Sean Connery

Born in the Fountainbridge district of Edinburgh, Connery is perhaps best known for portraying Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond on screen. He began his career as a milkman, but his road to success was through body-building competitions. His first film was No Road Back (1956) and other notable roles have included The Man who would be King (1975), The Untouchables (1987), for which he won an Oscar as best supporting actor, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and The Hunt for Red October (1990), where Connery's screen presence allows him to escape playing a Russian naval officer with his strong Scottish accent.
An accomplished amateur golfer, Connery makes his home in Spain, but visits Scotland regularly, taking an active role in nationalist politics and supporting educational charities.
Made a Freeman of the City of Edinburgh (1992), Connery holds honorary degrees from Heriot-Watt and St. Andrew's Universities and was knighted (after some controversy, relating to his out-spoken support for the Scottish National Party) by The Queen in the Palace of Holyroodhouse (2000). He has also been honoured by France and is a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.