How to Act 007—Sean Connery
"My name is Bond—James Bond."
Sean Connery informed the world's movie-goers in 1962.
In seven Bond films over a span of 21 years, the tall,
dark Scot came to embody the suave secret agent
whose code name was known around the globe: 007.
But it didn't go very smooth to be a successful star.
The exception was Robert Henderson,
a 47-year-old Yank who was directing South Pacific. One day,
Henderson had a long talk with the muscle man
whose determination seemed irrepressible.
Connery told Henderson he hoped to become a professional soccer player.
"Well look," said Henderson. "With soccer, at 28 or 30. it's all over.
Then what do you do? Wouldn't you rather be an actor?" "How?"
asked Connery, "I left school at 13."
Henderson nodded. "You've practically no education.
But you have an imagination and a mind.
I will give you a list of ten books that you should read."
The "ten" books that Henderson had mentioned were more like 200,
including the complete works of Shakespeare,
Thomas Wolfe and Oscar Wilde. But Connery tackled them every day,
applying all the energy and tenacity he got from his parents.
He would go to the library in the morning and stay till curtain time.
Late at night, he would sit up with his tape recorder,
hearing a voice that certainly wasn't Polish
and was sounding a little less Scottish.
Acting, he decided after a year of this,
was going to be his career. And for his new life,
Connery had chosen a new first name.
Play it Connery did, and splendidly—five times in all in the 60s
from Dr. No, from Russia with Love,
Goldfinger and Thunderball to You Only Live Twice.
His debonair charm and magnetic good looks on screen captivated audiences
around the globe. Small boys from Chicago to Rome could tell you exactly
what 007 said when Goldfinger threatened him with a laser:
"Do you expect me to talk?"
"No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die."
But 007 did not die. The Bond pictures'
success permitted Connery to move his wife, their son, Jason,
and his stepdaughter into a town house overlooking London's Acton Park.
He was also able to buy his parents a more comfortable home
and persuade his father to retire.
He also set up Scottish International Educational Trust with $1 million
to help underprivileged Scots go to college.