James Bond Actors – Actors Who Played James Bond

The first of the James Bond Actors, Thomas Sean Connery came from a background that is a far cry from that of his screen alter-ego. Born in the Fountainbridge district of Edinburgh, Connery was a proud Scot who grew up in a poor neighborhood. He was the son to a truck driver and the role of James Bond would only seem as a dream to him. He had joined the military on completion of his education but was discharged afterwards as a result of his ulcers problem. A succession of job saw him holding the positions of laborer, lifeguard and art class model. He was later to hold third place in the Mr. Universe contest when representing Scotland. The body building career was the channel by which he got a position in the chorus of the touring company of the South Pacific. 1956 saw him make a debut in the television. This was after the procession of a number of stage productions. After performing in a few films, Connery was signed up by MGM in the late 1950’s.

Mr. No produced in 1962 was his first James Bond film. A number of other male performers had been expected to take up the role. Among this were Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, Trevor Howard, Patrick McGoohan and Ian Fleming. Within 5 years, 3 more James Bond films had passed production. This heralded the success of the James Bond movie series. Connery grew tired of the007 title and resorted to the devotion of golf and family affairs. He therefore performed as Mr. Bond for the last time in the movie You Only Live Twice.

The next Bond role was taken up by George Lazenby. Dubbed Diamonds Are Forever, the movie was another hit from the producers of the spy films with the British star, Mr. Bond. Against his better judgment, Connery was called back to perform in Never Say Never Again. However, the movie was considered an unofficial release of the James Bond series. Produced in 1983 it was not made under the supervision of Eon and was therefore not considered an original Bond film. In any case, it was as sensational as the other movies and saw Connery awarded a Globe Award in 1987. This was attributed to his role in the movie, The Untouchables.

Connery has since established his golfing prowess and has made a name in the sport. In 1996, he won the Lexus Challenge golf tournament jointly with pro golfer Hale Irwin. He has since gone ahead to win even more prestigious awards. Some of his noticeable achievements include the knighthood bestowed him in July 2000. This had been denied to Connery for 2 years due to political reasons.

The French also awarded Connery a number of awards, amongst these are the Legion d’Honeur and the Commandeur des Arts and des Lettres.

He has since suffered from illnesses due to his old age including throat problems and a struggle with cancer. These have been credited with a scare of Connery’s death in 1993.