Sean Connery

He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He joined the Royal Navy after leaving school, and after being discharged on medical grounds went on to a succession of jobs, including labourer and lifeguard. He competed for Scotland in the Mr. Universe competition in 1953, which led to work on the stage, TV, and eventually film.

Connery has long advocated greater independence for Scotland, and has supported the Scottish National Party financially and through personal appearances, despite himself living in the Bahamas.

Although extremely popular throughout the United Kingdom, he was turned down for a knighthood in 1997 and 1998, allegedly because of supporting the Scottish National Party, a Scottish separatist group. The British government finally relented, and he was made a Knight Bachelor on July 5, 2000. He had received Kennedy Center Honors from the United States only a few months before.

Connery is well known to audiences around the world for his role as James Bond. Connery first appeared as Bond in Dr. No (1962), and played Bond in several other films, including:

• Never Say Never Again (1983)
• Diamonds are Forever (1971)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• Thunderball (1965)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• From Russia With Love (1963)

Connery has also appeared in other major films, including:

• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
• Finding Forrester (2000)
• Entrapment (1999])
• The Rock (1996)
• The Hunt for Red October (1990)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
• The Untouchables (1987) (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor)
• The Name of the Rose (1986)
• Highlander (1986)
• Outland (1981)
• Ffolkes (1980)
• A Bridge Too Far (1977)
• The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
• Zardoz (1973)
• Marnie (1964) (directed by Alfred Hitchcock)

Connery is known for his trademark Scottish accent and his good looks, repeatedly being mentioned as one of the most attractive men alive by magazines even after he was considerably older than more conventional sex symbols.

He is the father of Jason Connery, also an actor, who was born January 11, 1963.

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