Sean Connery, the renowned Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of James Bond, passed away on October 31, 2020. His departure was mourned on a global scale, touching the hearts of both celebrities and devoted fans. Sean Connery’s remarkable tenure as the suave British superagent, spanning from 1962’s “Dr. No” to 1983’s “Never Say Never Again,” outlasted that of any other Bond actor.
Intriguingly, Sean Connery was known to keep certain aspects of his personal life shrouded in mystery. This discretion may explain why you may not be familiar with his son, Jason Connery, who is also an accomplished actor. Jason Connery was born just one year after his father embarked on his iconic “James Bond” journey.
Jason was born to Sean and his then-wife, Diane Cilento, approximately a year after their marriage. Regrettably, their union was short-lived, culminating in a divorce in 1973, just eleven years after they exchanged vows.
Their relationship was famously strained. According to a 2000 interview with Cilento, this was partly due to Sean’s desire for her to prioritize household responsibilities and the care of Jason over her career ambitions.
“I don’t think we ever envisioned a life of domesticity and playing the roles of a traditional husband and wife,” Cilento explained. “It simply wasn’t in the cards for either of us. The excitement of life was not about cozy, conventional roles; it just wasn’t us. I wanted to pursue my own path.”
Cilento went on to reveal that one significant event leading to her decision to leave Sean was an incident in which someone attacked Jason when he was a young boy.
“My young son, at the time about six years old, had gone out to Wimbledon Common, and I don’t have all the details, but he returned having been assaulted… I felt profoundly vulnerable once again,” Cilento recalled. “So I moved out, to another house, and when Sean returned, I was gone. I left because he seemed oblivious to our situation. What was happening was that Jason was in distress and needed reassurance from a male figure, and I don’t think Sean was attuned to that.”
Although it appears that Jason’s home life was marked by turmoil, at least according to his late mother’s recollections, he achieved notable success from a young age.
At first, it remained uncertain whether Jason would follow in the illustrious footsteps of his renowned father. During his childhood, he secured a partial scholarship for his swimming skills, which earned him admission to an exclusive boarding school, as IMDb reports. While there, he achieved an impressive feat by breaking the under-16 freestyle swimming record for southern England, a record he held for a substantial period.
Jason subsequently enrolled at the Gordonstoun School for boys in his native Scotland, where his passion for theater and film blossomed. Notably, he also explored directing, revealing a multifaceted interest in the art form.
His journey into the entertainment industry officially began when he joined the Perth Repertory Theatre in Scotland, initially serving as a minor player and assistant stage manager during his initial six months with the company. However, in 1985, he seized a significant opportunity by portraying Robin Hood in the British television series “Robin of Sherwood.” Interestingly, his father, Sean, had previously portrayed the legendary outlaw in the 1976 film “Robin and Marian.”
Jason’s career then gained momentum, primarily in television shows and miniseries through the early 2000s. His roles included notable appearances in series such as “The Famous Five” (1997), the animated series “Liberty’s Kids” (2002), and a stint on “Smallville” (2001-2003).
As it turns out, Jason’s late parents didn’t exactly embrace his career choice with enthusiasm. In a 2017 interview with the Los Angeles Times, before his father’s passing, Jason revealed that he was apprehensive about sharing his acting aspirations with them, despite both of them having careers in show business.
“I was afraid to tell them,” Jason confessed. “I dabbled in acting at school, and at Gordonstoun, I initiated something called the Inter-House, where girls and boys collaborated to stage plays… Then I secured admission to the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and I had to break the news to them.”
“My dad basically said, ‘Well, the thing about acting is, it’s a challenging profession. If you truly don’t want to do it, you’ll figure it out soon.’ I understood what he meant because it’s tough to step into an audition room and expose yourself in the way you do when you audition and such.”
Nevertheless, Jason persisted despite his parents’ reservations. He went on to play significant roles in various animated series, including “Gadget and the Gadgetinis” (2001-2009), took the lead in the miniseries “The Other Side of Paradise” (1992), and featured in the aforementioned “The Famous Five.” His distinctive voice, akin to his father’s, became a valued asset in his career.
While Jason continues to pursue his acting career to this day, he has also achieved success as a director. He made his directorial debut with the 2009 horror film “The Devil’s Tomb” and has gone on to helm four other feature films: “Pandemic” (2009), “51” (2011), the boxing drama “The Philly Kid” (2012), and the historical drama “Tommy’s Honour” (2016).
“Tommy’s Honour,” adapted from Kevin Cook’s biography of the same name, chronicles the real-life tale of Scottish golf champions Old Tom Morris and his son Young Tom Morris. Much like Sean and Jason Connery’s pioneering roles in the film industry, this Scottish father-son duo dominated the world of professional golf in the late 19th century. Premiering at the Edinburgh Film Festival, the film garnered a mix of reviews from critics, with some lauding Peter Mullan and Jack Lowden’s performances as the father-son golfing duo.
Critique of the film includes Jason Best’s assessment: “Connery, himself the son of a famous father, doesn’t entirely avoid the clichés of period biopics. The script, based on Kevin Cook’s book, leans toward the conventional, and Connery’s directorial choices are somewhat predictable. However, Mullan and Lowden infuse the film with poignant emotions, while the raucous nature of early golf matches and the simmering class conflicts off the course provide an enlightening perspective.”
In a 2017 interview with The Los Angeles Times, prior to Sean’s passing, Jason shared insights about the film and also discussed his father’s passion for golf.
“He’s persistently at it,” Jason remarked at the time. “He’s 86 years old. He resided in Spain, and we played golf frequently there. I would join in with my stepbrother and stepmother, playing alongside them while Dad participated in celebrity events. We cherish wonderful memories of those times—though, of course, my recollections may be somewhat idyllic because I remember it as sunny, even though that wasn’t always the case. But we truly had some delightful moments.”
Jason went on to mention that he had discussed the film’s script with his father, a dedicated golfer, before production commenced.
“He reviewed the script. We had conversations about it. He possesses an extensive knowledge of the sport’s standards,” Jason explained. “He even attended the screening of the film at the Bahamian Island House Film Festival. It was heartening to have him there, and he had nothing but praise for the movie. He genuinely adores the game, and, of course, he’s profoundly Scottish.”
According to National Club Golfer, Sean’s passion for golfing originated during the filming of “Goldfinger.” To prepare for a scene where Bond would engage in a golf match against the movie’s eponymous antagonist, Sean received golf lessons at a course near the studio, and that’s when he fell in love with the sport.
Beyond their shared love of golf and their professional connection, there are additional parallels between Jason and his father’s lives. Both endured challenging first marriages. In 1996, Jason married actress Mia Sara, known for her role as Sloane Peterson in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986). In 1997, they welcomed a son, named Dashiell Quinn Connery. During the same year, the film “Bullet to Beijing,” in which they both appeared, was released. Unfortunately, their union was short-lived, and they divorced in 2002.
Jason attributes his resilience and ability to thrive in the challenging terrain of Hollywood to the example set by his parents. As is widely known, the entertainment industry can be capricious and unforgiving to those unprepared for its unpredictability. Jason’s extensive professional history stands as a testament to his adaptability. He can find his niche one moment and then successfully reinvent himself the next.
Interestingly, Sean and Jason Connery maintained a low profile regarding their father-son relationship and their parallel careers in acting. This discretion led to numerous rumors suggesting a strained relationship between them. Some even suggested that when Sean Connery divorced Jason’s mother, Cilento, in 1973, he excluded Jason from his will. However, Jason vehemently denies these claims.
“I am genuinely weary of reading about my father and our relationship, and the portrayal of him as a monstrous or tyrannical figure who controls my life by cutting me off from his wealth,” Jason declared in a statement to The Herald of Scotland. “This couldn’t be further from the truth.”
He went on to clarify, “(My father) earned this money through his tireless hard work, and what he does with it and to whom he bequeaths it is entirely his prerogative. We’ve never had a conversation where he said, ‘You’ll never receive a penny’ or anything of the sort. That is unequivocally untrue.”
Both dedicated actors appear to share a common ethos of hard work and dedication. It’s evident that Jason held deep affection for his father, although he rarely expressed it publicly. One notable exception was in the July 28, 2008, edition of The New York Daily News when he remarked, “I hold my father in high regard, respect him, and love him for very good reasons. I not only reject these falsehoods…but I refuse to allow them to persist any longer.”
As a testament to this deep affection, Jason’s current partner, Fiona Ufton, shared a heartwarming photograph of herself, Sean, and Jason together on the Bond actor’s 89th birthday. In the image, the elder Connery is depicted surrounded by his family, sporting a warm smile. Ufton captioned her Twitter post with the traditional Irish message “brethla shona dhuit,” meaning “happy birthday.”
Father and son also made occasional joint appearances on the red carpet over the years. They wholeheartedly supported each other, attended each other’s film premieres and television appearances, and their relationship was more of a friendship than merely a paternal one. Following his father’s passing, Jason conveyed his sadness to both the BBC and the Irish Post, stating, “It is a sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a somber loss for people all over the world who cherished the remarkable talent he possessed as an actor.”
After his passing, fans, fellow actors, directors, and other figures in the film industry took to the internet to commemorate Sean Connery and his remarkable legacy.
“Sir Sean Connery will forever be remembered as Bond and so much more,” remarked Daniel Craig, the English actor who has portrayed the character since 2006’s “Casino Royale.”
“He defined an era and a style. The charisma and charm he exuded on screen were off the charts; he played a pivotal role in shaping the modern blockbuster.
“He will continue to influence actors and filmmakers for years to come,” he added. “My condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”
Sean Connery, surrounded by his family, including Jason, peacefully passed away in his sleep in the early hours of October 31, 2020. His legacy endures through his films, the memories of his larger-than-life persona, and his son, Jason, who is evidently following in his father’s footsteps while also carving out his own unique path.
What are your thoughts on Jason’s life? Do you share a similar connection with your own father? Feel free to share your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to friends, family, and fellow Connery enthusiasts.
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