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Sean Connery's Birthday
“I am not an Englishman, I was never an Englishman, and I don't ever want to be one. I am a Scotsman! I was a Scotsman and I will always be one.”
~ Sean Connery (1930-2020)
The first and perhaps the best loved actor to portray the titular character of the James Bond films, Thomas Sean Connery, was born today, on 25 August 1930 at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, and named after his paternal grandfather. Two of his great-grandparents emigrated from Wexford, Ireland, in the mid-19th century, with his great-grandfather James Connery being an Irish Traveller. The rest of his lineage was of Scottish descent, with his maternal great-grandparents hailing from Fife and Uig on Skye, and speaking native Scottish Gaelic. Best known as the first actor to portray the iconic British secret agent 007, James Bond, Connery’s illustrious film career spanned seven decades, earning him an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards (including the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship), and three Golden Globes. Often seen wearing the green and black hunting tartan of his mother’s MacLean Clan, Connery now has a tribute tartan of his own, designed by family members with colors reflecting his favorite places - Scotland, the Mediterranean, and the Bahamas. 💙 🤍 💛 ❤️ 🏴 🇧🇸
Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) began his distinguished career as an actor by chance.
Seeking to supplement his income in the early 1950s after a stint in the Royal Navy, during a bodybuilding competition held in London in 1953, one of the other competitors mentioned that auditions were being held for a production of South Pacific. Interested, 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.
From his official website at seanconnery.com:
"His humble beginnings, growing up in a working class neighborhood in Edinburgh, gave no indication of the achievements that were destined to come. Sean was born into a working class family in August of 1930. The oldest of two boys, he spent much of his youth working at menial jobs, just to get by. He left school at an early age and went to work fulltime.
At sixteen, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. Like many young men in the Navy, he opted for a tattoo. However, unlike many tattoos, his were not frivolous – his tattoos reflect two of his lifelong commitments: his family and Scotland. After six decades, his tattoos still reflect those two ideas: One tattoo is a tribute to his parents and reads “Mum and Dad,” and the other is self explanatory, “Scotland Forever.”
After three years of Naval service, a long bout with a stomach ulcer shortened his “naval career”. He returned to Edinburgh and seemed to settle into a life of hard work: bricklayer, lifeguard, and coffin polisher. Sean spent much of his free time bodybuilding, a pastime that eventually started his acting career. His hobby of bodybuilding culminated in a bid for the 1950 Mr. Universe title where he placed third."
For more on his long and varied career as an actor, click the colour portrait by Kostas.