This actor, musician, and painter from Scotland has an estimated net worth of $120 million. Sir Thomas Sean Connery was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 25th, 1930. His father, Joseph Connery, was a factory worker and truck driver, a Catholic of Irish origin, with ancestors in Wexford County, while his mother, Euphan “Effie” Maclean, was a cleaning woman, a Protestant whose parents Lived in Fife and Uig on the Isle of Skye.
He has a younger brother, Neil Connery, who was born in 1938. As Connery has stated, he was known by his middle name, Sean, long before he became an actor, explaining that he had an Irish friend named Seamus and everyone who knew them They both decided to call him by his middle name when he was with him, staying as usual.
Artistic career.
Trying to earn some extra money, Connery helped backstage at the King’s Theater in late 1951. He became interested in the process, and his career was launched. In 1957, Connery played Spike, a minor gangster with speech problems on No Road Back by Montgomery Tully along with Skip Homeier, Paul Carpenter, Patricia Dainton, and Norman Wooland.
He then played a truck driver, Johnny Yates, in Hell Drivers, a 1957 film directed by Cy Endfield, along with Stanley Baker, Herbert Lom, Peggy Cummins, and Patrick McGoohan.
As James Bond (1962-1971, 1983)
His breakthrough came in 1962, when he was cast as James Bond, an agent of the British secret service created by Ian Fleming and the protagonist of several of his novels. His first immersion in the role was produced in the film Dr. No (1962), where he was accompanied by actress Ursula Andress. The success of the James Bond films was such that there were several sequels in which Connery also participated: From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), and Thunderball (1965).
In the 1970s, already tired of the character and determined not to stuck on it, he gave way to George Lazenby, who played Bond in only one film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969. Lazenby’s performance did not conform the audience, and the critics (although his film was quite successful), due to which Connery returned reluctantly to star in Diamonds Are Forever in 1971.
After this film, he finally abandoned the role of Bond, being replaced by Roger Moore. Although Bond stigma long followed Connery, he worked hard to break out and interpreted completely different characters with great success, being able already in the middle of the 90s to be recognized like a very versatile actor.
After Bond.
While performing in Bond films, Connery also starred in other acclaimed films such as The Longest Day (1962), Marnie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1964, and Murder on the Orient Express, directed by Sidney Lumet in 1974.
Knighthood.
In 2000, the British government granted Connery the degree of “Knight Bachelor” and the title of Sir in recognition to the character he interpreted that captured the British essence and projected it towards the world.
