What Most People Don't Know About Sean Connery

When Sean Connery passed away at his home in the Bahamas at age 90 on Oct. 31, 2020, the world mourned a screen legend whose illustrious career included countless memorable roles, such as his celebrated two-decade run as James Bond. But here's what most people don't know about Sean Connery. Sean Connery enlisted in the Scottish Royal Navy at the age of 16, but his military career didn't last long. He was discharged three years later due to stomach ulcers, according to The Scotsman. So, at 19 with no real prospects, Connery took on a variety of odd jobs to make ends meet, including working as a bricklayer and a nude model at the Edinburgh College of Art. Connery explained this gig to Jay Leno in 1999, saying: "We used to get six and eight pence an hour for standing stationary and with 15 minutes off." But the weirdest job Connery ever held was at a funeral home in Haddington, Scotland, where he polished coffins. The grandson of the funeral home owner shared a newspaper clipping of Connery speaking about his time there during a ceremony at Edinburgh's Usher Hall, which included the fact that when he wasn't polishing coffins, he was bleaching them to make them look like oak. During the same Leno interview, Connery told a bleakly funny story about the funeral home owner, saying: "We had a chap [who] used to go around and visit the people who were really, very sick.” Watch this video for more on what most people didn't know about Sean Connery! #SeanConnery #RIPSeanConnery Polishing coffins for a living | 0:18 Turning down the role of Gandalf | 1:29 Sean Connery, soccer star? | 2:48 Tired of “idiots” in Hollywood | 3:52 Sean Connery hated James Bond | 4:59