This weekend we heard the sad news that the original James Bond, iconic Scottish actor Sean Connery, had passed away at the age of 90.
According to his family, he died peacefully in his sleep in Nassau, Bahamas.
His son, Jason told the BBC:
"We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time. A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor."
His wife Micheline Roquebrune, who Connery has been married to since 1975, told The Daily Mail that in the last few months of his life, he was suffering from dementia,
"It was no life for him. It took its toll on him. He was not able to express himself latterly. He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss. At least he dies in his sleep and it was just so peaceful. I was with him all the time and he just slipped away. It was what he wanted."
Connery's acting career spanned 70 years, he was the very first James Bond, appearing in seven Bond films over the span of 21 years:
- Dr. No (1962)
- From Russia With Love (1963)
- Goldfinder (1964)
- Thunderball (1965)
- You Only Live Twice (1967)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- Never Say Never Again (1983)
He appeared in 94 films, receiving numerous nominations for awards and winning an Oscar in 1988 for his role in The Untouchables.
In 2006 he retired from acting saying he was disillusioned with the "idiots making movies in Hollywood" and in 2007 avoided pleas to return for the forth Indiana Jones movie by saying that retirement was 'too much fun.' In 2012 he briefly came out of retirement to do some voice work for a film, but has largely remained out of the spotlight since his retirement.
Connery's death has not been without controversy, however, comments Connery made in 1965 and again in 1987 during a Barbara Walters interview have resurfaced.
According to People Magazine:
Connery first made remarks about slapping women when he spoke to Playboy in November 1965. “I don’t think there is anything particularly wrong about hitting a woman, although I don’t recommend doing it in the same way that you’d hit a man,” he told the publication.
Describing an “openhanded slap” as “justified,” Connery also said it could be used “if all other alternatives fail and there has been plenty of warning,” adding, “If a woman is a bitch, or hysterical, or bloody-minded continually, then I’d do it.”
In 1987 he talked to Barbara Walters about those comments:
According to People:
"Six years after his Barbara Walters interview, the actor spoke with Vanity Fair about his views. “But I was really saying that to slap a woman was not the crudest thing you can do to her. I said that in my book—it's much more cruel to psychologically damage somebody... to put them in such distress that they really come to hate themselves,” he said. “Sometimes there are women who take it to the wire. That's what they're looking for, the ultimate confrontation—they want a smack.”
ABC Entertainment Correspondent, Jason Nathanson, joined Gary & Shannon to talk about the controversy.