13 Facts About Sir Sean Connery's Life You Probably Didn't Know

On October 31, 2020, the world became a little emptier and a lot sadder. The news outlets and other media were all grieving, still shaken by the death of Sir Sean Connery — one of the most renowned actors of our time. But his legendary life was much more than just the movie career. You may have known him from big franchises like James Bond, or Indiana Jones, but there are dozens of other films he had starred in. However, chances are you’re not very familiar with him as a person. So here’s a little tribute to keep Sir Sean’s memory alive.

1) The future star was born in the most ordinary family. His father was a worker, and his mother was a housekeeper. They didn’t even have money for a bed, so little Sean slept in the bottom drawer of a wardrobe.

2) Sean ditched school when he was 13 years old. He had to look for a job and soon became a milkman. Sean also tried his luck as a lifeguard, a coffin polisher in a funeral home, and even a model.

3) For casual viewers, Sean Connery will always remain an aristocratic gentleman with exquisite manners and quite an accent. But only a handful of fans know that he took part in bodybuilding competitions when he was young.

4) This one time, Connery almost got gunned down on a filming set. During the 50s’, Sir Sean had an affair with actress Lana Turner, but her jealous boyfriend didn’t like that, so he burst right into the set with a pistol in his hand. What did our hero do in such a dire situation? He disarmed the foe and threw him off the set.

5) That poor shooter stood no chance in hand-to-hand combat with Connery because only one of them had the first dan in karate. And let’s just say it wasn’t the angry boyfriend.

6) Connery had been very busy throughout his career. In total, the actor starred in more than 70 films, many of which have become iconic, bringing him countless awards.

7) Connery supported Scottish independence and refused to reject his beliefs, but even despite all that, Sean was knighted by the Queen of England in July 2000 at the age of 69. The incredibly proud Sir Sean Connery later described his knighthood ceremony as one of the greatest days of his life.

8) While the question “who is the best Bond?” is certainly a matter of speculation and personal preferences, it’s been proven many times that Sir Sean Connery was the best James Bond. Thousands of people voted for him year after year, and the last poll conducted on the day of his death, yielded Connery 14,000 votes. Not that it mattered but it was a nice tribute.

9) It’s nearly impossible to imagine someone else playing James Bond in the 60s, but many big stars were ready to try on the slick tuxedo. Actors like Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, and Lord Lucan were the closest to getting the gig, but it was the producer’s wife, Dana, who saw potential in Connery. Ian Flemming, the writer, was initially against this decision, but when he finally saw Sean in action, he actually changed Bond’s backstory and made him half-Scottish.

10) Connery worked as a male model in his 20s. With his Scottish accent and charismatic eyes, he was able to charm everyone he came into contact with. In 1989, People magazine awarded him the title of the “Sexiest Man Alive,” and 10 years later, he was named the “Sexiest Man of the Century”.

11) Sean Connery tried very hard to overcome his rather strong accent because who likes accents, right? Well, Ian Flemming loved it (eventually) so that should have been the sign. In “Highlander,” for example, Connery was supposed to be an Egyptian, who then lived in Japan before coming to Scotland. And in “Red October,” he was a Russian submarine captain. All that without changing his accent, can you imagine?

12) There were rumors going around in the 90s about Sean Connery’s death. Even the newspapers picked it up and ran with the fake story. So Connery had to appear on television to shed some light on that situation.

13) Unfortunately, this time, it’s not a fake. Sir Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90, just a couple of days ago. He went quietly in his sleep, surrounded by his family. Soon after his son Jason published the sad news, thousands of posts from celebrities and regular movie fans flooded the internet. Some are reminiscing about the old days, others talk about their favorite film scenes, and some are just expressing their gratitude to the fallen legend.