Sean Connery, a Scottish actor who first played James Bond, a fictional character, on the big screen is dead.
The sad news was broken in a statement on the film’s official Twitter handle on Saturday.
Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, two producers of the James Bond franchise, who paid tributes to the ace movie star, said: “We are devastated by the news of the passing of Sir Sean Connery.”
“He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words — ‘The name’s Bond… James Bond’,” the statement added.
“He revolutionised the world with his gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent. He is undoubtedly largely responsible for the success of the film series and we shall be forever grateful to him.”
Having played the role ‘007’ on the big screen in 1962’s ‘Dr No’, Connery had appeared in seven of the spy thrillers.
In 1988, Connery had won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘The Untouchables’.
The actor, who marked his 90th birthday in August, was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood Palace in 2000.
Apart from the Bond franchise, the films he also starred in include ‘Marnie’ (1964), ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (1974), ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ (1975), ‘The Name of the Rose’ (1986), and ‘Highlander’ (1986).
Others are ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ (1989), ‘The Rock’ (1996), and ‘Finding Forrester’ (2000)
