Sir Sean realises time waits for no man – even the sexiest one alive
AS James Bond, he was the envy of males the world over – and just before his 60th birthday, he was voted the sexiest man alive.
But time waits for no man – and Sir Sean Connery, now 85, looked every year of it as he made his way home after a rare public appearance at the weekend.
The Oscar-winning actor had been at Flushing Meadows in New York to watch the men’s final at the US Open tennis championships, in which Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer.
Though thinner and more frail than fans are accustomed to seeing him, the original 007 still looked sharp in a navy blazer and fedora.
Now firmly in retirement, with his last movie back in 2003 and public
‘Transcended the normal run of actors
appearances few and far between, he had seemed in better shape earlier in the day as he happily tipped his hat when the camera panned across to him during the match.
Edinburgh-born Sir Sean now spends much of his time on New Providence Island in the Bahamas with his wife, Micheline. Although he officially quit acting a decade ago, he did voice the title role in cartoon Sir Billi in 2012.
Sir Sean – who People magazine voted the sexiest man alive in 1989 – was last pictured playing golf near his Bahamas home last autumn, having announced in April 2011 that he would no longer make any official public appearances.
A recent industry poll found he continues to be the most recognised and popular British actor in the United States. According to the sur- vey, the former 007’s licence to thrill had not been diminished by time – or his retirement from film roles.
The poll, usually seen only by the US movie world’s movers and shakers, has been gauging audience reaction to British actors annually for almost 20 years. But for the first time, the Q Scores Company of New York decided to release the ‘Brit Q’ celebrity rankings.
Executive vice-president Henry Schafer said of Sir Sean: ‘In the way people feel about him, he has transcended the normal run of actors.
‘The awareness of and the appeal of Sir Sean Connery was strong across the country and with all ages, even though he is not working much.’