Sean Connery

1930-

Born and brought up in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Sean Connery earned an early wage as a delivery boy on a horse-drawn milk cart.

Sean Connery began his rise to the top of international movie fame being cast as an extra in "South Pacific." Before that he held a variety of odd jobs, served as a gunner in the Royal Navy and at one point entered the Mr. Universe bodybuilding contest.

Connery's role in the Disney film Darby O'Gill And the Little People brought him to the attention of Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Abandoning plans to cast a major star as 007, they interviewed the relatively unknown Connery, and came away impressed with his forceful demeanor and "cat-like" grace. Over the objections of United Artists, who felt Connery was not sufficiently marketable, and even Ian Fleming, who felt he was too unrefined, they cast the young Scot as Bond in 1962's Dr. No.

The actor now makes his home in Spain, but returns regularly to Scotland. He donated the $1,000,000 fee from one of the Bond films in order to found the Scottish International Education Trust, which financially assists individual Scots to develop their talents.

He has honorary degrees from St Andrews University and Heriot-Watt University. To promote his native city he made a film, Sean Connery's Edinburgh. In 1987 he was awarded an Oscar for his performance in The Untouchables.

In 1992 he was made a freeman of his native city of Edinburgh.