Six years on from Sir Sean Connery’s death, we look back at the screen legend’s career and the heartbreaking private struggle during his final days
For a generation of film fans, Sir Sean Connery remains the ultimate screen icon. The effortlessly cool Scottish star defined James Bond, won an Oscar for The Untouchables, and commanded the cinema screen for more than half a century. But behind the glitz of Hollywood and his universal adoration was a heartbreaking private struggle in Sean’s final days.
As the world marks the sixth anniversary of his passing today (31 October), the tragic reality of his final months is a reminder of the fragility of old age.
Following Sean’s death in the Bahamas aged 90, his devastated wife of 45 years, Micheline Roquebrune, opened up about the actor’s dementia diagnosis, and the tragic effect it had on him.
Speaking about his final days, she revealed the heartache of watching the screen titan fading away, explaining of watching the screen he was “not able to express himself” towards the end.
“It was no life for him,” she shared in a moving statement at the time. “He had dementia and it took its toll on him. He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss. It was what he wanted. He died in his sleep and it was just so peaceful. I was with him all the time and he just slipped away.”
His son Jason also paid tribute saying it was a “sad loss for a people around the world.” He continued: “We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time.”
Sean enjoyed a long career, but remains best known as the original James Bond and, to millions of devoted fans, the greatest to ever step into 007’s shoes.
He first brought Ian Fleming’s suave secret agent to life on the silver screen in 1962’s Dr No, going on to star in a total of seven smash-hit Bond blockbusters.
Raised in near poverty in Edinburgh, a young Sean worked as a coffin polisher, milkman, and lifeguard before his passion for bodybuilding helped pave his way into the world of acting.
After Bond launched him to global superstardom, he enjoyed more than four decades at the top of Hollywood. His glittering career earned him an Oscar, two BAFTAs, and three Golden Globes.
A proud Scotsman to his core, he was knighted by the Queen in 2000 for his services to film drama, memorably collecting his honour at Holyrood Palace wearing full Highland dress.
Now fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new 007 on screen, after Daniel Craig quit the role following five Bond movies. Reports recently surfaced suggesting there are four names in the running, all of whom have been screen testing for the coveted part. The names are Callum Turner (Masters of the Air), Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), and Josh O’Connor (Challengers), alongside a so-called ‘mystery actor’.
An official announcement on the new James Bond is expected before the end of the year.
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