The Entertainment Weekly interview has Connery and those he’d worked with looking back on his illustrious career, and everybody was in agreement: Connery had aged like a fine wine.
“As Sean’s gotten older, he’s become much more subtle. He can say more with a raised eyebrow than most actors can with a whole paragraph of dialogue,” said Arne Glimcher, who directed Connery in the 1995 film “Just Cause,” where the actor took on one of his last leading roles.
Connery himself felt he handled his aging with grace as well:
“I never had a ‘transition problem.’ I’ve always played older. I played Harrison Ford’s father and Dustin Hoffman’s father. And this year, I’m going to be 65. I’m hardly going to get into a weight program and do ‘Tarzan.’ I could have the best body sculpting in the world, but I’m never going to be James Bond again.”
Connery would hold true to his statement, turning down any and all attempts to get him to return to the role of James Bond. Connery wasn’t afraid to turn down roles partially on the basis of his age, including turning down a role in “The Matrix” as The Architect, a part he simply did not understand (hey, me too bud).
It can be tough for an actor to admit that they’re over the hill. Everybody wants to stay young forever and play the handsome leading man until they die. But for those who are able to embrace the changes that come with age, a whole new realm of roles and opportunities opens up.
