Sean Connery

A true badass, Sean Connery has defied career expectation over five decades of being in the public eye while embodying what it is to be a true movie star: suave, private, professional. He could go from capturing the essence of James Bond in seven outings to a king, thief, monk, dragon and a recluse. Finally, he managed to do what very, very few do in the world of entertainment: he knew when to walk away. Even the lure of another “Indiana Jones” would not be enough for Sean Connery to withdraw his claim of retirement. He now lets the legacy speak for itself.

A proud Scotsman, Sean Connery was born in Fountainbridge, Edinbugh in 1930. Working odd jobs throughout his teens, Sean found acting in his 20s. By the age of 32, he was given the reins of carrying what would become a still-existing phenomenon. With “Dr. No,” Sean Connery brought tuxedo-wearing, martini-guzzling agent 007 to the big screen. By the end of the 1960s, he struggled to break free of the name that brought him fame. In doing so, he created many colorful characters, from his role as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez in “Highlander” to the father of Harrison Ford in “The Last Crusade.” His crowning achievement in the post-Bond era was “The Untouchables” in 1987. His role of cop Jim Malone at last brought him his Oscar. His final onscreen appearance would be in 2003’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman.” He has achieved knighthood, is a major contributor to the Scottish National Party, has overcome numerous health problems in recent years, and is beloved among fans and his co-workers over the years, citing him as a true professional.

Badass Bracket – James Bond

In 2007, we created a Badass Bracket for 32 of the most badass characters from the movies and TV that we could think of. It was pretty hard narrowing it down to that number, but James Bond was one of the easiest choices. The great 007 made it through round one, but then he got taken out by John McClane.

Here’s the Badass Bracket profile for James Bond:

Sean Connery, “Dr. No“
He’s Agent 007 of the British Secret Service, but you can call him Bond. James Bond. With an elaborate arsenal of spy gadgets at his fingertips, Bond is suave, sophisticated, and utterly unafraid to exercise his license to kill when the need arises. It doesn’t always come to that, of course, given his intelligence, his skill in a variety of forms of hand-to-hand combat, and his way with a witty riposte…but no matter who or what he may be doing, 007 is always prepared to draw his trusty 7.65 mm Walther PPK pistol in order to protect Queen and country.

Definitive badass moment: When Professor Dent goes to shoot 007, only to find his gun empty, Bond states, “That’s a Smith & Wesson, and you’ve had your six,” and promptly shoots Dent.

Classic badass line: “Now, Pussy, you know a lot more about planes than guns. That’s a Smith and Wesson .45, and if you fire at me at this close range, the bullet will pass through me and the fuselage like a blowtorch through butter. The cabin will depressurize, and we’ll both be sucked into outer space. If that’s how you want to enter the United States, you’re welcome.” (“Goldfinger”)

Seed: #12
Occupation: British Secret Service agent
Strengths: Intelligent, agile, excellent marksman
Weaknesses: Has a tendency to be a sucker for a pretty face
Bracket History: Defeated #5 The Bride in round 1, 66%-34%

Connery on the Screen

Before Bond, he played Macbeth on TV and is a participant in the star-studded WWII epic “The Longest Day.” “Dr. No” started the Bond franchise, and Sean would continue playing 007 through 1967 (“From Russia with Love,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball,” and “You Only Live Twice.”) He’s in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Marnie” in 1964, and has the lead in the “The Hill” by Sidney Lumet, with whom he would team up with again in “The Anderson Tapes,” “The Offence,” and “Murder on the Orient Express.” Sean returned as Bond in 1971 in “Diamonds are Forever,” before handing over duties to Roger Moore. He’s “The Man Who Would Be King” for John Huston in 1975 and Robin Hood for Richard Lester in “Robin and Marian.” He’s in another WWII epic in 1977 with “A Bridge Too Far,” and the mastermind of “The Great Train Robbery.”

The 1980s saw Sean Connery take on some memorable roles. He’s King Agamemnon in “Time Bandits,” James Bond a final time in “Never Say Never Again,” Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez in “Highlander,” William of Baskerville in “The Name of the Rose,” Jim Malone in “The Untouchables,” and finally Professor Henry Jones, Sr. in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” He’s Russian in “The Hunt for Red October,” the “Medicine Man” in 1992, and teams with Wesley Snipes in “Rising Sun.” He’s King Arthur in “First Knight,” and ex-con John Patrick Mason in “The Rock.” He romances Catherine Zeta-Jones in “Entrapment,” mentors a troubled youth in “Finding Forrester,” and closes his career as Allan Quatermain in “League of Extraordinary Gentleman.”

Connery Says

On the opposite sex:
“I like women. I don’t understand them, but I like them.”

On 007:
“I have always hated that damn James Bond. I’d like to kill him.”

On a comeback:
“If anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an Indiana Jones film. I love working with Steven and George, and it goes without saying that it is an honor to have Harrison as my son. But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun.”