour Day and National Banana Split Day. It’s the birthday of American television host Regis Philbin, musicians Elvis Costello and Gene Simmons and director Tim Burton.

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Sources

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/sjfa/scottish_football.cfm?page=1711

http://www.seanconnery.com

 


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