199-631: Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Connery originated the role in Dr. No (1962) and continued starring as Bond in the Eon Productions films From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Connery made his final appearance in
398-504: A Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema. In a 2003 UK poll conducted by Channel 4 , Connery was ranked eighth on their list of the 100 Greatest Movie Stars . The failure of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was especially frustrating for Connery. He sensed during shooting that the production was "going off the rails", and announced that the director, Stephen Norrington should be "locked up for insanity". Connery spent considerable effort in trying to salvage
597-588: A Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum — which at the time was associated with the macho image of the Clint Eastwood character, Dirty Harry — was chosen for Moore to use in Live and Let Die rather than Bond's usual choice of Walther PPK . Spicer says "Roger Moore re-created Bond as an old-style debonair hero, more polished and sophisticated than Connery's incarnation, using the mocking insouciance he had perfected in his role as Simon Templar ... Moore's humour
796-429: A catch phrase in the lexicon of Western popular culture. Film critic Peter Bradshaw writes, "It is the most famous self-introduction from any character in movie history. Three cool monosyllables, surname first, a little curtly, as befits a former naval commander. And then, as if in afterthought, the first name, followed by the surname again. Connery carried it off with icily disdainful style, in full evening dress with
995-477: A "charming, debonair, international playboy". When playing Bond, Moore tried not to imitate either Connery or his previous roles, and screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz fitted the screenplay around Moore's persona by giving more comedy scenes and a light-hearted feel to Bond, an approach that led Raymond Benson to describe Moore's Bond as "a rather smarmy, eyebrow-raising international playboy who never seemed to get hurt". Film writer Andrew Spicer considered Roger Moore
1194-479: A Cuban cigar in Die Another Day . Brosnan continued with the use of humour prevalent with other portrayals, and provided a "mix of action and danger threaded through with the right amount of wit and humour"; Smith and Lavington saw the humour largely as puns that were "flippant, but not crass". After four films in the role, Brosnan stated he wished to do one final Bond film. Although plans were made for
1393-452: A Jewish "dark-haired beauty with a ballerina's figure", Carol Sopel, but was warned off by her family. He then dated Julie Hamilton, daughter of documentary filmmaker and feminist Jill Craigie . Given Connery's rugged appearance and rough charm, Hamilton initially thought he was an appalling person and was not attracted to him until she saw him in a kilt , declaring him to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. He also shared
1592-444: A Kill ; he was 57 (he appeared alongside co-star Tanya Roberts , who was 30). Critics focused on Moore's age: The Washington Post said "Moore isn't just long in the tooth – he's got tusks, and what looks like an eye job has given him the pie-eyed blankness of a zombie. He's not believable anymore in the action sequences, even less so in the romantic scenes". When he was cast for the film, Moore recalled that he felt "a bit long in
1791-619: A Scot) was unrefined. Fleming's girlfriend Blanche Blackwell told him Connery had the requisite sexual charisma, and Fleming changed his mind after the successful Dr. No première. He was so impressed, he wrote Connery's heritage into the character. In his 1964 novel You Only Live Twice , Fleming wrote that Bond's father was Scottish and from Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands . Connery's portrayal of Bond owes much to stylistic tutelage from director Terence Young , who helped polish him while using his physical grace and presence for
1990-497: A ballsy guy ... put a bit of veneer over that tough Scottish hide and you've got Fleming's Bond instead of all the mincing poofs we had applying for the job". Eon's choice of Connery was also based on his looks and sex appeal, an appeal that would later be echoed by Honor Blackman (who played Pussy Galore ), who said, after appearing with Connery in Goldfinger , "He was exceedingly handsome, virile and sexy and that really
2189-927: A boxer in the TV series The Square Ring , before being spotted by Canadian director Alvin Rakoff , who gave him multiple roles in The Condemned , shot on location in Dover in Kent. In 1956, Connery appeared in the theatrical production of Epitaph , and played a minor role as a hoodlum in the "Ladies of the Manor" episode of the BBC Television police series Dixon of Dock Green . This was followed by small television parts in Sailor of Fortune and The Jack Benny Program (in
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#17327762444012388-464: A cigarette hanging from his lips. The introduction was a kind of challenge, or seduction, invariably addressed to an enemy. In the early 60s, Connery's James Bond was about as dangerous and sexy as it got on screen". During the filming of Thunderball in 1965, Connery's life was in danger in the sequence with the sharks in Emilio Largo 's pool. He had been concerned about this threat when he read
2587-531: A donnish genealogist than reading (or playing) Playboy magazine, and who actually dares to think that one woman who is his equal is better than a thousand part-time playmates". James Chapman considers that Lazenby looks the part of Bond, identifying his athleticism and "arrogant swagger", which "convey the snobbery of the character". Chapman also distinguished a more vulnerable and human characterisation in Bond—feeling exhausted and falling in love—as opposed to
2786-573: A dull fellow" in her otherwise positive review in The New Yorker magazine. However, Peter R. Hunt , director of On Her Majesty's Secret Service , stated that Lazenby should have undertaken more films in the role, saying "he would have made a very credible Bond and been very good indeed". Smith and Lavington consider that Lazenby "had chosen to play Bond the same way as Sean Connery had, with perhaps more humility and humanity"; they went on to say that "Lazenby's inexperience rarely shows" in
2985-442: A fee of $ 3 million ($ 9 million in 2023 dollars), a percentage of the profits, as well as casting, director and script approval. The script has several references to Bond's advancing years, playing on Connery being 52 years of age at the time of filming. David Robinson , reviewing the film for The Times , considered that "Connery ... is back, looking hardly a day older or thicker, and still outclassing every other exponent of
3184-464: A film not made by Eon Productions . Connery and Peter Sellers had both turned down the role. Niven was 56 when he played Bond and his characterisation was that of an elderly man who had won the Victoria Cross at the siege of Mafeking , had a daughter by his lover, the spy Mata Hari , played Claude Debussy on the piano, ate royal jelly and cultivated black roses. The concept of Bond
3383-594: A film to be released in 2004, negotiations stalled and Brosnan announced his intention to leave the franchise in July 2004. On 14 October 2005, Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Sony Pictures Entertainment introduced at a press conference in London Daniel Craig as the sixth actor to portray Bond in the Eon series. A tuxedo- and lifejacket-clad Craig arrived via a Royal Navy speedboat. Craig accepted
3582-400: A front-page news story critical of Craig, with the headline, The Name's Bland – James Bland . Craig first played Bond in the 2006 film Casino Royale , an adaptation of Fleming's novel of the same name and a reboot of the Eon series, which saw Bond earn his 00 status. Despite the negative press on his appointment, Craig was widely praised by critics and former Bonds after the release of
3781-467: A grace which made him believable as an international playboy, if not purely as an assassin. John G. Stackhouse, for instance, argues that it is preposterous that any man as strikingly handsome as Brosnan, or Connery, could be a secret agent, saying, "When Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan enters a room, everyone notices. Thus it is ridiculous to suppose that James Bond, looking like that, could be a secret agent for longer than about two seconds". Brosnan's Bond
3980-579: A hard-nosed Irish-American cop alongside Kevin Costner 's Eliot Ness . The film also starred Charles Martin Smith , Patricia Clarkson , Andy Garcia , and Robert De Niro as Al Capone . The film was a critical and box-office success. Many critics praised Connery for his performance, including Roger Ebert, who wrote: "The best performance in the movie is Connery ... [he] brings a human element to his character; he seems to have had an existence apart from
4179-437: A hiatus of one film— On Her Majesty's Secret Service , in which George Lazenby played Bond—Connery returned to the role for Diamonds Are Forever after David Picker, the head of United Artists , made it clear that Connery was to be enticed back to the role and that money was no object. When approached about resuming the role of Bond, Connery demanded—and received—a fee of £1.25 million (£34 million in 2023 pounds), 12.5% of
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#17327762444014378-630: A higher number of hours of sunshine recorded daily than in the rest of the country. This has resulted in Wexford becoming one of the most popular places in Ireland in which to reside. The county has a mild, but changeable, oceanic climate with few extremes. The North Atlantic Drift , a continuation of the Gulf Stream , moderates winter temperatures. There is a meteorological station located at Rosslare Harbour . January and February are generally
4577-622: A knighthood in 1997 and 1998, but these nominations were reportedly vetoed by Donald Dewar owing to Connery's political views. Connery had a villa in Kranidi , Greece. His neighbour was King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands , with whom he shared a helicopter platform. Michael Caine (who co-starred with Connery in The Man Who Would Be King in 1975) was among Connery's closest friends. Growing up, Connery supported
4776-512: A labourer, an artist's model for the Edinburgh College of Art , and after a suggestion by former Mr. Scotland Archie Brennan , as a coffin polisher , among other jobs. The modelling earned him 15 shillings an hour. Artist Richard Demarco , at the time a student who painted several early pictures of Connery, described him as "very straight, slightly shy, too, too beautiful for words, a virtual Adonis". Connery began bodybuilding at
4975-508: A leading role in director Robert Stevenson 's Walt Disney Productions film Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959), alongside Albert Sharpe , Janet Munro , and Jimmy O'Dea . The film is a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns . Upon the film's initial release, A. H. Weiler of The New York Times praised the cast (save Connery whom he described as "merely tall, dark, and handsome ") and thought
5174-444: A major role in the melodrama Another Time, Another Place (1958) as a British reporter named Mark Trevor, caught in a love affair opposite Lana Turner and Barry Sullivan . During filming, Turner's possessive gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato , who was visiting from Los Angeles, believed she was having an affair with Connery. Connery and Turner had attended West End shows and London restaurants together. Stompanato stormed onto
5373-415: A mutual attraction with jazz singer Maxine Daniels , whom he met while working in theatre. He made a pass at her, but she told him she was already happily married with a daughter. Connery was married to actress Diane Cilento from 1962 to 1974, though they separated in 1971. They had a son, actor Jason Joseph . Connery illustrated the cover of Cilento's 1967 novel: The Manipulator. Connery was separated in
5572-550: A neutral figure." On another occasion, he reinforced his point: "When I wrote the first one in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened; I wanted him to be a blunt instrument." Sean Connery was the first actor to portray Bond in film in Dr. No (1962). A Scottish amateur bodybuilder, he had come to the attention of the Bond film producers after several appearances in British films from
5771-495: A night. He met Hollywood actress Shelley Winters one night at Noble's house, who described Connery as "one of the tallest and most charming and masculine Scotsmen" she had ever seen, and later spent many evenings with the Connery brothers drinking beer. Around this time, Connery was residing at TV presenter Llew Gardner's house. Henderson landed Connery a role in a £6 a week Q Theatre production of Agatha Christie 's Witness for
5970-401: A number of actors, including Sam Neill , Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton , audition for the role in 1986. Bond co-producer Michael G. Wilson , director John Glen , Dana and Barbara Broccoli "were impressed with Sam Neill and very much wanted to use him", although Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli was not sold on the actor. Dalton and Brosnan were both considered by Eon, but after Brosnan
6169-574: A number of other Par-3 courses in the county. Maritime activity takes at various locations in County Wexford, including at Kilmore Quay and Slade Harbour . Common fish species include herring , mackerel , cod , monkfish , whiting , bass , perch , gurnard , haddock , mullet , pollock , John Dory , sole , conger eel , shad , salmon , trout , pike , carp , and tench . Shellfish include mussels , cockles , periwinkles , clams , and oysters . Wexford Racecourse ( horse racing )
Sean Connery - Misplaced Pages Continue
6368-792: A prosperous, vigorous and modern self-governing Scotland in which we can all take pride and which will deserve the respect of other nations." His funding of the SNP ceased in 2001, when the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed legislation prohibiting overseas funding of political activities in the United Kingdom. In response to accusations that he was a tax exile , Connery released documents in 2003 showing he had paid £3.7 million in UK taxes between 1997 and 1998 and between 2002 and 2003; critics pointed out that had he been continuously residing in
6567-439: A publicly conducted poll by Radio Times in anticipation to the 25th Bond film, No Time to Die . Dalton's films did not perform as well at the box office as most of the previous films. Commentators such as Screen International considered the Bond series had run its course in the age of series such as Indiana Jones and Lethal Weapon . Edward P. Comentale observed that "Dalton, for all his occasional flat northern vowels,
6766-399: A ruggedness and an intense screen presence this transcends any preconceived notions about the character". Benson also noted that Bond was witty, but contains "an assured toughness that epitomises the machismo male". Roger Moore agreed with Black and Benson, commenting that "Sean was Bond. He created Bond. He embodied Bond and because of Sean, Bond became an instantly recognisable character
6965-403: A screen test, when he accidentally punched a professional wrestler , who was acting as stunt coordinator , in the face, impressing Broccoli with his ability to display aggression. Lazenby never signed a contract, with negotiations dragging on during production, and he was subsequently unfortunately convinced by his agent Ronan O'Rahilly that the secret agent character image would be archaic in
7164-530: A short-list of ten feature films that receive their world premières at the festival each year. Honours Portrayal of James Bond in film James Bond is a fictional character created by the British journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1952. The character first appeared in a series of twelve novels and two short story collections written by Fleming and a number of continuation novels and spin-off works after Fleming's death in 1964. Bond's literary portrayal differs in some ways from his treatment in
7363-538: A special episode filmed in Europe). In early 1957, Connery hired agent Richard Hatton, who got him his first film role, as Spike, a minor gangster with a speech impediment in Montgomery Tully 's No Road Back , alongside Skip Homeier , Paul Carpenter , Patricia Dainton , and Norman Wooland . In April 1957, Rakoff – after being disappointed by Jack Palance – decided to give
7562-695: A tacit understanding between themselves about their characters. They glow. They really do seem in love". During the 1970s, Connery was part of ensemble casts in films such as Murder on the Orient Express (1974) with Vanessa Redgrave and John Gielgud , and played a British Army general in Richard Attenborough 's war film A Bridge Too Far (1977), co-starring Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Olivier . In 1974, he starred in John Boorman 's sci-fi thriller Zardoz . Often called one of
7761-569: A total of 21 times, first in 1890 and most recently in 2019. In the All Ireland Senior Hurling Championships , Wexford have won 6 times, first in 1910 and most recently in 1996, beating Limerick in the final. Wexford Youths F.C. , formed 2007, renamed as Wexford FC in 2017, is the major football club in the county, currently playing in the League of Ireland First Division . There are numerous golf clubs in
7960-417: A way to suggest that the violence inherent in the films was a joke, as opposed to Connery's, which was used to mitigate the violence. Moore explained his approach to the humour by saying "to me, the Bond situations are so ridiculous ... I mean, this man is supposed to be a spy, and yet everybody knows he's a spy ... it's outrageous. So you have to treat the humour outrageously as well". Pauline Kael
8159-607: A women's version of hurling , is also played, and Wexford won the All Ireland in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Wexford Park is the county's main GAA pitch, holding 25,000 supporters. Also, handball is played on a limited basis; there are a number of handball alleys located throughout the county. As a county, Wexford are most noted for hurling have won the Leinster Senior Hurling Championships
Sean Connery - Misplaced Pages Continue
8358-431: Is a signposted route through four Wexford villages: Duncormick , Cullenstown , Bannow and Wellingtonbridge . Ballyteigue Burrow, located near Duncormick , is one of the finest protected sand dune systems in Ireland. Rich in wildflowers, wildlife and butterflies, this 9 km (6 mile) coastal stretch is a protected nature reserve by the golden sands of Ballyteigue Bay, with spectacular scenery. The Hook Peninsula
8557-399: Is also lighter and less intense than Dalton". Black also commented that the shift in character in the first three films reflected changing social opinions, with Bond not smoking. Brosnan was clear he wanted to change Bond's smoking habit, saying "I don't give a damn about everyone's perception of the character: I think smoking causes cancer therefore he doesn't smoke", although he did smoke
8756-402: Is anything particularly wrong in hitting a woman, though I don't recommend you do it in the same way you hit a man". He was also reported to have stated to Vanity Fair in 1993, "There are women who take it to the wire. That's what they are looking for, the ultimate confrontation. They want a smack". In 2006, Connery told The Times of London, "I don't believe that any level of abuse of women
8955-649: Is called Lady's Island Lake and the other Tacumshin Lake. The Wexford Cot is a flat-bottomed boat used for fishing on the tidal mudflats in Wexford. A canoe-shaped punt fitted with a gun, called a float in Wexford, is used traditionally to shoot game birds in the North Slob mud flats. The Saltee Islands lie 5 km (3 mi) offshore from Kilmore Quay, while the smaller Keeragh Islands are 1.5 km (1 mi) offshore from Bannow. County Wexford, sometimes dubbed Ireland's "sunny southeast", has in general
9154-474: Is ever justified under any circumstances. Full stop". Connery was married to French-Moroccan painter Micheline Roquebrune (born 4 April 1929) from 1975 until his death. The marriage survived a well-documented affair Connery had in the late 1980s with the singer and songwriter Lynsey de Paul , which she later regretted due to his views concerning domestic violence. Connery owned the Domaine de Terre Blanche in
9353-407: Is found at Kerloge, just south of the town of Wexford . Iron is found in small quantities at Courtown Harbour. The county is not noted for mineral reserves. No significant mining activity is currently practised, with the exception of quarrying for stone. In 2007, a significant oil find was made 60 km (37 mi) off Hook Head in County Wexford. Carnsore Point made the national headlines in
9552-547: Is important: this invincible superman that every man would like to copy, that every woman would like to conquer, this dream we all have of survival. And then one can't help liking him". After the pressures of five films in six years, Connery left the role after the 1967 film You Only Live Twice saying, "It became a terrible pressure, like living in a goldfish bowl ... that was part of the reason I wanted to be finished with Bond. Also I had become completely identified with it, and it became very wearing and very boring". After
9751-457: Is located at the confluence of the rivers Barrow and Suir , near Campile . Before its sale, the station was scheduled to close by 2010. Endesa propose building a 430 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) gas fired plant on the site. The project would need a new 44.5 km (27.7 mi) gas pipeline from the existing transmission network at Baunlusk, 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Kilkenny City. A wind farm has now been built on
9950-406: Is no longer grown due to the withdrawal of EU subsidies . The numbers involved in farming have been declining for many years and many of the seasonal workers are now eastern Europeans. Mushrooms are also grown indoors. Tomatoes are grown under glass, for example at Campile . Wexford strawberries are famous and can be bought in shops and wayside stalls throughout the summer. Every year, near
10149-579: Is noted for its many beaches and spectacular scenery. It features the medieval Hook Head lighthouse and the historic townland of Loftus Hall . Popular beaches are located at Courtown , Curracloe , Carnsore Point , Duncannon and Rosslare Strand . Other places of interest include: The economy is chiefly agricultural. Cattle , sheep , pig rearing and some horse breeding are the main types of husbandry practised. Poultry rearing, once popular, has very much declined. Wheat , barley , rapeseed , and oats are grown, as are potatoes . Sugar beet
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#173277624440110348-695: Is now almost never seen. Smaller birds—such as crows, swallows, robins, wrens and so on—are very common. The first magpies in Ireland were recorded by Robert Leigh, of Rosegarland, County Wexford, as having appeared in the County of Wexford about 1676. Land mammals include badger , rabbit , otter , hedgehog , red fox , mink , bats , squirrels ( red and grey ), rats ( brown and black – both introduced species ), and mice ( wood (or field) and house ). Two types of hare —the Irish (or mountain) hare and
10547-411: Is now far less common, due to the devastating effects of Dutch elm disease . Gorse (or furze) is very common. A priority habitat in Wexford is the grey dune , on which many native wild flora grow, including bee orchid and pyramidal orchid . Despite the designation of much of this habitat as a Special Area of Conservation , it remains threatened by destruction for agricultural intensification . There
10746-673: Is often very frightened and nervous and tense". Smith and Lavington observed that during Dalton's portrayal in Licence to Kill , Bond appeared "self-absorbed ... reckless, brutal, prone to nervous laughter and ... probably insane, or at least seriously disturbed. In the light of Licence to Kill , one academic, Martin Willis, referred to Dalton's Bond as a "muscular vigilante". Steven Jay Rubin noted that Dalton's films had "a hard-edged reality and some unflinching violent episodes that were better suited to Dalton's more realistic approach to
10945-616: Is part of the European Parliament constituency of South (5 seats). In 2022, the county had a total population of 163,919 people. Of these, 61.4% (91,969 people) lived in rural areas and 38.6% (57,753 people) lived in urban areas. 83.8% of the population stated their religion as Roman Catholic, 7.1% other religions, and 7.5% stated they had no religion. Between 2006 and 2011, the population increased by 10%, slowing to 3% between 2011 and 2016. Since 1951, an opera festival, Wexford Festival Opera , takes place every year in
11144-420: Is that once Niven's Bond retired, his name and 007 designation was passed to another agent to keep the legend alive; James Chapman notes that the implication was that the "other Bond" was that played by Connery. Chapman considered the concept of an elderly Bond interesting, with Bond referring to Connery's Bond as a "sexual acrobat who leaves a trail of beautiful dead women behind like blown roses". In line with
11343-471: Is the 13th-largest of Ireland's thirty-two traditional counties in area, and 9th-largest in terms of population. It is the largest of Leinster's 12 counties in size, and fourth-largest in terms of population. The county is located in the south-east corner of the island of Ireland. It is bounded by the sea on two sides—on the south by the Atlantic Ocean and on the east by St. George's Channel and
11542-637: Is the most common species of butterfly in the county. Various types of moth are also common. The common frog – the only type of frog found – is plentiful. Wexford County Council has thirty-four members. The council has three representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly , where it is part of the South-East strategic planning area. County Wexford is represented by the Dáil constituency of Wexford (5 seats). The county
11741-526: Is turning into dead wood but hanging on to collect his pension". Only in The Spy Who Loved Me , one of Kael's favourite Bond films, did she praise him describing him as self-effacing: "Moore gets the chance to look scared—an emotion that suits him and makes him more likable". A number of Moore's personal preferences were transferred into his characterisation of Bond: his taste for Cuban cigars and his wearing of safari suits were assigned to
11940-425: Is very little natural forest in the county. Most natural trees and vegetation grow on hedgerows . South-eastern Wexford is an important site for wild birds—the north side of Wexford Harbour , the North Slob , is home to 10,000 Greenland white-fronted geese each winter (roughly one third of the entire world's population), while in the summer Lady's Island Lake is an important breeding site for terns , especially
12139-535: The New Statesman thought that he had "relaxed into Bond without losing any steeliness". County Wexford County Wexford ( Irish : Contae Loch Garman ) is a county in Ireland . It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region . Named after the town of Wexford , it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella ( Uí Ceinnsealaigh ), whose capital
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#173277624440112338-495: The Reader's Digest and catch an episode of Moonlighting – he'd try to memorize the jokes – before nodding off under the influence of Ovaltine . The British reviews of The Living Daylights have been laudatory, perhaps because this Bond is the most British of all, if British is to be understood as a synonym for reserved". Raymond Benson noted that Dalton "purposely played Bond as a ruthless and serious man with very little of
12537-637: The 1798 rebellion . Vinegar Hill (Enniscorthy) and New Ross . The famous ballad " Boolavogue " was written in remembrance of the Wexford Rising. At Easter 1916, a small rebellion occurred at Enniscorthy town, on cue with that in Dublin . During World War II , German planes bombed Campile . In 1963 John F. Kennedy , then President of the United States , visited the county and his ancestral home at Dunganstown, near New Ross . Wexford
12736-577: The American ornithologist of the same name . Bond's code number 007 (pronounced "double-O[ / oʊ / ]-seven") comes from one of British naval intelligence's key achievements of World War I : the breaking of the German diplomatic code. One of the German documents cracked and read by the British was the Zimmermann Telegram , which was coded 0075, and which was one of the factors that led to
12935-628: The BAFTA Fellowship , a lifetime achievement award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Connery's later films included several box-office and critical disappointments such as First Knight (1995), Just Cause (1995), The Avengers (1998), and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003); however, he received positive reviews for his performance in Finding Forrester (2000). He also received
13134-757: The D-day assault on Omaha Beach . The Count of Monte Cristo , directed by Kevin Reynolds , was partly filmed in the village of Duncannon in 2000 – Duncannon Fort being used for one of the main scenes. The movie Brooklyn was partially set and filmed in Enniscorthy and featured some of the locals as extras. Two radio stations are based in the county: South East Radio and Beat 102-103 . The county's main newspapers include Wexford People , New Ross Standard , Gorey Guardian , and Enniscorthy Echo . The scenic Bannow Drive, popular amongst tourists,
13333-545: The Irish Sea . The River Barrow forms its western boundary. The Blackstairs Mountains form part of the boundary to the north, as do the southern edges of the Wicklow Mountains . The adjoining counties are Waterford to the south-west, Kilkenny to the west, Carlow to the north-west and Wicklow in the north. Largely low-lying fertile land is the characteristic landscape of the county. The highest point in
13532-616: The James Bond films, of which there have been twenty-seven in total , produced and released between 1962 and 2021. Fleming portrayed Bond as a tall, athletic, handsome secret agent in his thirties or forties; he has several vices, including drinking, smoking, gambling, automobiles and womanising. He is an exceptional marksman, and he is skilled in unarmed combat, skiing, swimming and golf. While Bond kills without hesitation or regret, he usually kills only when carrying out orders, while acting in self-defence, or occasionally as revenge. Bond
13731-673: The Maida Vale Theatre in London. He had already begun a film career, having been an extra in Herbert Wilcox 's 1954 musical Lilacs in the Spring alongside Errol Flynn and Anna Neagle . Although Connery had secured several roles as an extra, he was struggling to make ends meet and was forced to accept a part-time job as a babysitter for journalist Peter Noble and his actress wife Marianne , which earned him 10 shillings
13930-635: The Opera House , Manchester, over the Christmas period of 1954, Connery developed a serious interest in the theatre through American actor Robert Henderson , who lent him copies of the Ibsen works Hedda Gabler , The Wild Duck , and When We Dead Awaken , and later listed works by the likes of Proust , Tolstoy , Turgenev , Bernard Shaw , Joyce , and Shakespeare for him to digest. Henderson urged him to take elocution lessons and got him parts at
14129-559: The Slaney and the Barrow . At 192 km (119 mi) in length, the river Barrow is the second-longest river on the island of Ireland. Smaller rivers of note are the Owenduff, Pollmounty, Corrock, Urrin, Boro, Owenavorragh (also spelt Ounavarra), Sow and Bann rivers. There are no significant fresh-water lakes in the county. Small seaside lakes or lagoons exist at two locations – one
14328-747: The South of France from 1979. He sold it to German billionaire Dietmar Hopp in 1999. He was awarded an honorary rank of Shodan (1st dan ) in Kyokushin karate. Connery relocated to the Bahamas in the 1990s; he owned a mansion in Lyford Cay on New Providence . Connery was knighted by the Queen at an investiture ceremony at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh on 5 July 2000. He had been nominated for
14527-527: The Spanish treasury had been defrauded of £5.5 million. Connery was subsequently cleared by officials, but his wife and 16 others were charged with attempting to defraud the Spanish treasury. Connery died in his sleep on 31 October 2020, aged 90, at his home in the Lyford Cay community of Nassau in the Bahamas. His death was announced by his family and Eon Productions ; although they did not disclose
14726-426: The ice retreated, County Wexford would have been one of the first areas to be covered with glacial drift (a mixture of boulders , clay , sand and gravel ) that blanketed the existing bedrock . This has led to high-quality soils , suitable for a wide range of agriculture . A very detailed soil survey of the county was published in 1964 as part of the 'National Soil Survey of Ireland'. It classifies each area of
14925-530: The rebellion of 1798 , the county has for many years had a strong presence in the Irish traditional singing scene. Noted singers include All-Ireland Fleadh Champions Paddy Berry , Seamus Brogan and Niall Wall. Paddy Berry has also collected and published a number of songs from Wexford. Beaches in Curracloe , County Wexford were used to film the opening scenes of the movie Saving Private Ryan , which depicted
15124-552: The roseate tern . The grey heron is also seen. Throughout the county pheasant , woodpigeon and feral pigeons are widespread. Mute swan , mallard , kingfisher , and owls (the long-eared owl , the short-eared owl , and the barn owl ) are less common – but plentiful. Red grouse , once common, is now extremely scarce. The species has been in decline for some decades. Threats include habitat degradation, disease, predation and over-hunting. Red grouse in Ireland are now considered threatened. The corncrake , also once very common,
15323-664: The "heroic superman" of Connery. Brian Fairbanks noted that " OHMSS gives us a James Bond capable of vulnerability, a man who can show fear and is not immune to heartbreak. Lazenby is that man, and his performance is superb". Ben Macintyre also observed that of all the Bonds, Lazenby's characterisation was closest to that of Fleming's original literary character envisioned in the 1950s era of spy novels. After Diamonds Are Forever , Broccoli and Saltzman tried to convince Sean Connery to return as Bond, but he declined. After considering Jeremy Brett , Michael Billington and Julian Glover ,
15522-435: The "most extraordinary memory". In 1981, Connery appeared in the film Time Bandits as Agamemnon . The casting choice derives from a joke Michael Palin included in the script, which describes the character's removing his mask and being "Sean Connery – or someone of equal but cheaper stature". When shown the script, Connery was happy to play the supporting role. In 1981 he portrayed Marshal William T. O'Niel in
15721-465: The "weirdest and worst movies ever made" it featured Connery in a scarlet mankini – a revealing costume which generated much controversy for its unBond-like appearance. Despite being panned by critics at the time, the film has developed a cult following since its release. In the audio commentary to the film, Boorman relates how Connery would write poetry in his free time, describing him as "a man of great depth and intelligence" and possessing
15920-594: The 1960s. In Marnie , Connery starred opposite Tippi Hedren . Connery had said he wanted to work with Hitchcock, which Eon arranged through their contacts. Connery also shocked many people at the time by asking to see a script, something he did because he was worried about being typecast as a spy and he did not want to do a variation of North by Northwest or Notorious . When told by Hitchcock's agent that Cary Grant had not asked to see even one of Hitchcock's scripts, Connery replied: "I'm not Cary Grant". Hitchcock and Connery got on well during filming, and Connery said he
16119-498: The 2005 film Munich , called him "the perfect 21st-century Bond". Paul Arendt, writing for the BBC , agreed, observing that "Daniel Craig is not a good Bond. He's a great Bond. Specifically, he is 007 as conceived by Ian Fleming—a professional killing machine, a charming, cold-hearted patriot with a taste for luxury. Craig is the first actor to really nail 007's defining characteristic: he's an absolute swine". James Chapman commented on
16318-558: The American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award on 8 June 2006, he confirmed his retirement from acting. Connery's disillusionment with the "idiots now making films in Hollywood" was cited as a reason for his decision to retire. On 7 June 2007, he denied rumours that he would appear in the fourth Indiana Jones film, saying "retirement is just too much damned fun". In 2010, a bronze bust sculpture of Connery
16517-441: The Bond role in 1994, Eon turned to the actor they had considered after A View to a Kill : Pierce Brosnan . He was offered a three-film contract, with an option on a fourth; his salary for his first film, GoldenEye , was $ 4 million, which rose to $ 16.5 million for his fourth and final outing, Die Another Day . Brosnan had first met Broccoli on the set of For Your Eyes Only , when Brosnan's wife, Cassandra Harris ,
16716-455: The Fleming novels, Dalton was pleased to discover that Bond was a human being, he says), and that may be true, if the Fleming original lacked charm, sex appeal and wit. Timothy Dalton's Bond is a serious bloke who swallows his words and approaches his job with responsibility and humanity, and eschews promiscuity – Dirtless Harry . You get the feeling that on his off nights, he might curl up with
16915-764: The Irish and Anglo-Normans were confiscated and given to Cromwell's soldiers as payment for their service in the Parliamentarian Army. At Duncannon , in the south-west of the county, James II , after his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne , embarked for Kinsale and then to exile in France. County Wexford was the most important area in which the Irish Rebellion of 1798 was fought, during which significant battles occurred at The Battle of Oulart Hill during
17114-514: The Kingdom of Uí Cheinnsealaig, an area that was slightly larger than the current County Wexford. County Wexford was one of the earliest areas of Ireland to be Christianised , in the early 5th century. Later, from 819 onwards, the Vikings invaded and plundered many Christian sites in the county. Vikings settled at Wexford town near the end of the 9th century. In 1169, Wexford was the site of
17313-578: The Lion opposite Candice Bergen who played Eden Pedecaris (based on the real-life Perdicaris incident ), and in 1976 played Robin Hood in Robin and Marian opposite Audrey Hepburn , who played Maid Marian . Film critic Roger Ebert , who had praised the double act of Connery and Caine in The Man Who Would Be King , praised Connery's chemistry with Hepburn, writing: "Connery and Hepburn seem to have arrived at
17512-500: The Palais de Danse. There, Connery singlehandedly launched an attack against the gang members, grabbing one by the throat and another by the biceps and cracking their heads together. From then on, he was treated with great respect by the gang and gained a reputation as a "hard man". Connery first met Michael Caine at a party during the production of South Pacific in 1954, and the two later became close friends. During this production at
17711-758: The Prosecution , during which he met and became friends with fellow Scot Ian Bannen . This role was followed by Point of Departure and A Witch in Time at Kew, a role as Pentheus opposite Yvonne Mitchell in The Bacchae at the Oxford Playhouse , and a role opposite Jill Bennett in Eugene O'Neill 's play Anna Christie . During his time at the Oxford Theatre, Connery won a brief part as
17910-725: The Rose (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996) and Finding Forrester (2000). His final on-screen role was as Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). Connery received numerous accolades. For his role in The Untouchables (1987), he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ,
18109-546: The Scottish football club Celtic F.C. , having been introduced to the club by his father who was a lifelong fan of the team. Later in life, Connery switched his loyalty to Celtic's bitter rival , Rangers F.C. , after he became close friends with the team's chairman, David Murray . He was a keen golfer, introduced to the game by his friend Iain Stewart. English professional golfer Peter Alliss gave Connery golf lessons before
18308-642: The Theatre Royal in Wexford town and runs for several weeks. In 2008, a new Opera House replaced the old one on the same site, once called the Wexford Opera House, but in 2014 being designated as Ireland's National Opera House . It consists of two theatres, the O'Reilly Theatre and the Jerome Hynes Theatre. There is a renowned singing tradition in County Wexford. Having an abundance of traditional songs, many of which relate to
18507-517: The Tiger , opposite Van Johnson , Martine Carol , Herbert Lom , and Gustavo Rojo ; the film was shot on location in southern Spain. He also had a minor role in Gerald Thomas 's thriller Time Lock (1957) as a welder, appearing alongside Robert Beatty , Lee Patterson , Betty McDowall , and Vincent Winter ; this commenced filming on 1 December 1956 at Beaconsfield Studios . Connery had
18706-488: The UK for tax purposes, his tax rate would have been far higher. In the run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum , Connery's brother Neil said Connery would not come to Scotland to rally independence supporters, since his tax exile status greatly limited the number of days he could spend in the country. After Connery sold his Marbella villa in 1999, Spanish authorities launched a tax evasion investigation, alleging that
18905-632: The US entering the war as an ally against the Central Powers . Subsequently, if material was graded 00 it meant it was highly classified. Fleming later told a journalist: "When I was at the Admiralty ;... all the top-secret signals had the double-0 prefix ... and I decided to borrow it for Bond." Although James Bond is in his mid-to-late thirties, he does not age in Fleming's stories. Fleming biographer Andrew Lycett noted that, "within
19104-583: The United Kingdom (in 2011, Connery said " The Bowler and the Bunnet was just the beginning of a journey that would lead to my long association with the Scottish National Party"). Connery supported the party both financially and through personal appearances. In 1967, he wrote to George Leslie , the SNP candidate in the 1967 Glasgow Pollok by-election , saying, "I am convinced that with our resources and skills we are more than capable of building
19303-424: The action. Lois Maxwell , who played Miss Moneypenny , related that "Terence took Sean under his wing. He took him to dinner, showed him how to walk, how to talk, even how to eat". The tutoring was successful; Connery received thousands of fan letters a week after Dr. No's opening, and he became a major sex symbol in film. Following the release of the film Dr. No in 1962, the line "Bond ... James Bond", became
19502-428: The actor "should be credited with having established a new style of performance: a British screen hero in the manner of an American leading man". In his second film, From Russia with Love , Connery looked less nervous and edgy; he gave "a relaxed, wry performance of subtle wit and style". Pfeiffer and Worrall noted that Connery "personified James Bond with such perfection that even Ian Fleming ... admitted that it
19701-572: The actor had "old-fashioned, darkly handsome matinee idol looks". With Brosnan, the Bond writers knew that because of the changes in public attitudes, he could not be as overtly sexual and dominant over women as Connery's Bond, and was denounced by M in GoldenEye as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War ". Brosnan was seen by many as the quintessential James Bond in appearance and manner; displaying an air of coolness, elegance and
19900-528: The age of 16, Connery joined the Royal Navy , during which time he acquired two tattoos. Connery's official website says "unlike many tattoos, his were not frivolous – his tattoos reflect two of his lifelong commitments: his family and Scotland. ... One tattoo is a tribute to his parents and reads 'Mum and Dad', and the other is self-explanatory, 'Scotland Forever'". He trained in Portsmouth at
20099-753: The age of 18, and from 1951 trained heavily with Ellington, a former gym instructor in the British Army . While his official website states he was third in the 1950 Mr. Universe contest, most sources place him in the 1953 competition, either third in the Junior class or failing to place in the Tall Man classification. Connery said he was soon deterred from bodybuilding when he found that Americans frequently beat him in competitions because of sheer muscle size and, unlike Connery, refused to participate in athletic activity which could make them lose muscle mass. Connery
20298-491: The announcement of his death, many co-stars and figures from the entertainment industry paid tribute to Connery, including Sam Neill , Nicolas Cage , Robert De Niro , Michael Bay , Tippi Hedren , Alec Baldwin , Hugh Jackman , George Lucas , Shirley Bassey , Kevin Costner , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Barbra Streisand , John Cleese , Jane Seymour and Harrison Ford , as well as former Bond stars George Lazenby , Timothy Dalton , Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig , including
20497-410: The best actor of the four he worked with. Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz agreed with this view, praising Dalton's "androgynous... and evil" screen persona. Director John Glen also felt that Dalton was the best actor who portrayed Bond, and that he was ahead of his time, noting the comparisons between Daniel Craig's incarnation to that of Dalton's. Dalton was voted the second-best Bond, behind Connery, in
20696-543: The casino. Bond is now definitely all set for the Seventies". Judith Crist of New York Magazine commented that, "This time around there's less suavity and a no-nonsense muscularity and maleness to the role via the handsome Mr. Lazenby". Feminist film critic Molly Haskell wrote an approving review in the Village Voice : "Lazenby ... seems more comfortable in a wet tuxedo than a dry martini, more at ease as
20895-507: The cause of death, his son Jason said he had been unwell for some time. A day later, his widow revealed he had dementia in his final years. Connery's death certificate was obtained by TMZ a month after his death, showing the cause of death was pneumonia and respiratory failure, and the time of death was listed as 1:30 am. His remains were cremated, and the ashes were scattered in Scotland at undisclosed locations in 2022. Following
21094-409: The character differed considerably from Fleming's, being more promiscuous and cold-blooded than the literary version. Connery described Bond as "a complete sensualist—senses highly tuned, awake to everything, quite amoral. I particularly like him because he thrives on conflict". Academic James Chapman observed that, for Dr. No , Connery's interpretation of the character, although not complete, showed
21293-515: The character for the films, saying "I said to the producers that the character had one defect, there was no humor about him; to get him accepted, they'd have to let me play him tongue-in-cheek, so people could laugh. They agreed, and there you are: today Bond is accepted to such an extent that even philosophers take the trouble to analyze him, even intellectuals enjoy defending him or attacking him. And even while they're laughing at him, people take him terribly seriously". Connery went on to add that "Bond
21492-534: The character the most times, appearing in seven films each (including Connery's non-Eon film portrayal in 1983's Never Say Never Again ). A Secret Service agent, James Bond was a composite based on a number of commandos that author Ian Fleming had known during his service in the Naval Intelligence Division during World War II , to whom he added his own style and a number of his own tastes. Fleming appropriated his character's name from
21691-427: The character". Rubin considered Dalton's portrayal "Fleming's Bond ... the suffering Bond". In contrast to the previous incarnations of the character, Smith and Lavington identified Dalton's humour as "brooding rather than flippant"; combined with his heavy smoking, they considered him "an effective leading man". Although Bond screenwriter Richard Maibaum called Sean Connery the best Bond, he considered Dalton
21890-420: The character's Englishness with a classless internationalism that is highly knowing". Andrew Spicer says that "Brosnan's frame carries the 'Armani look' with its refined understated Englishness, to perfection. His lithe, sinuous athleticism is well suited to the fast-paced action and state-of-the-art gadgetry that retains the series' core appeal". James Chapman also considered Brosnan's appearance striking, saying
22089-428: The character. Moore's use of cigars in his early films put him in contrast to the cigarette-smoking Connery, Lazenby and Dalton. By the time of Moore's fifth film, For Your Eyes Only , released in 1981, his characterisation had come to represent an old-fashioned character, in contrast to the fashionability Connery had brought to the role in the 1960s. In 1985 Moore appeared in his seventh and final film, A View to
22288-446: The coldest months, with temperatures ranging from 4–9 °C (39–48 °F) on average. July and August are generally the warmest months, with average temperatures ranging from 13–19 °C (55–66 °F) in coastal areas and 12–22 °C (54–72 °F) in inland areas. The prevailing winds blow from the south-west. Precipitation falls throughout the year. Mean annual rainfall is 800–1,200 millimetres (31–47 in). Generally,
22487-504: The competitors mentioned that auditions were being held for a production of South Pacific , and Connery landed a small part as one of the Seabees chorus boys. By the time the production reached Edinburgh, he had been given the part of Marine Cpl. Hamilton Steeves and was understudying two of the juvenile leads, and his salary was raised from £12 to £14–10s a week. The production returned the following year, out of popular demand, and Connery
22686-405: The county according to its specific soil type . Most of the county is covered with soils called brown earths , described as well-drained and having a wide use-range. After that, gleys (poorly to imperfectly drained with a limited use-range) are the next major soil type, primarily located in the south-east of the county and east of Gorey (along the coast). Gleys are dotted elsewhere around
22885-652: The county in small areas, and where they occur they generally form bogland . The last major soil type, brown podzolics , occur mainly near the edges of the Blackstairs Mountain range and around Bunclody and in the baronies of East Shelmalier and South Ballaghkeen. Though there are areas covered with other soil types , these are of limited extent. Common species of tree include oak , ash , sycamore , alder , blackthorn , hawthorn , beech and birch . Less common (but plentiful) species include wild cherry and Scots pine (also called red deal). Elm
23084-539: The county is Mount Leinster at 795 metres (2,608 ft), in the Blackstairs Mountains in the north-west on the boundary with County Carlow. Other high points: Notable hills include: Carrigbyrne Hill; Camross (or Camaross) Hill, 181 m (594 ft); Carrigmaistia, 167 m (548 ft); Bree Hill, 179 m (587 ft); Gibbet Hill; Vinegar Hill; Slievecoiltia; Forth Mountain, 237 m (778 ft); and Tara Hill. The major rivers are
23283-415: The county receives less snow than more northerly parts of Ireland . Heavy snowfalls are relatively rare, but can occur. The one exception is Mount Leinster , visible from a large portion of the county, and frequently covered with snow during the winter months. Frost is frequent in winter months, less so in coastal areas. An ice sheet covered most, but not all, of the county during the last Ice age . As
23482-545: The county – including Rosslare (a Links course ), and Enniscorthy. Two more are located near Gorey – Ballymoney Golf Club and Courtown Golf Club – are 18 hole golf courses. Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club, boasting Europe's only golf lift, is situated just inside County Carlow . There are also a few others. New Ross Golf Club , however, is actually located in County Kilkenny – about 1 km (1,000 yards) from New Ross town. There are also many par-3 courses in
23681-451: The county, such as Scarke Golf Course & Driving Range, located about 2 km (1.2 mi) east of New Ross, the 'Abbey Par 3' course, at Winningtown, Fethard-on-Sea, Blackwater Par 3 Golf Course, Kilnew, Blackwater, located a few kilometres northeast of Wexford town, Garrylough Golf Course and Driving Range, Screen, and Rathaspeck Manor Golf Course, Rathaspeck, near Rosslare (there are also few Par-4 holes on this course). There are also
23880-806: The documentary film The Bowler and the Bunnet in 1967. The film described the Fairfield Experiment , a new approach to industrial relations carried out at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company , Glasgow, during the 1960s; the experiment was initiated by Stewart and supported by George Brown , the First Secretary in Harold Wilson 's cabinet, in 1966. The company was facing closure, and Brown agreed to provide £1 million (£13.135 million; US$ 15.55 million in 2021 terms) to enable trade unions,
24079-512: The early 1970s when he dated Dyan Cannon , Jill St. John , Lana Wood , Carole Mallory , and Magda Konopka . In her 2006 autobiography, Cilento alleged that he had abused her mentally and physically during their relationship. Connery cancelled an appearance at the Scottish Parliament in 2006 because of controversy over his alleged support of abuse of women. He denied claims he told Playboy magazine in 1965, "I don't think there
24278-487: The end of June, a 'Strawberry Fair' Festival takes place in the town of Enniscorthy , and a Strawberry Queen is crowned. Dairy farming forms an important part of the agricultural industry. Locally produced milk is on sale in many supermarkets. Wexford Irish Cheddar is a brand, and Carrigbyrne, a full-flavoured soft cheese , is produced near New Ross. Evergreen tree species are extensively cultivated, especially in more recent years— Norway spruce and Sitka spruce are
24477-410: The family of late former Bond actor Roger Moore . Connery's longtime friend Michael Caine called him a "great star, brilliant actor and a wonderful friend". James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli released a statement saying Connery had "revolutionized the world with his gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent. He is undoubtedly largely responsible for
24676-561: The film an "overpoweringly charming concoction of standard Gaelic tall stories, fantasy and romance". He also had prominent television roles in Rudolph Cartier 's 1961 productions of Adventure Story and Anna Karenina for BBC Television, co-starring with Claire Bloom in the latter. Also in 1961 he portrayed the title role in a CBC television film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth with Australian actress Zoe Caldwell cast as Lady Macbeth. Connery's breakthrough came in
24875-424: The film in protest. Craig, unlike previous actors, was not considered by the protesters to fit the tall, dark, handsome and charismatic image of Bond to which viewers had been accustomed. Many disparagingly called him "James Blonde", believing the 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) blond-haired, blue-eyed Craig far from the traditional tall, dark and suave actors who had earlier portrayed him. The Daily Mirror ran
25074-449: The film set and pointed a gun at Connery, only to have Connery disarm him and knock him flat on his back. Stompanato was banned from the set. Two Scotland Yard detectives advised Stompanato to leave and escorted him to the airport, where he boarded a plane back to the United States. Connery later recounted that he had to lie low for a while after receiving threats from men linked to Stompanato's boss, Mickey Cohen . In 1959, Connery landed
25273-520: The film through the editing process, ultimately deciding to retire from acting rather than go through such stress ever again. Connery turned down the role of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings films, saying he did not understand the script. He was reportedly offered US$ 30 million along with 15% of the worldwide box office receipts, which would have earned him US$ 450 million. He also turned down
25472-478: The film, and that "he invariably rises to the occasion". Alexander Walker in the Evening Standard of London , said that, "The truth is that George Lazenby is almost as good a James Bond as the man whom he humorously referred to in this film as 'this never happened to the other fellow'?!. Lazenby's voice is more suave than sexy-sinister and he could pass for the other fellow's twin on the shady side of
25671-457: The film, many of whom believed he was the first actor to truly nail the character as portrayed by Fleming. Todd McCarthy , reviewing the film for Variety , considered that "Craig comes closer to the author's original conception of this exceptionally long-lived male fantasy figure than anyone since early Sean Connery", and he went on to say that "Craig once and for all claims the character as his own". Steven Spielberg , who had directed Craig in
25870-541: The filming of the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger , which involved a scene where Connery, as Bond, played golf against gold magnate Auric Goldfinger at Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire. The golf scene saw him wear a Slazenger v-neck sweater, a brand which Connery became associated with while playing golf in his free time, with a light grey marl being a favoured colour. Record major championship winner and golf course designer Jack Nicklaus said, "He loved
26069-704: The first Scottish actor to win the achievement, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture , and in the same year he received the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his role in The Name of the Rose (1986). He also received honorary awards such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1987, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1998 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Connery
26268-415: The first few pages [of Casino Royale ] Ian had introduced most of Bond's idiosyncrasies and trademarks", which included his looks, his Bentley and his smoking and drinking habits: Bond's penchant for alcohol runs throughout the series of books and he smokes up to 70 cigarettes a day. Fleming decided to underplay Bond's character, observing: "Exotic things would happen to and around him, but he would be
26467-613: The franchise in Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon-produced Bond film. Connery is also known for his notable collaborations with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock , Sidney Lumet and John Huston . Their films in which Connery appeared included Marnie (1964), The Hill (1965), The Offence (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975). He also acted in Robin and Marian (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Time Bandits (1981), Highlander (1986), The Name of
26666-608: The game of golf – Sean was a pretty darn good golfer! – and we played together several times. In May 1993, Sean and legendary driver Jackie Stewart helped me open our design of the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles in Scotland". Connery's Scottish roots and his experiences in filming in Glasgow's shipyards in 1966 inspired him to become a member of the centre-left Scottish National Party (SNP), which supports Scottish independence from
26865-473: The game. Connery said he was tempted to accept, but he recalls, "I realised that a top-class footballer could be over the hill by the age of 30, and I was already 23. I decided to become an actor and it turned out to be one of my more intelligent moves". Seeking to supplement his income, Connery helped out backstage at the King's Theatre in late 1951. During a bodybuilding competition held in London in 1953, one of
27064-472: The gentleman spy ... by Ian Fleming" have now gone; he went on to say that "this character is remarkably close both in deed and action to the eponymous hero of the new Batman film". Not all viewers were taken with Dalton. Jay Scott of The Globe and Mail was entirely dismissive. "The new Bond has been widely described in feature stories as a throwback to the Ian Fleming original (studying
27263-408: The great religious houses were dissolved, 1536–41; in County Wexford this included Glascarrig Priory, Clonmines Priory, Tintern Abbey , and Dunbrody Abbey . On 23 October 1641, a major rebellion broke out in Ireland, and County Wexford produced strong support for Confederate Ireland . Oliver Cromwell and his English Parliamentarian Army arrived in 1649 in the county and captured it. The lands of
27462-440: The gross profits and, as a further enticement, United Artists offered to back two films of his choice. His performance received mixed reviews, with Raymond Benson considering that Connery "looks weary and bored ... he is overweight, slow-moving, and doesn't seem to be trying to create a credible character". Despite that, Benson considers that Connery "still radiates more screen presence than Roger Moore or George Lazenby". On
27661-482: The invasion of Ireland by Normans at the behest of Diarmuid Mac Murrough , King of Uí Cheinnsealaig and king of Leinster (Laigin). This was followed by the subsequent colonisation of the country by the Cambro-Normans . The native Irish began to regain some of their former territories in the 14th century, especially in the north of the county, principally under Art MacMurrough Kavanagh . Under Henry VIII ,
27860-402: The late 1950s. At a muscular 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), Connery was initially met with disapproval from Fleming, who believed he was an overgrown stuntman lacking the finesse and elegance to play James Bond; he envisaged a suave actor, such as David Niven , playing the role. Producer Albert R. Broccoli —known to all as Cubby—disagreed with Fleming's view, later commenting that "I wanted
28059-569: The late 1970s after a proposal was made to build a nuclear energy plant there; the plans were abandoned after extensive protests from the public, due to environmental and health concerns. Great Island Power Station opened in 1967 and was operated by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) until it was sold to Endesa in January 2009. It is an electricity-generating station fueled by heavy fuel oil and rated at 240 MW. It
28258-625: The legend of the Untouchables, and when he's onscreen we can believe, briefly, that the Prohibition Era was inhabited by people, not caricatures". For his performance, Connery received a BAFTA nomination and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . Connery starred in Steven Spielberg 's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), playing Henry Jones Sr. ,
28457-512: The less common brown (or European) hare —are found. Hare is not nearly as common as rabbit. The stoat ( Mustela erminea hibernica ) is also reasonably common. Locally the stoat is just as often incorrectly called a weasel . Only two types of seal are found on County Wexford's coast— Atlantic grey seals are very plentiful in coastal areas; the slightly smaller common (or harbour) seal is less common, yet plentiful. The small tortoiseshell butterfly (reddish-orange colour, with black markings)
28656-661: The liberated 1970s; as a result he left the role of Agent 007 even before the release of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. For his performance as Bond, Lazenby was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor at the following year's 27th Golden Globe Awards in February 1970. Critical opinion was split about Lazenby; he has been considered to have been the worst Bond, and has variously been described as "laconic and humourless", "a little stiff" and "annoying and smug". Derek Malcolm of The Guardian
28855-468: The literary Bond, Niven's character drives a vintage Bentley , rather than the Aston Martin favoured by Connery. Bond scholar Steven Jay Rubin thought Niven perfectly cast as the retired Bond, and saw him as "a throw-back to the hell-for-leather adventure heroes" of the character, which paralleled Niven's own life and career. Barnes and Hearn describe this as a "perfectly fair interpretation", given
29054-721: The management and the shareholders to try out new ways of industrial management . Having played Bond six times, Connery's global popularity was such that he shared a Golden Globe Henrietta Award with Charles Bronson for "World Film Favorite – Male" in 1972. He appeared in John Huston 's The Man Who Would Be King (1975) opposite Michael Caine. Playing two former British soldiers who set themselves up as kings in Kafiristan , both actors regarded it as their favourite film. The same year, he appeared in The Wind and
29253-471: The most common varieties planted. These are generally sown on poorer quality soils (mainly in bogs and on hills or mountainsides). A small amount of deciduous trees are also planted, though these require better soils. Silver was once mined at Clonmines—primarily in Tudor times. Lead was mined at Caim, 1818 – c. 1850—this mine also contains zinc ; the two are usually found together. Copper ore ( malachite )
29452-411: The most elegant and mannerly of the Bonds, with the voice and style of an English debonair country gentleman. Benson agreed, stating that Moore was, "too nice and well-mannered to be a James Bond of any real substance", while Doug Pratt said that "the writers worked out an amenable personality for Roger Moore and found a breezy balance between comedy and action". To make Moore's character appear tougher,
29651-526: The most portrayals as James Bond with Roger Moore (with seven apiece). In June 1965, Time magazine observed "James Bond has developed into the biggest mass-cult hero of the decade". In 2024, the Edinburgh International Film Festival established an annual award in Connery's honour. The Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence is a prize of £50,000 given to the makers of a film chosen by audience vote from
29850-421: The naval gunnery school and in an anti-aircraft crew. He was later assigned as an Able Seaman on HMS Formidable . Connery was discharged from the navy at the age of 19 on medical grounds because of a duodenal ulcer , a condition that affected most of the males in previous generations of his family. Afterwards, he returned to the co-op and worked as a lorry driver, a lifeguard at Portobello swimming baths ,
30049-633: The opportunity to appear as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series and the Architect in The Matrix trilogy. In 2005, he recorded voiceovers for the From Russia with Love video game with recording producer Terry Manning in the Bahamas, and provided his likeness. Connery said he was happy the producers, Electronic Arts , had approached him to voice Bond. When Connery received
30248-404: The original screenplay". His subsequent box-office hits included The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Russia House (1990), The Rock (1996), and Entrapment (1999). In 1996, he voiced the role of Draco the dragon in the film Dragonheart . He also appeared in a brief cameo as King Richard the Lionheart at the end of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). In 1998, Connery received
30447-442: The other hand, Pauline Kael said "Connery's James Bond is less lecherous than before and less foppish—and he's better this way". Producer Jack Schwartzman moved ahead with a non-Eon Bond film in the early 1980s, following the controversy over the 1961 novel Thunderball and the subsequent long legal battle ; the result was Never Say Never Again . Connery accepted an offer to play Bond once more, asking for (and receiving)
30646-597: The producers cast Sean Connery as Bond in the film. Fleming was appalled at the selection of the uncouth 31-year-old Scottish actor, considering him the antithesis of his character. However, Connery's physical prowess and sexual magnetism became closely identified with the character, with Fleming ultimately changing his view on Connery and incorporating aspects of his portrayal into the books. Seven actors in total have portrayed Bond in film. Following Connery's portrayal, David Niven, George Lazenby , Roger Moore , Timothy Dalton , Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have assumed
30845-427: The realism and violence in the film, noting that Bond is seen to seriously bleed for the first time in the series; Chapman also identified a number of violent scenes which make Casino Royale notable in the series. In 2012 Skyfall was released; it was Craig's third outing as 007. Reviewing the film, Philip French , writing in The Observer , considered that Craig managed to "get out of the shadow of Connery", while
31044-514: The role based on the strength of the script for Casino Royale ; he later recalled that "once I sat down and read the story, I just thought that I wanted to tell [it] ... I'm a big Bond fan, and I love what he represents". Significant controversy followed the decision, with some critics and fans expressing doubt the producers had made the right choice. Throughout the entire production period, Internet campaigns such as danielcraigisnotbond.com expressed their dissatisfaction and threatened to boycott
31243-412: The role of British secret agent James Bond . He was initially reluctant to commit to a film series, but understood that if the franchise succeeded, his film career would greatly benefit. Between 1962 and 1967, Connery played 007 in Dr. No , From Russia with Love , Goldfinger , Thunderball , and You Only Live Twice , the first five Bond films produced by Eon Productions . After departing from
31442-445: The role of James Bond owed a lot to Dana Broccoli, wife of producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli , who is reputed to have been instrumental in persuading her husband that Connery was the right man. James Bond's creator, Ian Fleming , originally doubted Connery's casting, saying, "He's not what I envisioned of James Bond looks", and "I'm looking for Commander Bond and not an overgrown stunt-man", adding that Connery (muscular, 6' 2", and
31641-435: The role, Connery returned for the seventh film, Diamonds Are Forever , in 1971. Connery made his final appearance as Bond in Never Say Never Again , a 1983 remake of Thunderball produced by Jack Schwartzman 's Taliafilm. All seven films were commercially successful. James Bond, as portrayed by Connery, was selected as the third-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute . The choice of Connery for
31840-493: The role, in the goodnatured throwaway with which he parries all the sex and violence on the way". In 2003, Bond, as portrayed by Connery, was selected as the third-greatest hero in cinema history by the American Film Institute . When Sean Connery had been cast in November 1961, David Niven had been Fleming's choice for the role; the actor reflected the author's image of the character. In 1965 producer Charles Feldman signed Niven to play Sir James Bond for Casino Royale ,
32039-452: The role. Although the film performed well at the box office, it was plagued with production problems: strife between the director and producer, financial problems, the Fleming estate trustees' attempts to halt the film, and Connery's wrist being broken by the fight choreographer, Steven Seagal . As a result of his negative experiences during filming, Connery became unhappy with the major studios and did not make any films for two years. Following
32238-487: The role. These screen versions have retained many traits from Fleming's depiction, although some of Bond's less politically correct traits have been phased out (such as his treatment of women and smoking). Despite depicting the same character, there have been notable differences among the Bond portrayals. Daniel Craig is the incumbent Bond in the Eon series and has played the character five times, most recently in No Time to Die released in 2021. Connery and Moore have played
32437-516: The science fiction thriller Outland . In 1982, Connery narrated G'olé! , the official film of the 1982 FIFA World Cup . That same year, he was offered the role of Daddy Warbucks in Annie , going as far as taking voice lessons for the John Huston musical before turning down the part. Connery agreed to reprise Bond as an ageing agent 007 in Never Say Never Again , released in October 1983. The title, contributed by his wife, refers to his earlier statement that he would "never again" return to
32636-487: The script. Connery insisted that Ken Adam build a special Plexiglas partition inside the pool, but this was not a fixed structure, and one of the sharks managed to pass through it. He had to abandon the pool immediately. Although Bond had made him a star, Connery grew tired of the role and the pressure the franchise put on him, saying "[I am] fed up to here with the whole Bond bit" and "I have always hated that damned James Bond. I'd like to kill him". Michael Caine said of
32835-459: The site, featuring 14 wind turbines generating electricity. It was completed in November 2002 and was the first wind farm on the east coast of Ireland. Wind farms now exist at a few other locations in the county, such as Ballywater Wind Farm , at Cahore (near Kilmuckridge ), on the county's east coast, and Richfield wind farm, located in the southeast of the county. In recent years the county Football team has been making rapid advances. Camogie ,
33034-558: The situation, "If you were his friend in these early days you didn't raise the subject of Bond. He was, and is, a much better actor than just playing James Bond, but he became synonymous with Bond. He'd be walking down the street and people would say, 'Look, there's James Bond'. That was particularly upsetting to him". While making the Bond films, Connery also starred in other films such as Alfred Hitchcock 's Marnie (1964) and Sidney Lumet 's The Hill (1965), which film critic Peter Bradshaw regards as his two great non-Bond pictures from
33233-405: The success of the film series and we shall be forever grateful to him". In 2004, a poll in the UK Sunday Herald recognised Connery as "The Greatest Living Scot" and a 2011 EuroMillions survey named him "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure". He was voted by People magazine as the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century" in 1999. Connery shares the record for
33432-435: The successful European production The Name of the Rose (1986), for which he won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor , Connery's interest in more commercial material was revived. That same year, a supporting role in Highlander showcased his ability to play older mentors to younger leads, which became a recurring role in many of his later films. In 1987, Connery starred in Brian De Palma 's The Untouchables , where he played
33631-450: The third major actor (following Sean Connery and David Niven ) to play the role of Bond. He first came to their attention in a Fry's Chocolate Cream advertisement. Lazenby dressed the part by sporting several sartorial Bond elements such as a Rolex Submariner wristwatch and a Savile Row suit (ordered, but uncollected, by Connery), and going to Connery's barber at the Dorchester Hotel in London. Lazenby consolidated his claim during
33830-425: The title character's father, and received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. Harrison Ford said Connery's contributions at the writing stage enhanced the film. "It was amazing for me in how far he got into the script and went after exploiting opportunities for character. His suggestions to George [Lucas] at the writing stage really gave the character and the picture a lot more complexity and value than it had in
34029-422: The tooth", and in December 2007 admitted that he "was only about four hundred years too old for the part". Like Connery, Moore appeared as Bond in seven films; by the time he retired in 1985, he was the oldest actor to play 007 in the Eon series, and his Bond films had earned over $ 1 billion at the box office. With the retirement of Roger Moore in 1985, a search for a new actor to play Bond took place that saw
34228-416: The two producers finally turned to Roger Moore , whom they had previously discussed for On Her Majesty's Secret Service , but who had been unavailable, and he was ultimately cast to play Bond in Live and Let Die . At the time Moore was an established television actor, known for his performances as Simon Templar in The Saint and Lord Brett Sinclair in The Persuaders! , in both of which he played
34427-441: The way Niven approached the role, while Raymond Benson thinks casting Niven was "intelligent". Jeremy Black questioned the use of Niven in the role, observing that he did not seem to be a killer, and did not have the "disconcerting edge" that Connery had. With the departure of Connery after You Only Live Twice (1967), Broccoli and director Peter R. Hunt chose little-known Australian actor George Lazenby (born 1939), to be
34626-428: The wit displayed by Connery, Lazenby or Moore", and considered him "the most accurate and literal interpretation of the role ... ever seen on screen". His character also reflected a degree of moral ambiguity; in Licence to Kill , for instance, he becomes a rogue agent, while Dalton himself saw the character as a "man, not a superhuman; a man who is beset with moral confusions and apathies and uncertainties, and who
34825-430: The world over—he was rough, tough, mean and witty ... he was a bloody good 007". However, despite his charm and virility, Connery was characteristically laconic in his delivery. Christopher Bray says of him that "in his single-minded, laconic, mocking, self-sufficient vanity, Connery's Bond was the epitome of sixties consumer culture". Interviewed by Oriana Fallaci in 1965, Connery identified where he had altered
35024-494: The young actor his first chance in a leading role, and cast Connery as Mountain McLintock in BBC Television's production of Requiem for a Heavyweight , which also starred Warren Mitchell and Jacqueline Hill . He then played a rogue lorry driver, Johnny Yates, in Cy Endfield 's Hell Drivers (1957) alongside Stanley Baker , Herbert Lom , Peggy Cummins , and Patrick McGoohan . Later in 1957, Connery appeared in Terence Young 's poorly received MGM action picture Action of
35223-443: Was Ferns . Wexford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 163,527 at the 2022 census. The county is rich in evidence of early human habitation. Portal tombs (sometimes called dolmens ) exist at Ballybrittas (on Bree Hill) and at Newbawn – and date from the Neolithic period or earlier. Remains from the Bronze Age period are far more widespread. Early Irish tribes formed
35422-502: Was "less of a womaniser, tougher and closer to the darker character Ian Fleming wrote about". James Chapman also considered Dalton closer to Fleming's Bond than the previous actors, writing that Dalton was "clearly less comfortable ... with the witty asides and one-liners ... so he becomes something closer to the Bond of the books, who rarely develops a sense of humour". When reviewing Licence to Kill , Iain Johnstone of The Sunday Times disagreed, declaring that "any vestiges of
35621-486: Was a cleaning woman. The daughter of Neil McLean and Helen Forbes Ross, she was named after her father's mother, Euphemia McBain, wife of John McLean and daughter of William McBain from Ceres in Fife. Connery's father, Joseph Connery, was a factory worker and lorry driver. Two of his paternal great-grandparents emigrated to Scotland from Wexford, Ireland , in the mid-19th century, with his great-grandfather James Connery being an Irish Traveller . The remainder of his family
35820-415: Was a fairly vocal critic of Moore's, dismissing him as an "iceberg" in The Man with the Golden Gun . In reviewing For Your Eyes Only , she wrote "Roger Moore is Bond again, and his idea of Bond's imperturbable cool is the same as playing dead". Reviewing Moonraker , she wrote "Roger Moore is dutiful and passive as Bond; his clothes are neatly pressed and he shows up for work, like an office manager who
36019-456: Was a keen footballer , having played for Bonnyrigg Rose in his younger days. He was offered a trial with East Fife . While on tour with South Pacific , Connery played in a football match against a local team that Matt Busby , manager of Manchester United , happened to be scouting. According to reports, Busby was impressed with his physical prowess and offered Connery a contract worth £25 a week (equivalent to £882 in 2023) immediately after
36218-438: Was a throwaway, and certainly in the later films, verged on self-parody. It was an essential strand in the increasingly tongue-in-cheek direction of the series which became more light-hearted, knowing and playfully intertextual". Chapman noted that Moore was the most comedic of the Bonds, with a more light-hearted approach to playing the character with a mocking wit and innuendo. Additionally, Moore's one-liners were delivered in
36417-480: Was appearing in the film as Countess Lisl von Schlaf, and the couple lunched with Broccoli during filming. Brosnan went on to play a criminal-turned-private investigator in Remington Steele in the 1980s, where he captured some of the traits of previous Bonds in playing the role: like Moore, he exemplified a high degree of suavity, elegance, charm and wit, but displayed a masculinity and grittiness on occasion reminiscent of Connery's Bond, both successfully "combine
36616-408: Was as a milkman in Edinburgh with St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society . In 2009, Connery recalled a conversation in a taxi: When I took a taxi during a recent Edinburgh Film Festival, the driver was amazed that I could put a name to every street we passed. "How come?" he asked. "As a boy I used to deliver milk round here", I said. "So what do you do now?" That was rather harder to answer. In 1946, at
36815-496: Was difficult imagining anyone else in the part"; academic Jeremy Black agreed, and declared that "Connery made the role his own and created the Bond audience for the cinema". Black also observed that Connery gave the character a "spare, pared-down character ... [with] inner bleakness along with the style". Connery played Bond with "the right mix of cool charisma, violence and arrogance ... against which all others are judged". Raymond Benson perceived that Connery "embodies
37014-429: Was dismissive of Lazenby's performance, saying that he "is not a good actor and though I never thought Sean Connery was all that stylish either, there are moments when one yearns for a little of his louche panache". The New York Times critic AH Weiler also weighed in against Lazenby, saying that "Lazenby, if not a spurious Bond, is merely a casual, pleasant, satisfactory replacement". Pauline Kael called Lazenby "quite
37213-492: Was eventually ruled out by his Remington Steele contract, Dalton was appointed in August 1986 on a salary of $ 5.2 million. When he was either 24 or 25 years old Dalton had discussed playing Bond with Broccoli, but decided he was too young to accept the role, thinking Bond should be portrayed as being between 35 and 40 years old. In preparing for the role, Dalton, a green-eyed, dark haired, slender, 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) classically trained Shakespearean actor,
37412-418: Was first portrayed on screen by American actor Barry Nelson , in a 1954 Climax! television adaptation, " Casino Royale ". In 1961, Eon Productions began work on an adaptation of the 1958 novel, Dr. No . The result was a film that spawned a series of twenty-five films produced by Eon Productions and two independent films. After considering "refined" English actors such as Cary Grant and David Niven ,
37611-427: Was happy with the film "with certain reservations". In The Hill , Connery wanted to act in something that wasn't Bond related, and he used his leverage as a star to feature in it. While the film wasn't a financial success it was a critical one, debuting at the Cannes Film Festival winning Best Screenplay. The first of five films he made with Lumet, Connery considered him to be one of his favourite directors. The respect
37810-440: Was introduced in GoldenEye ; James Chapman argues that the film works his portrayal of Bond into the history of the others in the series through the post-credits sequence use of the Aston Martin DB5 , previously seen in Goldfinger and Thunderball , "thus immediately evoking the memory of [Sean] Connery". Brosnan's characterisation of Bond was seen by Jeremy Black as being "closer to the Fleming novels than Moore ... yet he
38009-400: Was keen to portray the character as accurately as possible, reading up extensively on the books before his role in The Living Daylights (1987). Dalton's Bond was a serious one: dark, cold, stern, ruthless, showing little humour, and focused as a killer with little time for fun and indulgence. Dalton's interpretation of the character came from his "desire to see a darker Bond", one that
38208-402: Was known during his teen years as "Big Tam", and he said that he lost his virginity to an adult woman in an ATS uniform at the age of 14. He had an Irish childhood friend named Séamus; when the two were together, those who knew them both called Connery by his middle name Sean, emphasising the alliteration of the two names. Since then Connery preferred to use his middle name. Connery's first job
38407-428: Was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and a knight by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama in 2000 . Thomas Sean Connery was born at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 25 August 1930; he was named after his paternal grandfather. He was brought up at No. 176 Fountainbridge , a block which has since been demolished. His mother, Euphemia McBain "Effie" McLean,
38606-453: Was mutual, with Lumet saying of Connery's performance in The Hill , "The thing that was apparent to me – and to most directors – was how much talent and ability it takes to play that kind of character who is based on charm and magnetism. It's the equivalent of high comedy and he did it brilliantly." In the mid-1960s, Connery played golf with Scottish industrialist Iain Maxwell Stewart , a connection which led to Connery directing and presenting
38805-456: Was of Scottish descent, and his maternal great-grandparents were native Scottish Gaelic speakers from Fife and Uig on Skye . His father was a Roman Catholic , and his mother was a Protestant . Connery had a younger brother Neil and was generally referred to in his youth as "Tommy". Although he was small in primary school, he grew rapidly around the age of 12, reaching his full adult height of 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) at 18. Connery
39004-411: Was placed in Tallinn , Estonia, outside The Scottish Club, whose membership includes Estonian Scotophiles and a handful of expatriate Scots. In 2012, Connery briefly came out of retirement to voice the title character in the Scottish animated film Sir Billi . Connery served as executive producer for an expanded 80-minute version. During the production of South Pacific in the mid-1950s, Connery dated
39203-432: Was probably too much the stage actor to be convincing as an action hero in the age of Willis , Schwarzenegger and Stallone ". After just two films— The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill —litigation ensued over the licensing of the Bond catalogue, delaying what would have been Dalton's third film by several years. His six-year contract expired in 1993 and he left the series in 1994. After Timothy Dalton retired from
39402-400: Was promoted to the featured role of Lieutenant Buzz Adams, which Larry Hagman had portrayed in the West End . While in Edinburgh, Connery was targeted by the Valdor gang, one of the most violent in the city. He was first approached by them in a billiard hall where he prevented them from stealing his jacket and was later followed by six gang members to a 15-foot-high (4.6 m) balcony at
39601-402: Was the tenor of what the script was always trying to display". After Connery was chosen, director Terence Young took the actor to his tailor and hairdresser, and introduced him to the high life, restaurants, casinos and women of London. In the words of Bond writer Raymond Benson , Young educated the actor "in the ways of being dapper, witty, and above all, cool". Connery's interpretation of
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