Sean Connery, known for his iconic portrayal of James Bond, died at the age of 90 in the Bahamas following a long illness, according to the BBC.
Eon Productions, the film studio that produces the James Bond films, confirmed his death in a statement on its website.
“We are devastated by the news of the passing of Sean Connery,” producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli wrote. “He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words — ‘The name’s Bond … James Bond’ — he revolutionized the world with his gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent. He is undoubtedly largely responsible for the success of the film series and we shall be forever grateful to him.”
Born in Edinburgh, the Scotland native dropped out of school at the age of 13 and later joined the Royal Navy. Connery launched his acting career after he competed in the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition.
“When I went to London for [the competition], one of the guys, he was in [a show] ‘South Pacific,’ he said, ‘Do you want to do a show?'” Connery told Barbara Walters in 1987. “He told me it was £12, £14 a week, which was suddenly, ‘Oh, that sounded [nice].’ It was only two hours a day. I said, ‘I’ll have a go at that.'”
Connery later landed several TV roles before he was cast as the first actor to portray 007 in the 1962 film Dr. No. Connery played the British spy for seven movies ending with the 1983 film Never Say Never Again.
“It was more fun in the earlier ones,” Connery told Walters, adding that “the demand was enormous for publicity and exposure.”
Connery also starred in the Alfred Hitchcock film Marnie (1964), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and played Indiana Jones’ father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1987). He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1987 film The Untouchables.
Connery’s other accolades include two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He was also awarded knighthood in 2000 for his contribution to the arts.
The star’s last film was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003 before he officially retired from acting in 2006.
In 2008, fans speculated that he might reprise his role as Indiana Jones’ father in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. However, he shut down the rumor in a statement on his website.
“If anything could have pulled me out of retirement, it would have been an Indiana Jones film. … But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun,” he wrote at the time.
The actor was married to Australian actress Diane Cilento from 1962 to 1973. The pair share son Jason, 57. Connery later married Micheline Roquebrune in 1975.
