Sean Connery did it.
Robert Downey Jr. may yet do it. Scarlett Johansson has pulled it off spectacularly so far. Christopher Reeve almost pulled it off. Henry Cavill is at it. Tobey Maguire has all but faded from our Spider-Man memories.
Many good and great actors have been weighed down by repeating a character, be it superhero roles or movie franchise marathons.
But here’s where Connery’s filmography stands out.
Despite the overwhelming Bond shadow, Connery continued doing varied roles during the Bond years and later. He was first and foremost, an excellent actor and later, James Bond.
Connery and James Bond: A love story
Yes, Dr. No (1962) changed Sean Connery’s career forever. There is a easy lived-in sophistication about Sean Connery in his first James Bond outing. Not for once does he seem out of place. The smoothness in the flirtation, the cool witty dialogue delivery, how he carries the attire, the roar of the Aston Martin. For years, there could be no James Bond like Connery. Not Roger Moore, not Pierce Brosnan, not Timothy Dalton or George Lazenby.
Daniel Craig brought about a change in Bond, making him of the real world, rugged, ageing and yet raring to go. But the Sean Connery take on Bond is one for the ages.
The first James Bond ever, Connery’s take is probably the most loved, assured, authentic and classic characterization of 007.
But Connery made his name despite the looming Bond shadow, almost seemingly effortlessly, and that is his greatest achievement.
That kind of ease in an actor is a rarity.
Towering presence
My first brush with Connery’s sparkling talent was the fluid crime drama The Untouchables (1987), a underplayed yet superb take on a police officer who resourcefully plays his part in bringing down a dreaded gangster’s empire. Connery’s presence shines through, his screen presence was enigmatic.
Connery could have so easily played up his baritone and gone for a more macho persona as Jim Malone, how he resists the temptation and stands his ground made me an instant fan, leading me to the Ian Fleming-created flamboyant secret agent movies.
The fiercely Scottish actor got tired of playing Bond numerous times, playing his last Bond role in Diamonds are Forever (1971) for the authorized film company.
He did return once more for an unofficial Bond flick Never Say Never Again (1983). The film title was humorously a play on Connery’s declaration to never play Bond again after 1971.
Connery the actor won over Connery the star, and as I revisit and discover the Sean Connery filmography, here’s bidding adieu to yet another screen legend, as has become melancholically customary this year.
Parting note
Sean Connery, cigarette dangling from the lips, dressed in the classic black suit, white shirt and bow tie, at the cards table, hair neatly parted, uttering in the coolest tone, like only he could, “Bond. James Bond.”
Did you know?
Sean Connery famously turned down the much-besotted role of Gandalf for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The three movies are now regarded as the greatest movie trilogy ever made. To be fair, Connery did give it a good try. He ended by reading the book and the script. Connery said that he just didn’t get it. This was a reveal Connery did much later, years after the trilogy had been released. Guess Ian McKellen has Connery to thank, and we fans have Connery to thank – We can’t see anyone but McKellen playing the iconic role of the pointy-hatted, staff bearing Gandalf now.
Connery was clearly never in it for the money. His other famous role refusals that have gone on to be iconic – John Hammond in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993), and the role of The Architect in what turned out to be, an iconic sci-fi flick, The Matrix (1999).
