It’s been 37 years since Sean Connery last played James Bond, in “Never Say Never Again.” But for millions of fans of all ages, he is still Bond.
That’s because the Scot, who died Saturday at age 90, was an international star of unparalleled stature. I bet your 15-year-old kid recognizes actors like Elizabeth Taylor and Burt Reynolds, but can’t name a single one of their movies. But they know Sean Connery was James Bond. A gardener in Burma could tell you Connery was Bond.
There is plenty of in-fighting among the franchise’s fans over who their favorite 007 is, however, even if a person worships Roger Moore’s raised eyebrow and Lotus Esprit or swoons when Daniel Craig does parkour, there is an unspoken understanding that the superspy’s tuxedo really belongs to Connery. The other five actors have merely borrowed it.
Did you know that the James Bond of Ian Fleming’s books isn’t very funny? In an interview, the author once called him “cold and ruthless,” and wrote that he had a “cruel” mouth. That irresistible combo of sex appeal, humor, class and physical prowess we cherish was trademarked by Connery and then embraced by everybody else.
Indeed, as unique as each Bond actor has been, every choice they have made is a riff on or a reaction to what Connery established before them.
The imitation sometimes went overboard. When the actor first left the role after 1967’s “You Only Live Twice,” he was replaced with an unknown Australian model named George Lazenby.
How did an Aussie with no acting experience snag the role? He went to Connery’s barber to get the look.
In 1973, when Moore debuted in “Live and Let Die,” the change-up in tone was so extreme it was practically a reboot. Moore was less violent than Connery, Moore told more jokes, Moore looked older, Moore was English. The actor made several phenomenal Bond films, but was dogged by comparisons to his predecessor.
When Timothy Dalton started in “The Living Daylights,” 16 years after Connery had moved on, the critical consensus was, “He’s gritty and masculine — just like Sean!”
Recall the tidal wave of absurd controversy when Craig was announced as the new 007 in 2005. He was — you better sit down for this — blonde! The whiners weren’t Ian Fleming devotees, either. The fact is that after Connery’s jet-black hair became seared on our retinas, the producers had never dared pick an actor with a mop brighter than brown.
The series has also, for decades, tried to recreate Connery’s most quotable moments. Recall in “Goldfinger” when 007 meets the Bond girl. “I’m Pussy Galore,” she says. A smile comes across Connery’s face and he replies, “I must be dreaming.”
Fast forward to 1999’s “The World Is Not Enough,” starring Pierce Brosnan.
“I was wrong about you,” Bond remarks to Denise Richards’ scientist character Christmas Jones, with an ironic smile borrowed straight from the Sean playbook. “I thought Christmas only comes once a year.”
Not that Brosnan or the other guys were ripping him off, of course. They were, purposefully or not, making fitting tributes to an enduring cultural legacy nobody will match again.
So, as long as James Bond keeps returning, Connery will still be with us — vodka martini in hand, Walther PPK in holster and a quip at the ready.