Sometimes, there are news stories that suddenly make you realize how time flies.
The story that the inaugural James Bond and eternal sex icon Sean Connery has just turned 90 is one of those stories – both shocking and perfectly understandable at the same time.
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 25th, 1930, Connery has indeed turned 90 this Tuesday. Although he has more or less retired from acting, his star power has not dwindled one bit.
One of the evidences that Connery remains to loom as a big deal is how Peter Bradshaw, an influential writer for The Guardian, addressed Connery’s birthday via his Twitter post. The title of the post referred to the initial Bond as a homme fatale and an icon of masculinity.
He likened Connery’s influence on the overall British culture to that of the Beatles. According to Bradshaw, he believes many British like to console themselves by thinking the global status of the UK like 007 – extremely powerful, but in a covert and secretive way.
Connery skyrocketed to global fame and as a cultural icon by portraying 007 for the first time on the big screen. From 1962’s Dr. No and his iconic appearance to 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, Connery nailed down the performance with overflowing sex appeal and masculinity.
However, to mention only his portrayal of Bond and nothing else would be a great understatement of Connery’s long and successful career. For instance, he worked with the legendary Alfred Hitchcock on Marnie (1964), considered the finale of a decade of artistic brilliance.
His acting skills were also recognized by the Academy when he won a Best Supporting Award for his performance in Clint Eastwood’s The Untouchables (1987). His final credited role was a voice appearance in 2012’s Sir Billi, an animated feature film.
Even in his older age, Sir Connery never lost his boyish appeal. In a 2003 interview, when he and his wife Micheline Roquebrune were both in their 70s, he said he still feels more like a 3 year old than a man in his 70s.
Connery jokingly remarked how people in their 60s were talking about their old age and elderliness, which made him think about where that puts him and his wife.
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