SIR Sean Connery has died at the age of 90, his family has said.<\/p>\n
The Scottish actor was best known for his portrayal of James Bond, being the first to bring the role to the big screen and appearing in seven of the spy thrillers.<\/p>\n
Sir Sean died peacefully in his sleep, while in the Bahamas, having been \u201cunwell for some time\u201d, his son said.<\/p>\n
His acting career spanned five decades and he won an Oscar in 1988 for his role in The Untouchables.<\/p>\n
Sir Sean\u2019s other films included The Hunt for Red October, Highlander, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Rock.<\/p>\n
Jason Connery said his father \u201chad many of his family who could be in the Bahamas around him\u201d when he died overnight in Nassau.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time.<\/p>\n
\u201cA sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sir Sean, from Fountainbridge in Edinburgh, first played James Bond in Dr No in 1962 and went on to appear in five other official films \u2013 and the unofficial Never Say Never Again in 1983.<\/p>\n
He was largely regarded as being the best actor to have played 007 in the long-running franchise, often being named as such in polls.<\/p>\n
He was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood Palace in 2000. In August, he celebrated his 90th birthday.<\/p>\n
Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they were \u201cdevastated by the news\u201d.<\/p>\n
They said: \u201cHe was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words \u2018the name\u2019s Bond\u2026 James Bond\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sir Sean was a long-time supporter of Scottish independence, saying in interviews in the run-up to the 2014 referendum that he might return from his Bahamas home to live in Scotland if it voted to break away from the rest of the UK.<\/p>\n
Scotland\u2019s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \u201cI was heartbroken to learn this morning of the passing of Sir Sean Connery. Our nation today mourns one of her best-loved sons.<\/p>\n
\u201cSean was born into a working-class Edinburgh family and through talent and sheer hard work, became an international film icon and one of the world\u2019s most accomplished actors.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a global legend but, first and foremost, a patriotic and proud Scot \u2013 his towering presence at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 showed his love for the country of his birth. Sean was a lifelong advocate of an independent Scotland and those of us who share that belief owe him a great debt of gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
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SIR Sean Connery has died at the age of 90, his family has said. The Scottish actor was best known for his portrayal of James Bond, being the first to bring the role to the big screen and appearing in seven of the spy thrillers. Sir Sean died peacefully in his sleep, while in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":29601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[733],"class_list":{"0":"post-29598","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-miscellaneous","9":"tag-miscellaneous"},"yoast_head":"\n