Editing Sean Connery (section)

== Career ==
=== 1951–1959: Career beginnings ===
Seeking to supplement his income, Connery helped out backstage at the [[King's Theatre, Edinburgh|King's Theatre]] in late 1951.<ref name=Tiscali/> During a bodybuilding competition held in London in 1953, one of the competitors mentioned that auditions were being held for a production of ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'',<ref name=Tiscali/> 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.{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=36}} The production returned the following year, out of popular demand, and Connery was promoted to the featured role of Lieutenant Buzz Adams, which [[Larry Hagman]] had portrayed in the [[West End theatre|West End]].{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=36}}

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&nbsp;m) balcony at the Palais de Danse.{{sfn|Sellers|1999|p=21}} 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".{{sfn|Yule|1992|pp=32–33}}

Connery first met [[Michael Caine]] at a party during the production of ''South Pacific'' in 1954, and the two later became close friends.{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=36}} During this production at the [[Opera House, Manchester|Opera House]], Manchester, over the Christmas period of 1954, Connery developed a serious interest in the theatre through the American actor [[Robert Henderson (actor)|Robert Henderson]], who lent him copies of the [[Henrik 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]], [[James Joyce|Joyce]], and [[Shakespeare]] for him to digest.{{sfn|Yule|1992|pp=38–39}} Henderson urged him to take elocution lessons and got him parts at 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]].{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=43}}

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 the journalist Peter Noble and his actress wife [[Marianne Stone|Marianne]], which earned him 10 shillings a night.{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=43}} He met the 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.{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=43}} 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 the Prosecution (play)|Witness for the Prosecution]]'', during which he met and befriended [[Ian Bannen]].{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=45}} 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 (British actress)|Jill Bennett]] in [[Eugene O'Neill]]'s play ''[[Anna Christie]]''.{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=45}}

During his time at the Oxford Theatre, Connery won a brief part as a boxer in the TV series ''The Square Ring'', before being spotted by the 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]]''.{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=45}} This was followed by small television parts in ''[[Sailor of Fortune]]'' and ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' (in a special episode filmed in Europe).{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=45}}

[[File:Lana Turner and Sean Connery — Another Time, Another Place.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Connery with [[Lana Turner]] in 1957 on the set of ''[[Another Time, Another Place (1958 film)|Another Time, Another Place]]'']]

In early 1957 Connery hired the 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 (actor)|Paul Carpenter]], [[Patricia Dainton]], and [[Norman Wooland]].{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=291}} In April 1957, Rakoff{{snd}}after being disappointed by [[Jack Palance]]{{snd}}decided to give 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#British television version|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]].{{sfn|Sellers|1999|p=42}} Later in 1957, Connery appeared in [[Terence Young (director)|Terence Young]]'s poorly received [[MGM]] action picture ''[[Action of the Tiger]]'', opposite [[Van Johnson]], [[Martine Carol]], [[Herbert Lom]], and [[Gustavo Rojo]]; the film was shot on location in southern Spain.<ref name="Baldwin1999">{{cite book|last=Baldwin|first=Louis|title=Turning Points: Pivotal Moments in the Careers of 83 Famous Figures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ElUgVxFWBcoC&pg=PA53|access-date=14 July 2011|year=1999|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-0626-5|page=53}}</ref><ref name="Callan2002">{{cite book|last=Callan|first=Michael Feeney|title=Sean Connery|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lq0dAQAAIAAJ |access-date=14 July 2011|year=2002|publisher=Virgin|isbn=978-1-85227-992-9|page=75}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="PfeifferLisa1997">{{cite book|last1=Pfeiffer |first1=Lee|last2=Lisa|first2=Philip|title=The films of Sean Connery|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L60dAQAAIAAJ|access-date=14 July 2011|date=1997|publisher=Carol Pub. Group|isbn=978-0-8065-1837-4}}</ref>

Connery had a major role in the melodrama ''[[Another Time, Another Place (1958 film)|Another Time, Another Place]]'' (1958) as a British reporter named Mark Trevor, caught in a love affair opposite [[Lana Turner]] and [[Barry Sullivan (actor)|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.<ref>Morella, Joe; Epstein, Edward Z. (1971) ''Lana: The Public and Private Lives of Miss Turner'' pp. 177–182 New York: Citadel Press {{ISBN?}}</ref> Connery and Turner had attended [[West End theatre|West End]] shows and London restaurants together.<ref name="standard"/> Stompanato stormed onto 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.<ref>Kohn, George C. (2001) ''The New Encyclopedia of American Scandal. Facts on File: Library of American History'' (Revised ed.) p. 388. New York: Infobase Publishing {{ISBN?}}</ref> Two [[Scotland Yard]] detectives advised Stompanato to leave and escorted him to the airport, where he boarded a plane back to the United States.<ref>Turner, Lana (1982) ''Lana: The Lady, the Legend, the Truth'' (1st ed.) p. 170. New York: Dutton {{ISBN?}}</ref> Connery later recounted that he had to lie low for a while after receiving threats from men linked to Stompanato's boss, [[Mickey Cohen]].<ref name="standard">{{cite news|title=Sean Connery: How he seduced a movie legend and faced the wrath of the Mafia|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/sean-connery-how-he-seduced-a-movie-legend-and-faced-the-wrath-of-the-mafia-6836938.html |access-date=30 May 2019|work=Evening Standard}}</ref>

In 1959, Connery landed a leading role in the director [[Robert Stevenson (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 [[leprechaun]]s. 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 the film an "overpoweringly charming concoction of standard Gaelic tall stories, fantasy and romance".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B04E5DF1F3CE63BBC4953DFB1668382649EDE|author=Weiler, A. H.|title=Darby O'Gill and the Little People|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1 July 1959|access-date=14 July 2011}}</ref> He also had prominent television roles in [[Rudolph Cartier]]'s 1961 productions of ''[[Adventure Story (1961 TV play)|Adventure Story]]'' and ''[[Anna Karenina]]'' for BBC Television, co-starring with [[Claire Bloom]] in the latter.<ref name="karenina">{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/1181098/index.html|title=Cartier, Rudolph (1904–1994)|first=Oliver|last=Wake|publisher=Screenonline|access-date=25 February 2007}}</ref> Also in 1961 he portrayed the [[Macbeth (character)|title role]] in a CBC [[Macbeth (1961 film)|television film adaptation]] of [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Macbeth]]'' with the Australian actress [[Zoe Caldwell]] cast as [[Lady Macbeth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/multimedia/video/cbc_macbeth.cfm|title=Macbeth|last=Van Wagner|first=Danielle|year=2004|editor-last=Fischlin|editor-first=Daniel|website=Canadian Adaptations of Shakespeare Project|publisher=University of Guelph|access-date=22 April 2018|archive-date=19 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219000925/http://www.canadianshakespeares.ca/multimedia/video/cbc_macbeth.cfm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== 1962–1983: James Bond and stardom ===
[[File:ETH-BIB Goldfinger 1964 – Com C13-035-007.jpg|thumb|Connery as Bond (with his co-star [[Tania Mallet]]) while filming ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]'' in 1964]]

Connery's breakthrough came in the role of the fictional 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-13 |title=Why Sean Connery eventually "hated" playing James Bond |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/sean-connery-hated-james-bond/ |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Sam |date=2020-11-30 |title=James Bond: Why Sean Connery Left the 007 Franchise |url=https://www.cbr.com/why-sean-connery-left-007-james-bond/ |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=CBR |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Journal |first=The Gentleman's |title=The true story of how Sean Connery became James Bond |url=https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/true-story-how-sean-connery-became-james-bond-007/ |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=www.thegentlemansjournal.com |language=en}}</ref> Between 1962 and 1967, Connery played Bond in ''[[Dr. No (film)|Dr. No]]'', ''[[From Russia with Love (film)|From Russia with Love]]'', ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]'', ''[[Thunderball (film)|Thunderball]]'', and ''[[You Only Live Twice (film)|You Only Live Twice]]'', the first five Bond films produced by [[Eon Productions]]. After departing from the role, Connery returned for the seventh film, ''[[Diamonds Are Forever (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 [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|third-greatest hero in cinema history]] by the [[American Film Institute]].<ref>[http://www.afi.com/100Years/handv.aspx "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082823/http://afi.com/100years/handv.aspx |date=4 March 2016 }} AFI Retrieved 20 December 2013</ref>

The choice of Connery for the role of James Bond owed much to Dana Broccoli, wife of the producer [[Albert "Cubby" Broccoli]], who is reputed to have been instrumental in persuading her husband that Connery was the right man.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bray|first=Christopher|title=Sean Connery: The Measure Of A Man|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1455828/Dana-Broccoli.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1455828/Dana-Broccoli.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=3 March 2004|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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'{{spaces}}2", and a Scot) was unrefined.<ref name="Bond background">{{cite news|title=8 Things You Didn't Know About James Bond |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/11/20/james-bond-trivia_n_6195082.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABrfHOJnezRCwQuzNe4qsnAAfUViBX16Zfvok-mi1yIrj1CWd2wmEFHk22xQmaPdJojGGOzJG6kru8LQDoBvkeMC7_nz7twMhV5qQI0m8UkVRH1ypFMFTT6Jr-pBz30dETJWvVocSj_x2b9fbljyevGDVVidLEE7-9BjjynqV4o6|access-date=15 March 2019|newspaper=HuffPost}}</ref> Fleming's girlfriend [[Blanche Blackwell]] told him Connery had the requisite sexual charisma, and Fleming changed his mind after the successful ''Dr. No'' premiere; he was so impressed that 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, Highland|Glencoe]] in the [[Scottish Highlands]].<ref name="Bond background"/>

[[File:Sean Connery as James Bond (1971).jpg|thumb|left|Connery during filming for ''[[Diamonds Are Forever (film)|Diamonds Are Forever]]'' in 1971]]

Connery's portrayal of Bond owes much to stylistic tutelage from the director [[Terence Young (director)|Terence Young]], who helped polish him while using his physical grace and presence for 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".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Macintyre |first1=Ben|title=For Your Eyes Only : Ian Fleming and James Bond|date=2009|publisher=Bloomsbury|location=London|isbn=978-0-7475-9866-4|page=187}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the007dossier.com/007dossier/post/2013/05/04/Playboy-Interview-Sean-Connery-1965 |title=Playboy Interview: Sean Connery 1965|website=the007dossier.com|access-date=10 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011133335/http://www.the007dossier.com/007dossier/post/2013/05/04/Playboy-Interview-Sean-Connery-1965|archive-date=11 October 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the release of the film ''Dr. No'' in 1962, the line "Bond ... James Bond", became a [[catchphrase]] in the [[lexicon]] of Western popular culture.{{sfn|Cork|Scivally|2002|p=6}} The 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 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".<ref name="Bradshaw">{{cite news|first=Peter |last=Bradshaw |title=Sean Connery: a dangerously seductive icon of masculinity|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/25/sean-connery-at-90-appreciation-peter-bradshaw-james-bond|date=25 August 2020|access-date=3 November 2020|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>

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 the script. Connery insisted that [[Ken Adam]] should 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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Buckland|first1=Damien|title=Collection Editions James Bond|date=2016|publisher=CreateSpace Independent|isbn=978-1-5305-7325-7}}</ref>

=== 1964–1986 ===
[[File:Sean Connery 1964.png|thumb|upright|Connery in Alfred Hitchcock's ''[[Marnie (film)|Marnie]]'' (1964)]]
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"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://time.com/4008500/sean-connery-birthday-85/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827013129/http://time.com/4008500/sean-connery-birthday-85/|url-status=live|archive-date=27 August 2015|title=Happy Birthday, Sean Connery: See Him as James Bond on the Cover of Life|first=Eliza|last=Berman|date=25 August 2015|magazine=Time|access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref> and "I have always hated that damned James Bond. I'd like to kill him".<ref name="ferguson20041002">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/oct/03/comment.news|title=Scotch myth|newspaper=The Observer
|date=2 October 2004|access-date=18 September 2013|author=Ferguson, Euan}}</ref> [[Michael Caine]] said of 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".{{sfn|Yule|1992|p=34}}

While making the Bond films, Connery also starred in other films such as [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Marnie (film)|Marnie]]'' (1964) and [[Sidney Lumet]]'s ''[[The Hill (1965 film)|The Hill]]'' (1965), which film critic Peter Bradshaw regards as his two great non-Bond pictures from the 1960s.<ref name="Bradshaw"/> In ''Marnie'', Connery starred opposite [[Tippi Hedren]]. Connery had said he wanted to work with Hitchcock, which Eon arranged through their contacts.<ref>{{harvnb|Broccoli|Zec|1999|}}</ref> 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 (1946 film)|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".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,875552,00.html|title=Canny Scot|magazine=Time|date=10 January 1964}}</ref> Hitchcock and Connery got on well during filming, and Connery said he was happy with the film "with certain reservations".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the007dossier.com/007dossier/post/2013/05/04/Playboy-Interview-Sean-Connery-1965|title=Playboy Interview: Sean Connery|magazine=Playboy|page=78|date=November 1965|access-date=4 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011133335/http://www.the007dossier.com/007dossier/post/2013/05/04/Playboy-Interview-Sean-Connery-1965 |archive-date=11 October 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2886/year/1965.html |title=Festival de Cannes: The Hill |access-date=15 November 2020 |work=festival-cannes.com |archive-date=18 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018032435/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2886/year/1965.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first of five films he made with Lumet, Connery considered him to be one of his favourite directors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sidney Lumet|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13028436.sidney-lumet/|access-date=3 October 2021|website=The Herald|date=11 April 2011 |location=Glasgow}}</ref> The respect 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."<ref>{{cite news |title=Sir Sean Connery 34th AFI Life Achievement Award Honoree |url=https://www.afi.com/laa/sir-sean-connery/ |access-date=15 November 2020 |agency=AFI}}</ref>

In the mid-1960s Connery played golf with the Scottish industrialist [[Iain Maxwell Stewart]],<ref name="Naughtie">{{cite book |last1=Naughtie |first1=James |title=On the Road: Adventures from Nixon to Trump |date=2020 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=9781471177439}}</ref> a connection which led to Connery directing and presenting the documentary film ''[[The Bowler and the Bunnet]]'' in 1967.<ref name="Connery-2011">{{cite news |last1=Connery |first1=Sean |title=Sir Sean Connery exclusive: The Clyde yard that shaped my politics ... and its Tory boss who introduced me to golf. |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-herald-on-sunday/20110227/282699043622139 |access-date=4 April 2022 |work=Herald on Sunday |date=27 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="Galbraith">{{cite news |last1=Galbraith |first1=Russell |title=Sean Connery: An enduring myth |url=https://www.scottishreview.net/RussellGalbraith545a.html |access-date=4 April 2022 |work=Scottish Review |date=4 November 2020 |archive-date=21 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321075109/https://www.scottishreview.net/RussellGalbraith545a.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="BFI">{{cite web|title=Bowler and the Bunnet, The (1967)|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1406406/index.html|website=screenonline.org.uk|publisher=BFI Screenonline|accessdate=2 March 2018}}</ref> 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, Baron George-Brown|George Brown]], the [[First Secretary of State|First Secretary]] in [[Harold Wilson]]'s cabinet, in 1966.<ref>Whatever Happened at Fairfields?, by Sydney Paulden and Bill Hawkins, published by Gower Press, 1969.</ref><ref name="Walker">{{cite book |last1=Walker |first1=Fred M |title=Ships & Shipbuilders: Pioneers of Design and Construction |date=2010 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=9781783830404}}</ref> The company was facing closure, and Brown agreed to provide £1&nbsp;million (£13.135&nbsp;million; US$15.55&nbsp;million in 2021) to enable trade unions, the management and the shareholders to try out new ways of [[industrial management]].<ref name="Our Glasgow">{{cite book|last1=Dudgeon|first1=Piers|title=Our Glasgow: Memories of Life in Disappearing Britain|date=2012|publisher=Headline|isbn=9780755364466|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=91tnKrJjWBkC&q=Fairfield+Experiment&pg=PT183|accessdate=14 March 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Hepburn Connery Robin and Marian Still 1976.jpg|thumb|left|Connery with [[Audrey Hepburn]] in ''[[Robin and Marian]]'' (1976)]]

Having played Bond six times, Connery's global popularity was such that he shared a [[Henrietta Award#Retired awards|Golden Globe Henrietta Award]] with [[Charles Bronson]] for "World Film Favorite{{snd}}Male" in 1972.<ref name="Henrietta">{{cite web|title=Winners & Nominees Henrietta Award (World Film Favorites)|url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/henrietta-award-world-film-favorites|website=Golden Globe Awards|access-date=29 September 2017|archive-date=17 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017064814/http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/henrietta-award-world-film-favorites|url-status=dead}}</ref> He appeared in [[John Huston]]'s ''[[The Man Who Would Be King (film)|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.<ref>{{cite web|date=17 June 2015|title=Sean Connery still has special Bond with movie fans|url=https://www.sundaypost.com/features/entertainment/sean-connery-still-has-special-bond-with-movie-fans/|access-date=3 October 2021|website=The Sunday Post}}</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180613084627/https://sabotagetimes.com/.amp/tv-film/michael-caine-people-forget-that-i-know-a-few-gangsters Michael Caine: "People forget I know a few gangsters"]}} Sabotage Times Retrieved 19 March 2019</ref> The same year, he appeared in ''[[The Wind and 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]]. The 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 a tacit understanding between themselves about their characters. They glow. They really do seem in love".<ref>{{cite news|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19760421%2FREVIEWS%2F604210301%2F1023|title="Robin and Marian" review|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|date=21 April 1976|access-date=19 March 2019|archive-date=24 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924101522/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19760421%2FREVIEWS%2F604210301%2F1023|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the 1970s Connery was part of ensemble casts in films such as ''[[Murder on the Orient Express (1974 film)|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 (film)|A Bridge Too Far]]'' (1977), co-starring [[Dirk Bogarde]] and [[Laurence Olivier]].<ref>{{cite news|title=A Bridge Too Far, for allied forces and for viewers|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/15/a-bridge-too-far-reel-history|access-date=22 March 2020|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> In 1974, he starred in [[John Boorman]]'s sci-fi thriller ''[[Zardoz]]''. Often called one of the "weirdest and worst movies ever made" it featured Connery in a scarlet [[Sling swimsuit|mankini]]{{snd}}a revealing costume which generated much controversy for its un-Bond-like appearance.<ref>{{cite news|date=14 November 2017|title=14 unnecessarily revealing movie costumes|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/unnecessarily-revealing-movie-costumes/sean-connery-zardoz-1974sean-connery-fresh-james-bond-thought/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/unnecessarily-revealing-movie-costumes/sean-connery-zardoz-1974sean-connery-fresh-james-bond-thought/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=1 November 2020|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=3 September 2016|title=Celebrating The 13 Strangest Moments in Zardoz|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-13-strangest-moments-in-zardoz/|access-date=2 November 2020|website=Den of Geek|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101051916/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-13-strangest-moments-in-zardoz/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite being panned by critics at the time, the film has developed a cult following since its release.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Shankel|first1=Jason|last2=Stamm|first2=Emily|last3=Krell|first3=Jason|title=30 Cult Movies That Absolutely Everybody Must See|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/30-cult-movies-that-absolutely-everybody-must-see-1538502596|work=io9|publisher=Gizmodo|date=7 March 2014|access-date=14 November 2020|archive-date=14 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114100345/https://io9.gizmodo.com/30-cult-movies-that-absolutely-everybody-must-see-1538502596|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Telotte |first1=J.P. |title=Science Fiction Double Feature: The Science Fiction Film as Cult Text |last2=Duchovnay |first2=Gerald |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-78138-183-0 |page=75 |author-link=Jay Telotte}}</ref> 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 the "most extraordinary memory".<ref>{{cite news|title=Zardoz|url=https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/14526/zardoz.html|access-date=14 November 2020|website=High-Def Digest}}</ref> 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{{snd}}or someone of equal but cheaper stature".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=109365&section=extras|title=Time Bandits Extras|publisher=Channel 4|access-date=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409212649/http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=109365&section=extras|archive-date=9 April 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> When shown the script, Connery was happy to play the supporting role. In 1981 he portrayed Marshal William T. O'Niel in the science fiction thriller ''[[Outland (film)|Outland]]''. In 1982, Connery narrated ''[[G'olé!]]'', the [[FIFA World Cup official films|official film]] of the [[1982 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>[http://www.fifafilms.com/fileadmin/fifafilms/user_upload/pdf/FIFAFilms_Factsheet_March_2012_very_low_res.pdf "FIFA World Cup and Official FIFA Events: Programming"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417225504/http://www.fifafilms.com/fileadmin/fifafilms/user_upload/pdf/FIFAFilms_Factsheet_March_2012_very_low_res.pdf |date=17 April 2016}} FIFA Films Retrieved 28 January 2013</ref> That same year, he was offered the role of [[Daddy Warbucks]] in ''[[Annie (1982 film)|Annie]]'', going as far as taking voice lessons for the John Huston musical before turning down the part.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mell|first=Eila|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1SqXAAAAQBAJ&q=sean+connery+Annie&pg=PA159|title=Casting Might-Have-Beens: A Film by Film Directory of Actors Considered for Roles Given to Others|year=2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-0976-8}}</ref>

[[File:SeanConnery88.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Connery at the [[60th Academy Awards|1988 Academy Awards]]]]

Connery agreed to reprise Bond 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 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 the successful European production ''[[The Name of the Rose (film)|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.<ref name="1988 BAFTA"/> That same year, a supporting role in ''[[Highlander (film)|Highlander]]'' showcased his ability to play older mentors to younger leads, which became a recurring role in many of his later films.<ref>{{cite news |title=Highlander: 35 years since Scotland stole the show in cult film starring Queen, Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/nostalgia/2671966/how-aberdeens-queen-of-voice-coaches-worked-a-kind-of-magic-on-cult-classic-highlander/ |access-date=25 November 2020 |newspaper=The Press and Journal}}</ref>

=== 1987–2006 ===
In 1987 Connery starred in [[Brian De Palma]]'s ''[[The Untouchables (film)|The Untouchables]]'', where he played 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{{spaces}}... [he] brings a human element to his character; he seems to have had an existence apart from the legend of the Untouchables, and when he's onscreen we can believe, briefly, that the [[Prohibition Era]] was inhabited by people, not caricatures".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-untouchables-1987 |title=The Untouchables Review|website=rogerebert.com|access-date= 31 October 2020}}</ref> For his performance, Connery received a [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|BAFTA]] nomination and won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor]] and the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1988|title=The 60th Academy Awards (1988) Nominees and Winners|access-date=15 March 2019|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402004300/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1988|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Sean Connery 1999 b.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Connery in 1999]]
Connery starred in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'' (1989), playing [[Henry Jones Sr.]], the title character's father, and received [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|BAFTA]] and [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|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|George]] [Lucas] at the writing stage really gave the character and the picture a lot more complexity and value than it had in the original screenplay".<ref>{{cite news |title=Ford's father figure|url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/ford-s-father-figure-1117341828/|date=5 May 1997|access-date=31 October 2020|magazine=Variety}}</ref> His subsequent box-office hits included ''[[The Hunt for Red October (film)|The Hunt for Red October]]'' (1990), ''[[The Russia House (film)|The Russia House]]'' (1990), ''[[The Rock (film)|The Rock]]'' (1996), and ''[[Entrapment (film)|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).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pugh|first1=Tison|editor1-last=Coyne Kelly|editor1-first=Kathleen|editor2-last=Pugh|editor2-first=Tison|title=Queer movie medievalisms|date=2009|publisher=Ashgate |location=Farnham|isbn=978-0-7546-7592-1|page=161|chapter=8: Sean Connery's Star Persona and the Queer Middle Ages}}</ref> In 1998, Connery received the [[BAFTA Fellowship]], a lifetime achievement award from the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/the-names-connery-sean-connery-the-life-of-scotlands-james-bond-dvdclrqfwbb|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=16 March 2019
|title=The name's Connery, Sean Connery: the life of Scotland's James Bond|first=Ben|last=Robson|date=21 August 2008|location=London}}</ref>

Connery's later films included several box-office and critical disappointments such as ''[[First Knight]]'' (1995), ''[[Just Cause (film)|Just Cause]]'' (1995), ''[[The Avengers (1998 film)|The Avengers]]'' (1998), and ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film)|The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' (2003); however, he received positive reviews for his performance in ''[[Finding Forrester]]'' (2000). He also received a [[Crystal Globe (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)|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 (TV series)|100 Greatest Movie Stars]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2003/05/04/Y09420001/|title=100 Greatest ... (100 Greatest Movie Stars (Part 1))|publisher=ITN Source |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221233723/http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITVProgs/2003/05/04/Y09420001/|archive-date=21 February 2015|access-date=31 May 2019}}</ref> 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".{{fact|date=February 2025}} Connery spent considerable effort in trying to salvage the film through the editing process, ultimately deciding to retire from acting rather than go through such stress ever again.<ref name="looper">{{cite web|title=An ignominious exit|url=https://www.looper.com/148339/why-you-dont-see-sean-connery-onscreen-anymore/sl/an-ignominious-exit|website=Looper.com|date=21 March 2019|access-date=28 December 2019|archive-date=28 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228032102/https://www.looper.com/148339/why-you-dont-see-sean-connery-onscreen-anymore/sl/an-ignominious-exit|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{better|date=February 2025}}

Connery turned down the role of [[Gandalf]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' films, saying he did not understand the script.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4736303.stm|title=Connery 'turning back on movies'|date=1 August 2005|work=BBC News|access-date=6 August 2012}}</ref> He was reportedly offered US$30&nbsp;million along with 15% of the worldwide box office receipts, which would have earned him US$450&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10849037 |title=Sean Connery lost $450m refusing Gandalf role|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald|date=21 November 2012|access-date=22 January 2020|issn=1170-0777}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Ransom Riggs |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/10/20/mf.rejected.movies/index.html|title=5&nbsp;million-dollar mistakes by movie stars|publisher=CNN|date=20 October 2008|access-date=10 March 2010}}</ref> He also turned down the opportunity to appear as [[Albus Dumbledore]] in the ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'' series and the [[Architect (The Matrix)|Architect]] in ''[[The Matrix (franchise)|The Matrix]]'' trilogy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-dumbledore-actors-mcgoohan-connery-lee-mckellen/|title=Harry Potter: The Actors Who Almost Played Dumbledore|date=1 January 2020|work=ScreenRant|access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref><ref>Norrington, Stephen (Director) (16 December 2003) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (DVD) United States: 20th Century Fox</ref> In 2005, he recorded voiceovers for the [[From Russia with Love (video game)|''From Russia with Love'' video game]] with the recording producer [[Terry Manning]] in the Bahamas, and provided his likeness.<ref>{{cite web|title=IGN: Sean Connery Back as Bond|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/601/601649p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629132533/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/601/601649p1.html|archive-date=29 June 2011|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Lipsey|first=Sid|title=Review: Connery brings Bond back to the USSR|url=http://articles.cnn.com/2005-11-10/tech/bond.rwl_1_bond-moves-aston-martin-db5-sean-connery?_s=PM:TECH|publisher=CNN|date=10 November 2005|access-date=6 August 2012 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223005434/http://articles.cnn.com/2005-11-10/tech/bond.rwl_1_bond-moves-aston-martin-db5-sean-connery?_s=PM%3ATECH|archive-date=23 February 2013}}</ref> Connery said he was happy the producers, [[Electronic Arts]], had approached him to voice Bond.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/601/601649p1.html|title=IGN: Sean Connery Back as Bond|access-date=25 August 2020|archive-date=29 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629132533/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/601/601649p1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>