Editing Sean Connery (section)

=== 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>