This hurts.
Most of today's audience might think of Sean Connery in terms of how he was parodied on Saturday Night Live in spoofs of Jeopardy!, but his film career extended nearly 70 years, ending in 2012. Connery has passed away at 90.
Thomas Sean Connery, to use his full name, achieved icon status after starring as Ian Fleming's unflappable secret agent, James Bond, in 7 movies between 1962-83, the last of which, "Never Say Never Again", wasn't produced by Albert Broccoli and the usual team, which had, ah, decommissioned Connery nearly a decade earlier in favor of Roger Moore. "Never", however, proved that Connery was still capable of carrying the role, and that Broccoli had cut him too early.
Connery's other film credits, as diverse as they are, also included "The Longest Day", "Darby O'Gill & The Little People", "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure", "Robin & Marian", "Time Bandits", "The Hunt For Red October", "Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade", and, in 1987, Brian DePalma cast Connery in a remake of "The Untouchables", co-starring with Kevin Costner & Robert DeNiro.
In this clip from "Untouchables", Eliot Ness (Costner) meets Jimmy Malone (Connery) for the first time.
When Daniel Craig's final Bond film, "No Time to Die", finally hits theatres, expect it to be dedicated to Connery, the first big screen Bond, and, many say, the best of them all.
Rest in peace.
Every existing reference that I've ever seen maintains that Sean Connery quit James Bond - he was bored with the part, and wanted to escape typecasting.
ReplyDeleteAlso: when Connery quit, Broccoli brought in George Lazenby for the Bond role; after one movie (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), Connery came back to Broccoli for one more (Diamonds Are Forever, quit again, and that's when Roger Moore came in, and the story went on from there.
I never knew the full details post-Diamonds. I do know that Never Say Never Again, which I saw in the theatres, was done without approval from Broccoli (Octopussy was Moore's last go as Bond).
ReplyDeleteMay he rest in peace.
ReplyDelete