This Is Why We Never See Sean Connery Anymore

Sean Connery is one of the few actors with that natural old Hollywood allure. His charming, rugged mystique is one of the reasons he was a perfect choice to play the legendary role of James Bond. Between 1962 and 1983, across seven films, the Scotland-born actor portrayed the blueprint to the international secret agent character that would continue to be an iconic role for many more. However, Connery — who celebrated his 90th birthday in August 2020 — didn't peak with James Bond. Connery went on to star in classic films, including 1987's The Untouchables, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. After a career of a little over 50 years, Connery left the film industry for a much sweeter deal. Before shifting his lifestyle, the proud Scot snagged quite a few accolades that hold serious bragging rights. He was declared "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and "Sexiest Man of the Century" in 1999 by People Magazine. To add even more luster to his repertoire, he was officially knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in July 2000. So why don't we see Connery on screen anymore? Let's take a look into it. Sean Connery filmed his last live-action movie, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in 2003, and he was pretty quiet about his absence from the silver screen until 2006 when he received his Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. He officially announced his retirement by stating, "I have retired for good. It's been a bit rough since Christmas but I'm perfectly okay and I feel well. In fact, I'm working on a history book." It was pretty perfect timing for him, though. Not only did the actor accomplish just about everything he could at the age, but he was also recovering from a surgery that removed a tumor from his kidney. According to a spokesperson for Connery, the actor was, quote, "very fit" and had made a full recovery. Although surgery can make someone want to slow down a bit, there was one movie that Connery did consider coming out of retirement for. For a moment there, the Oscar-winning actor was willing to reprise his role as Indiana Jones' father, Dr. Henry Jones, from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, for the 2008 installation, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The film's director Steven Spielberg gave Connery a call and tried to pull him out of retirement, but, after much consideration, Connery turned the role down. Connery recalled the episode in a 2007 interview, saying: "I spoke with Spielberg, but it didn't work out [...] It was not that generous a part, worth getting back into the harness and go for. And they had taken the story in a different line anyway, so the father of Indy was kind of really not that important." He also added in an official announcement obtained by Slash Film that, quote, "retirement is just too damned much fun," which is pretty hard to deny. And just in case no one believed Connery, his good friend and actor, Sir Michael Caine, confirmed this same sentiment. Caine told The Telegraph, "[Connery would never act again because] he didn't want to play small parts about old men, and [the movie business wasn't] offering him any young parts in romantic leads." Besides wanting to leave on the top of his career and enjoy the fruits of his labor, another reason Sean Connery hasn't returned to acting is that he isn't particularly happy with the film industry's direction. In a 2005 interview with The Scotsman, the actor stated, "I'm fed up with the idiots [...] the ever-widening gap between people who know how to make movies and the people who green-light the movies. [...] I don't say they're all idiots. I'm just saying there's a lot of them that are very good at [being idiots]." However, the actor's criticism hasn't stopped fans from showering him with praise. Case in point: In August 2020, he was named the best James Bond ever in a Radio Times poll. It's hard to argue with those results! The bottom line? Connery's reported net worth is $350 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, so he can disappear from Hollywood as long as he wishes. Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Bond. #SeanConnery #JamesBond #TheLeagueofExtraordinaryGentlemen Watch this video to see why we never see Sean Connery anymore.