Leave it to Harrison Ford to get in the last word — and bring us to tears. On Monday, the veteran star paid tribute to the late Sean Connery, who played his on-screen father Henry Jones Sr. in 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. “He was my father … not in life … but in Indy 3,” Ford wrote in a statement obtained by Deadline. “You don’t know pleasure until someone pays you to take Sean Connery for a ride in the sidecar of a Russian motorcycle bouncing along a bumpy, twisty mountain trail and getting to watch him squirm. God we had fun — if he’s in heaven, I hope they have golf courses. Rest in peace dear friend.” Fans of the franchise probably read that with John Williams’ rousing score in mind (see: “Finale & End Credits” off Last Crusade). It’s a tearful read, alright, one that...
Sean Connery, the Academy Award-winning Scottish actor who portrayed James Bond in seven films, has died at the age of 90. According to BBC News, Connery passed away overnight in his sleep, while in the Bahamas. He was said to be ill for some time. Connery was the first actor to play the British super spy in film, starring in seven Bond pictures between 1962 and 1983. He led the franchise’s first five installments — Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), and You Only Live Twice (1967) — and later reprised the role for 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever and 1983’s Never Say Never Again. To this day, Connery remains a beloved figure in the Bond franchise, and is considered the favorite Bond among fans and critics alike. In a recent poll conducted by...
Current Bond Daniel Craig is honoring original Bond Sean Connery in light of his death. “It is with such sadness that I heard of the passing of one of the true greats of cinema,” Craig wrote in a statement issued on Saturday. “Sir Sean Connery will be remembered as Bond and so much more. He defined an era and a style. The wit and charm he portrayed on screen could be measured in mega watts; he helped create the modern blockbuster. He will continue to influence actors and film-makers alike for years to come. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Wherever he is, I hope there is a golf course.” Meanwhile, the estate of late Bond actor Roger Moore paid tribute to Connery on Twitter: “How infinitely sad to hear the news Sir Sean Connery has passed away. He and Roge...
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was a disaster. Less an adaptation of the Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill graphic novels of the same name than a slapped-together cash-in on the action-horror craze of films like The Mummy, the 2003 film was reviled by critics and opened second to Pirates of the Caribbean. It also happens to serve as the final on-screen role for Sir Sean Connery, who passed today at the age of 90. Stories abound about how much Connery clashed with the film’s director, Blade‘s Stephen Norrington, while filming, and how those experiences allegedly led him to retire from acting in 2006. (Yes, Sir Billi fans, I know that’s technically his final role, but two hours in a voice booth as a skateboarding CG veterinarian isn’t quite the same as starring in a summer b...
Sean Connery, the legendary actor who is debatably the best known James Bond, has died at the age of 90. Connery’s son Jason told the BBC that he died peacefully in his sleep while in the Bahamas and had been “unwell for some time.” Born on Aug. 25, 1930 in Edinburgh, Connery featured as James Bond at the series’ onset, becoming the defining actor in the spy thriller. In addition to playing Bond, the actor was known for his role as Indiana Jones’ father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Rock, The Hunt for Red October and for winning an Oscar in 1988 for Best-Supporting Actor in The Untouchables. Connery’s final film appearance came in 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Sir Sean Connery has died at the age of 90. He was the first actor to pl...
“Cool.” “Riveting.” “Gripping.” “High-Octane Thrill Ride!” All cliches of film criticism and yet all feelings we’ve experienced while watching a crackerjack summer blockbuster. Oops, there we go again. All things considered, any moviegoer can speak to the divine feeling of sitting in a cool, packed theater in the heat of the summer and being united by narrative. Not just united, but hypnotized, mentally convinced that the fate of the world is before your eyes, and there is nothing more important in that very moment. It’s escapism. It’s popcorn. It’s Chinatown. But also, it’s the power of spectacle. Over the years, Hollywood has certainly run that concept through the ringer, having turned what used to be a summer blockbuster season into, well, an entire calendar year. Now, all those aforeme...