Sean Connery is basically a living legend
in Hollywood - but it’s been decades since
he last took a significant role in a movie.
So what drove such a talented and respected
actor out of the spotlight - and could anything
lure him back?
Connery hasn't appeared in a film since 2003,
when he starred in The League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen.
His absence was noted over the following years,
but Connery kept quiet about his future plans,
which left fans wondering whether he would
ever return to acting.
Finally, in 2006, he said that he had officially
retired, confirming his status after receiving
a lifetime achievement award from the American
Film Institute.
In a 2007 interview with Heat Vision, he reaffirmed
that he truly was done with acting.
At this point, it could be argued that Connery
doesn't have anything left to accomplish in
Hollywood.
He had already established a long-lasting
legacy, and retiring when he was ready rather
than continuing to make films solely for the
money is a decision worthy of respect.
After all, what could really top being James
Bond and Indiana Jones' dad?
“And what did you find, Dad?”
“Me?
Illumination.”
Connery never explicitly stated the reason
for retirement, but it seems that a number
of different factors led him to decide it
was finally time to hang up his hat.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was
panned by critics, and rather than picking
up one more role to end his career on a better
note, he chose to follow his initial instinct
and walk away.
Connery was very frustrated with his experience
working with director Stephen Norrington on
Gentlemen, even saying say that Norrington
should have been, quote, "locked up for insanity."
Connery has since explained that he did his
best with his role, but knew that the entire
production was going off the rails - and that
critics and audiences alike probably wouldn't
be too pleased.
He even claimed that he got "heavily involved
in editing” in an attempt “to salvage"
the end result; and while his efforts may
have helped somewhat, the film was still considered
a massive flop.
Connery walked away and has never looked back.
Having struggled on the set of The League
of Extraordinary Gentlemen and taken his subsequent
decision to retire, one offer did pique Connery's
interest in returning to the big screen.
He was contacted by Steven Spielberg, who
spoke with him about reprising his role as
Indiana Jones' father, Dr. Henry Jones, from
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
“Gutentach, Herr Jones.”
Connery seriously considered Spielberg’s
request for him to appear in Indiana Jones
and the Crystal Skull, but in the end, he
decided it just wasn't worth coming out of
retirement.
And although he did hold some creative differences
with Spielberg as far as the character and
the proposed direction of the plot were concerned,
more importantly he didn't want to deal with
the pressures of acting again.
In a statement on his website, Connery wrote:
"If anything could have pulled me out of retirement,
it would have been an Indiana Jones film.
But in the end, retirement is just too much
fun."
There was actually a time when it seemed like
Connery might stage a career comeback, and
he even implied that it wouldn't be totally
impossible for a director to lure him back
in front of the camera.
However, he has made it clear that doing so
would require a serious paycheck, quipping
to The Scotsman that:
"It would almost need a Mafia-like offer I
couldn't refuse to do another movie."
But now it appears that this window has closed
for good.
According to Connery's longtime friend and
fellow actor Michael Caine, Connery has shut
the door on any potential offers.
In 2011, Caine told the Telegraph:
"He won't make another film now.
I just asked him.
He said, 'No, I'll never do it.'"
It seems that Connery could not be more clear
about the fact that his acting career is long
over, despite the sizable paycheck that he
could probably wrangle from the right production.
Although some of his fans may hold out hope
that there could be another film on the horizon,
it looks like the chances are slim to none.
He may not be interested in going before the
cameras, but Sean Connery has made a small
exception to his retirement from acting: voice
work.
In fact, you’ll be able to hear his distinctive
voice on a handful of projects that have been
released since his retirement in 2003.
In 2005, Connery returned to the world of
James Bond when he provided voice work for
the video game version of his 1963 film From
Russia with Love.
Executive producer Glen Schofield said Connery
agreed to the part for two reasons: because
From Russia with Love was his favorite Bond
film, and because his grandchildren love video
games.
Connery also voiced the title character in
the animated short Sir Billi the Vet, which
was later expanded into a feature film and
officially released in 2012.
He also served as the executive producer for
the extended version, but hasn't been back
to the mic for a screen project since.
So how does Sean Connery spend his days now
that he is retired?
Well, he has all the time in the world to
spend indulging in his love of golf, which
originated when he was filming the 1964 Bond
movie Goldfinger.
“If that’s his original ball, I’m Arnold
Palmer.”
“It isn’t.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m standing on it.”
While practicing his golf game for the film,
Connery got hooked on the sport.
In his autobiography Being A Scot, he wrote:
"I began to see golf as a metaphor for living,
for in golf you are basically on your own,
competing against yourself and always trying
to do better."
Today, Connery's home in the Bahamas is actually
located on a golf course, and according to
his son Jason Connery, he can still hit a
hole in one.
So while you won't find Connery walking the
red carpet any time soon, you might just catch
him playing golf in paradise.
It's definitely not a bad way to spend retirement.
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