Sean Connery: Acting, Stardom and National Identity

This ground-breaking study provides an authoritative account of the career of this iconic star. It illuminates his early work, his role as James Bond and his later reinvention as father-mentor and screen legend. Drawing on a wide range of sources, it will be essential reading for those interested in the phenomenon of stardom.
This ground-breaking study provides an authoritative account of the career of one of cinema's most iconic stars. It highlights the importance of Connery’s early work, especially his television appearances, as well as dissecting the ‘Bond phenomenon’ that propelled him to international stardom on an unprecedented scale for a British actor.The book offers an in-depth exploration of Connery’ s twenty-year struggle to escape ‘Bondage’, including his reinvention as a father-mentor, a clever career move that enabled him to enjoy a second period of superstardom from The Untouchables (1987) onwards and to ‘age successfully’. It situates Connery’s performances in their broader cultural and economic contexts and analyses his complex embodiment of iconicity and national identity, notably through his public activism campaigning for Scottish independence. Drawing on a wide range of archival and other sources, this innovative study will be essential reading both for fans of Connery and those interested in the strange and remarkable phenomenon of stardom.