Still Bond: In Defence of Sean Connery’s Later 007 Performances

POST-SCRIPT ADDED IN JUNE 2025: See end of post before Further Reading section.

As the creator of Diamonds Reimagined—a passion project that seeks to honour and rework the 1971 Bond film Diamonds Are Forever—I've spent countless hours studying Sean Connery’s performance in his later outings as 007. It’s led me to a firm belief: the idea that Connery was 'bored,' 'tired,' or simply 'phoning it in' has persisted for too long. It’s an oversimplification at best; and a disservice at worst.

Connery returns to Bond in 1971: relaxed, charismatic, and still commanding.

Connery’s reputation as the original cinematic Bond is secure. But when it comes to his later films, discussions often default to familiar criticisms: he looked heavier, seemed detached, or lacked the intensity of his earlier work. I understand where these impressions come from; but I respectfully disagree. What I’ve found, through a mix of close viewing, research, and animation work that studies his every glance and gesture, is a far more layered, controlled, and deliberate performance than he often gets credit for.

This article is a defence; not just of Connery the icon, but of Connery the actor. And I hope to show why his work in these films deserves a second look.

The Origin of the Criticism

It’s often said that Thunderball (1965) marked Sean Connery’s last “fully committed” performance as Bond; before the supposed decline of You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever. But even Thunderball wasn’t immune to critical misreadings.

David Robinson of the Financial Times, in a contemporary review, wrote:

“It’s not just that Sean Connery looks a lot more haggard and less heroic than he did two or three years ago, but there is much less effort to establish him as connoisseur playboy. Apart from the off-handed order for Beluga, there is little of that comic display of bon viveur-manship that was one of the charms of Connery’s almost-a-gentleman 007.”

Already under scrutiny in 1965, Connery's Bond was more introspective than critics realised.

Yet this critique misses the deliberate tonal shift Thunderball represents. Connery tailored his Bond to the script, which focused more on espionage tension and less on upper-class excess. As in his other films, Connery didn’t stop performing; he simply performed differently.

Interestingly, Robinson would later praise Connery’s performance in Never Say Never Again, despite it being a remake of Thunderball and featuring a less overtly “heroic” or “bon viveur” Bond. Such a reversal highlights the subjective nature of these assessments; and how they often reflect changing cultural expectations rather than the quality of the performance itself.

It’s a pattern that repeats in later commentary as well. For instance, in 1988, Raymond Benson wrote of Diamonds Are Forever that Connery:

“Looks weary and bored … he is overweight, slow-moving, and doesn’t seem to be trying to create a credible character.”

But again, this overlooks the intentional dryness, irony, and tonal control Connery brings to the film; a performance that matches the world-weary, bizarre tone of the script.

You Only Live Twice – Understated, Not Uninterested

Of all of Sean Connery’s Bond films, You Only Live Twice (1967) is perhaps the most maligned when it comes to assessing his performance. Many critics have labelled it the point at which Connery became visibly disengaged; “phoning it in” as Bond while growing weary of the role. But the truth is far more nuanced, and the recollections of those who worked directly with Connery tell a different story.

Connery smiles for the camera in-between takes whilst filming Bond's escape from Osato Chemicals; on location outside the New Otani Hotel, Tokyo.

“He Under-Acts… That’s the Core of His Success”

Director Lewis Gilbert, who made his Bond debut on You Only Live Twice, offered a perceptive defence of Connery’s style in an interview with Showtime magazine some months after the film’s release:

“People accuse him of non-acting, or under-acting. That’s the core of his success; he under-acts only because of the complete overstatement and madness of everything around him in a Bond film. He plays counter to all this. Absolutely straight—all the madness bounces off him.”

Connery on location with Lewis Gilbert; by all accounts, the experienced star and the third Bond director got along very well.

This restraint wasn't laziness; it was intentional. Connery was the anchor amidst the chaos: a calm, self-assured Bond who brought a real-world coolness to a film filled with volcano lairs, ninja armies, and rocket-eating spacecraft.

Creative Fatigue, Not Laziness

That said, Gilbert later admitted that Connery was creatively bored by the growing emphasis on gadgetry:

“If he seemed to be ‘cruising’ in certain parts of our movie it was only because he knew the character was immovably second in line to the gadgets, and that bored him, I suppose.”

Connery himself echoed this feeling, but crucially, he still found genuine appreciation in the film’s more authentic elements. Speaking admiringly of the famous autogyro sequence, he said:

“I liked the gyrocopter. I thought that was rather marvellous... only because of the man who built it and flew it over Japan. He was rather marvellous. That’s authentic.”

Connery sitting in Little Nellie on location in Kagoshima.

Connery’s comments make it clear that, even when frustrated with the creative direction, he still engaged with what he found meaningful; and gave the role his full attention.

Committed to the Craft

Far from coasting, Connery trained intensively for the film’s martial arts scenes, instructed first by former U.S. Marine and renowned martial artist Donn Draeger. Draeger later praised his pupil:

“He showed a natural ability. From his early experience playing football, Sean obviously developed the coordination that would make him a superb Kendo [sword] fighter.”

Connery was also instructed by other experts in karate, shuriken, jujitsu, iai, bojitsu, and jojitsu. He was so impressed by it all that he even considered the possibility that his son Jason one day "might learn self defence in this way."

Draeger coaches Connery whilst rehearsing the ninja training scene.

Connery’s commitment to learning martial arts demonstrates that he was physically and mentally prepared to embody the role; even as the franchise leaned more heavily into fantasy.

Connery, accompanied by Donn Draeger, is awarded an honourary black belt in Kyokushin Karate from its founder, Mas Oyama, in 1966, during location filming in Japan.

“A Great Professional” On Set

Assistant Director William Cartlidge, who worked closely with Connery and director Lewis Gilbert, praised his professionalism:

“Sean was very secure in the part by that time… The character was fully formed. And Sean was marvellous to work with. He’s a great professional and a thoroughly good chap.”

Cartlidge also recalled that Connery was "absolutely marvellous with the crew", and made everyone on set laugh.

Even during a famous dispute with producer Harry Saltzman, Connery maintained his focus. Cartlidge recounted how Connery once refused to rehearse with Saltzman on set; only to pick up his line flawlessly the moment Saltzman left. It wasn’t a tantrum; it was a boundary set by a man who wanted to do his job without distraction.

The Japanese Perspective: A Gentle Giant

Connery’s respectful and reserved nature was also noted by the Japanese crew. Assistant director Kazuto Kawabe, recalled in 2020 following Connery's passing:

“There were few people who could casually talk to a big star like Connery, so he was somewhat of a loner. But there was a charming side to him, too, like when we saw each other for the first time in a while, he jabbed me on my side.”

Though he never saw Connery again after the film, Kawabe remembers him fondly many years later.

Despite being a global star, Connery made efforts to build connections. Kawabe concluded: “For me, Sean was more like a friend with whom I spent my youth with, than a star.”

Respected by His Co-Stars

Connery also left a strong impression on his Japanese co-stars. Akiko Wakabayashi, who played Aki, remembered in a 2005 interview with G-Fan Magazine:

“Sean-san is a warm-hearted, honest man. He has a clear vision as an actor. He can be stubborn from time to time, but he is a real man with a bit of old-fashioned taste.”

A relaxed Connery and Wakabayashi on set in-between takes. 

Mie Hama, who played Kissy Suzuki, said in a rare 2017 interview:

“Every morning, he asked if I was having any trouble. He also had a tough life before becoming a star, so he understood me.”

A cheerful Connery, joined by Mie Hama, celebrates his 36th birthday.

She also recalled a memorable moment during filming; Connery’s birthday celebration on location in Nachisan, Kyoto. He encouraged the unit to travel by Bullet Train, taking in the Japanese countryside. Hama remembered him as more relaxed during the journey, even mingling with passengers in other compartments despite earlier difficulties with crowds in Tokyo. That hardly sounds like a man too fed up to engage.

And German actress Karin Dor, who had no preconceptions of Connery or the Bond films, shared one of the most insightful remarks of all:

“At the first rehearsals I thought: ‘For God's sake, it's boring! [Sean] never strained himself, the lazy fellow. But [when shooting] suddenly everything was there: the madness, the coolness, the sparkle, that famous glitter in the eyes. He was phenomenal.”

BOND: "Now, what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

Dor’s change of heart speaks volumes. Connery wasn’t wasting energy in rehearsal; he was saving it for the moment the camera rolled, when he would deliver exactly what the character required.

Performance Highlights That Prove the Critics Wrong

Those who dismiss Connery’s work in You Only Live Twice as flat or disinterested may not be watching closely enough. His performance is filled with subtlety, humour, and emotional intelligence; much of which aligns closely with Ian Fleming’s Bond.

Take Bond’s first encounter with Aki at the sumo wrestling stadium. While the dialogue is minimal, Connery’s eye movements and physical poise convey quiet caution and professional control. His gaze flicks back and forth between the performing sumo wrestlers and Aki as he sizes her up, and never fully relaxes. It’s a subtle reminder that this Bond is a seasoned agent, always assessing risk; even during what appears to be a diplomatic meeting.

Subtle eye movements and tension show a spy always on alert.

The same guarded but professional edge appears in his meeting with Henderson (Charles Gray), filmed earlier at Pinewood. Connery underplays it beautifully, allowing the slight tension in his shoulders and quick changes in eye focus to suggest that Bond doesn’t quite trust what he’s walking into.

BOND: "Mr Henderson?" HENDERSON: "At your service."

Connery’s humour in the film is also often overlooked. His delivery of the line “Impregnable?”; uttered just after Tanaka’s ninjas blow a hole in Blofeld’s supposedly secure volcano control room; is pitch-perfect sarcasm. So too is his sly, Fleming-esque retort to Tanaka’s gadget demo: “You sound like a commercial.” These aren’t throwaway gags; they’re Bond’s armour, a way of staying grounded amid the madness.

Perhaps the finest comedic beat comes when Bond kills the hulking sumo henchman (played by Peter Fanene Maivia), stuffs the body into an alcohol cabinet, and pours himself a stiff drink. Raising the glass in an ironic toast, he says, “Cheers.” Then, glancing at the bottle’s label, his face curls in revulsion. “Siamese vodka?” It’s a throwaway line delivered with perfect dry disgust; a reminder that even in the most absurd moments, Connery’s comic instincts never left him.

“Cheers... Siamese vodka?”—a perfectly timed comedic beat.

Connery also brings emotional resonance when it’s needed. During Aki’s death scene—poisoned while sleeping beside him; Connery’s performance is subdued but deeply affecting. There’s a faint catch in his voice when he tells Tanaka, “She’s dead… poisoned.” The next line; “Tiger, we must get to that island”; is delivered with urgency, almost too quickly. But this feels intentional. Bond is steeling himself, compartmentalising the trauma to finish the mission. It’s a brief but powerful moment of emotional control, utterly in character for a man trained to endure loss in silence.

These scenes show that Connery hadn’t lost his edge; he had just adapted it. He let the gadgets and spectacle take centre stage, as the script required, but never lost sight of the man beneath the myth.

Bond goes Japanese - Flawed but still Connery

The “Japanese disguise” section of the film, though rooted in Fleming’s novel, hasn’t aged well; but it’s worth noting that Connery appears thoroughly present in the material, even if its concept and execution are now rightly questioned.

Though what Connery thought of the idea of Bond becoming Japanese is unknown, images like this suggest that he remained good-humoured and engaged during filming of scenes with the make-up on.

A Bond Who Still Thinks—and Feels

One of Connery’s most compelling moments in You Only Live Twice comes during his first face-to-face encounter with Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the volcano base. As the henchman Hans steps aside to reveal Blofeld (Donald Pleasence), the camera lingers briefly on Connery’s face; and it tells a whole story.

In those several seconds, Bond’s entire thought process is visible. He clocks Osato’s look of fear and quickly deduces that the man in front of him is someone even he might not be prepared for. Connery’s Bond doesn’t react with surprise or anger; he simply studies. His eyes flicker, his body stiffens, and his expression shifts from wary confidence to something closer to psychological calculation.

His wary analysis says more than any dialogue could.

From that point on, his performance through the rest of the scene walks a tightrope between cautious diplomacy and internal tension. He tries to stay calm, but you can see in his face that he’s sizing Blofeld up; not just as a villain, but as a man. There’s curiosity, but also revulsion. This isn’t just a terrorist with a gimmick; this is a madman, and Connery communicates that dawning realisation without a word.

What makes this even more layered is what’s going on outside the performance. Bond knows that Kissy has swum to shore to alert Tiger Tanaka; but he doesn’t yet know if she’s succeeded. Connery subtly incorporates this uncertainty into the tension of the scene. It’s a classic spy beat, handled not with bombast, but with slow-burn intensity.

It’s another example that refutes the idea Connery had disengaged. He’s not just showing up and reading lines; he’s reacting, building tension, and conveying Bond’s intelligence and self-control under pressure.

Conclusion: Still Bond, Still Brilliant

It’s easy to look at You Only Live Twice and see a Bond film where the lead actor was beginning to question his place in the franchise. But that doesn’t mean Connery gave a lazy performance; only that he gave a measured one. What’s clear from the voices of his colleagues, collaborators, and co-stars is that Connery remained deeply professional, physically committed, emotionally intelligent, and every bit the star they admired.

"No matter what the odds...They don't stand a chance against James Bond; Sean Connery, 007."

The myth of a disinterested Connery falls apart when confronted with the facts. If anything, You Only Live Twice is a subtle evolution of the character; Bond as the jaded veteran, composed and calculating, letting the madness bounce off him.

Diamonds Are Forever – Relaxed Doesn’t Mean Lazy

By the time Diamonds Are Forever reached cinemas in 1971, the James Bond series had weathered a moment of uncertainty. With George Lazenby exiting after just one film, the return of Sean Connery was both a marketing coup and a creative gamble. For Connery, it was a chance to step back into a familiar role, take control of his contract, and fund a passion project (The Offence). But some critics would go on to dismiss his performance as disinterested or uncommitted.

That’s a misreading not only of Connery’s performance on screen, but of his work ethic and mindset behind the scenes.

Connery’s Own Words: Still Enjoyable, Still Sharp

Contrary to popular belief, Connery expressed genuine enthusiasm during production. In an interview published on 27 April 1971, he stated:

“It doesn't make any great demands on anyone. Playing James Bond again is still enjoyable. It's really quite fun, you know.”

In this BBC interview with Sheridan Morley, first broadcast on the 31st July 1971, Connery was candid about his reasons for returning to the role.

Far from sounding embittered, Connery appeared relaxed and confident; an actor returning to a role he had mastered. In a BBC interview filmed in his dressing room at Pinewood Studios, he even praised the script:

“Probably the best we've had, certainly construction-wise, with a beginning, middle and an end of a story.”

In another interview, he also addressed the elephant in the room; his age:

“I say I'm not as young as I was, but the villains will still end up dead.”

An Actor Under Pressure, Not Going Through the Motions

Connery also gave voice to the burden of carrying a production of this scale:

“I feel like I'm at the centre of a huge emotional web. If I'm vulnerable or sick the entire production goes to cock. Nobody seems to realise the strain.”

A candid photo of Connery arriving at Los Angeles Airport on the 12th April 1971, ready to join the main unit for filming.

This quote pulls back the curtain. Far from “walking through the role,” Connery was acutely aware of the responsibility he carried. His fatigue wasn’t laziness; it was the natural strain of being the axis around which the entire film turned.

On Set: Calm, Committed, and Often Enjoying Himself

Still photographer Terry O’Neill, a close friend of Connery’s, shared a revealing insight:

“Film sets can be short bursts of activity and long periods of boredom. [...] In between takes, Sean loved to wander down to the casino floor and have a little flutter on the slots. It wasn't just about killing time.”

Although Connery made himself busy in-between takes, Guy Hamilton remembered that he always turned up on time when he was needed on set.

Connery’s time on set was punctuated by moments of playfulness; but never at the expense of the work. A teenage Bond fan, Robert Short, who had rare access to the production, recalled the filming of the Bambi and Thumper fight scene:

“Connery, for the most part, did his own stunts and enjoyed every minute of it.”

Connery laughs whilst in the pool of the Elrod House with young Olympic gymnast Mary Hiller (often credited as Lola Larson), who played Bambi, and Trina Parks, who played Thumper.

Associate Producer Stanley Sopel backed this up, commenting of Connery's experience during filming:

“He had a darn good time doing it. He certainly had a whale of a time the eight weeks we shot in the States.”

Associate Producer Stanley Sopel (left) was instrumental in convincing Connery (right) to return to the role, despite the actor feeling he had been mistreated by Saltzman and Broccoli (centre).

And Jill St. John, who played Tiffany Case, remembered him as a generous co-star:

“He's a very good pal to have as your leading man. To be his co-star is to feel almost protected.”

Following Connery's passing, St John opined: "Sean made playing Bond look effortless, that was his art. He never just phoned it in, he just did his part perfectly."

Still Creative, Still Collaborative

Connery didn’t just act; he contributed. Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz recalled that Connery’s return hinged on the quality of the script:

“I was supposed to do 40 pages in two weeks and send them to Sean Connery. I worked with Guy [Hamilton] and I did them, and Sean said yes, he would come back, based on those 40 pages.”

The cover of Mankiewicz's Revised First Draft, dated 24th February 1971. This may have been the draft sent to Connery, whose return to the role was officially announced on the 1st March 1971.

Connery had already been offered a staggering £1.25 million salary, and yet he reportedly took a week to make his decision. That he held off until seeing the script; and ultimately agreed based on those 40 pages; speaks volumes about his continued care for the character. He didn’t hate Bond. What he disliked was being defined solely as Bond. But the role itself? He respected it, and wanted to ensure it was being done properly.

Co-writer Tom Mankiewicz, who Connery referred to affectionately as "boyo". 

Tom Mankiewicz also remembered Connery's respect for the writing process in another moment of collaboration:

“Sean said to me: ‘You know, it [Plenty O'Toole's name] kind of refers to a male organ. Would you mind if I said ‘Named after your father maybe’?’ I said that it was a great line. But just the fact that he asked me—I was [only] 27—shows you the way he approached his job.”

Guy Hamilton directs Connery on location inside the Las Vegas Riviera Hotel & Casino.

Director Guy Hamilton backed this shift in tone, saying of Connery’s return:

“Fundamentally [Connery] agreed Bond must be exaggerated, expanded, after the kind of saturnine presence of before, especially On Her Majesty's Secret Service.”

While that comment may raise eyebrows among fans of OHMSS today, it reflects the thinking at the time; when that film was not as universally praised as it is now. Hamilton’s words confirm that Connery was not just playing Bond again; he was helping redefine him for a new tone.

Performance Highlights That Show Connery at His Most Playful

If Diamonds Are Forever has one clear takeaway when it comes to Connery’s performance, it’s that he’s having fun; and he wants the audience to have fun too. The “weary, slow-moving” label simply doesn’t hold up when you look at his screen presence across the film. What you get instead is a Bond performance filled with confidence, wit, and just enough cynicism to suit the film’s darker edges.

BOND: "You are English?" FRANKS: "Yes, I'm English." 

One of Connery’s best tools in Diamonds is his mastery of undercover scenes. Take the moment when Bond is walking into the elevator with the real Peter Franks, building up to their brutal fight. Connery’s Bond pretends to be German, replying stiffly in a forced accent, “I speak English!” It’s subtle, silly, and perfect; it shows Bond buying time, and Connery gives it just the right comic spin without breaking the moment’s tension.

Later, when Bond is fully impersonating Franks, Connery hams up the part with delightful irony; especially at Amsterdam Airport, where he tells a flight attendant with mock grief:

“We were inseparable, you know.”

It’s such a dryly theatrical moment that it’s hard not to smile, and it showcases Connery’s ability to go big in the right way when the tone allows it.

He’s equally charming in more traditional Bond scenes. When he meets Plenty O’Toole (played by Lana Wood) at the casino, Connery exudes relaxed swagger.

 Connery’s Bond charms and teases, fully in control.

After winning big, he casually hands her a wad of cash and prepares to leave. When she tags along, gushing, “You’re a terrific guy… a little weird, but a terrific guy,” he reacts with amused indifference, as if this is just part of the job. The whole exchange recalls earlier Connery-Bond moments with femme fatales like Miss Taro in Dr. No or Fiona Volpe in Thunderball. The chemistry may be playful, and Plenty isn't a villainess, but Bond is always in control; and Connery knows exactly how to project that.

Visible concern and anger show Connery’s Bond was still emotionally engaged.

His physical reactions are just as sharp. When Plenty is suddenly hurled out of the hotel window by gangsters, Connery makes Bond’s horror believable. The quick dash to the window, the visible relief when she lands in the pool, and the shift to visible anger when one thug mutters, “I didn’t know there was a pool down there,” all happen in seconds. It’s a textbook moment of Connery acting; not as a superhero, but as a spy who’s appalled by casual cruelty.

Later, when Bond finds Tiffany Case in his bed; having taken Plenty’s place; he quips, “Well, the evening may not be a total loss after all…”

Connery delivers it with effortless cool and a cheeky glint in his eye. It's pure Bond, but it’s also pure Connery.

And then there’s the finale on Blofeld’s oil rig. As Bond gleefully uses a crane to smash Blofeld’s Bathosub into the control centre, Connery is visibly having a ball. In the close-ups of him at the controls, his grin is broad, mischievous, and completely infectious.

Proof of the joy he experienced in playing the role again.

It’s one of the clearest visual pieces of evidence that he enjoyed filming the movie—and that his Bond was as alive and engaged as ever.

There are countless other examples; the elevator fight, the banter with Tiffany in her Amsterdam flat, and one particularly slick stunt near the end of the Techtronics escape. As Bond dismounts a stolen ATV (still moving) and runs toward Tiffany's waiting Ford Mustang, Connery pulls off the sequence in a single fluid motion, delivering the line:

“Get in the car! If you see a mad professor in a minibus, just smile.”

Cool, confident, and in total command.

It’s a small but telling moment; pure Bond: quick-thinking, agile, dryly funny. And it's executed with the ease and athleticism of an actor completely comfortable in the role.

For many fans, Diamonds Are Forever might not be the most serious Bond entry; but Connery’s twinkle-in-the-eye performance is arguably one of the most entertaining in the whole series. It’s a masterclass in tonal control, comic timing, and still-simmering danger.

The Final Word: Cubby Broccoli

Perhaps the most definitive defence came from Cubby Broccoli himself, who worked with Connery from the very start:

“The odd critic complained that Sean ‘walked’ through the picture, didn’t give the production all he had. I refute this. He may have had his faults, but Sean is too much the professional to short-change himself, let alone us, as an actor.”

A satirical cartoon published around the release of Diamonds Are Forever in 1971, poking fun at Connery’s age and weight. While humorous, it reflects a growing narrative that Connery was no longer physically suited to play Bond; an idea that ignores the commitment and charisma he still brought to the role.

It’s a fitting summation. Connery’s Bond in Diamonds Are Forever is older, more ironic, and more self-aware; but not diminished. He meets the film’s sardonic tone with dry wit, controlled menace, and total command of the role he helped define.

Connery photographed outside the Elrod House. Even in a pale suit and pink tie, often criticised; he radiates Bond’s quiet confidence.

Never Say Never Again – A Strong Return Against the Odds

When Sean Connery returned to the role of James Bond in 1983’s Never Say Never Again, it wasn’t as part of the "official" EON series, but as the star of an independently produced remake of Thunderball. At 52 years old, Connery might have seemed an unlikely candidate to don the tuxedo again.

Interestingly, this time Connery’s performance drew less criticism than in his earlier return for Diamonds Are Forever. In fact, many fans have remarked that he looks leaner and more physically fit in Never Say Never Again than he did in 1971. While that’s true, the greater takeaway is this: despite a far more chaotic and unpleasant production experience, Connery’s Bond remained sharp, funny, and in command.

A Difficult Shoot, A Committed Performance

Behind the scenes, the production of Never Say Never Again was fraught with tension. Connery’s working relationship with producer Jack Schwartzman was notoriously poor, with the actor often stepping in to steady a production he felt was teetering.

Speaking candidly at the National Film Theatre in 1983 while promoting the film, Connery said:

“When you get into a situation where somebody who is totally incompetent is in charge, a real ass, then everything is a struggle. [...] What I could have done is just let it [the film] bury itself.”

Once again with creative control and input, Connery chose Irvin Kershner as the film's director after his first choice, Richard Donner, declined the offer.

Director Irvin Kershner recalled Connery’s influence during production:

“[Connery] frequently came up with bits of dialogue which made an important difference. We talked about each scene endlessly before and during shooting [...] he actually created the role, so it would have been silly not to use his input.”

These quotes are especially telling. Connery had every reason to disengage; he had no contractual obligation to the Bond brand, was working outside the familiar EON system, and was battling a chaotic shoot led by someone he considered unfit to manage the film. And yet, he didn’t let it bury itself. Instead, he stayed the course, working closely with Irvin Kershner and especially assistant director David Tomblin, to keep the film afloat, crafting the script and delivering a performance that remains one of the most widely praised elements of the production.

Performance Highlights: Flippant, Focused, and Fun

Even critics who don’t rate Never Say Never Again highly tend to agree that Connery himself is in fine form. He brings his trademark cool, sarcasm, and self-assured presence to a film that might otherwise wobble without him.

Take the moment Bond first meets Fatima Blush, who soaks him with a dramatic waterskiing stunt before landing theatrically in his arms. She gasps, “I made you all wet!” and Connery, barely fazed, replies:

“Yes, but my martini is still dry.”

It’s pure Connery; cool under pressure, witty without forcing it, and charming without ever seeming to try too hard.

Later, in a wonderfully absurd scene, Fatima holds Bond at gunpoint after a motorbike chase, demanding he write a note confessing that she was his best lover. Connery plays it completely deadpan, drawing out her instability with lines like:

“Well, there was this girl in Philadelphia…”

Even under threat, Connery keeps it playful.

His relaxed tone and amused deflection make the scene work beautifully, even as the film around it teeters into cartoonish territory.

Another highlight comes after Bond wins the bizarre video game “Domination” against Largo. As a reward, he asks for a dance with Domino. When Largo asks, “So, do you lose as gracefully as you win?” Connery delivers the perfect mic-drop line:

“I wouldn’t know; I’ve never lost.”

“I’ve never lost”—a line only Connery could deliver like this.

These moments shine because they’re delivered with such casual control. Connery doesn’t push; he just is Bond. Even if the film around him is uneven, he anchors it with charm and consistency.

In a film where the editing is occasionally disjointed and the pacing uneven, Connery provides the through-line. His performance is steady, charismatic, and joyfully in command.

Between the Stills: A Man, Not a Myth

One recurring issue when evaluating Sean Connery’s performances as Bond; particularly in You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever; is the tendency to draw sweeping conclusions from a handful of behind-the-scenes photos or anecdotes. It’s true that there are images of Connery on set looking visibly tired or irritable, such as a Japanese press still taken at Kobe Docks during the filming of You Only Live Twice. In it, he sits in partial shadow, shirt sleeves rolled, expression serious, almost defiant; an image often used to imply dissatisfaction or even contempt for the role.

A still easily misused to suggest Connery's total disengagement...

But context matters.

There are also dozens of stills from both films showing Connery smiling, joking with cast and crew, sharing birthday cake on location, talking with Cubby Broccoli, and even laughing on set beside actors and extras. There are warm moments captured with Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama, Jill St. John and Lana Wood, as well as affectionate stills with crew members. These images are just as real, just as authentic; and just as telling.

...but the full story shows joy, too.

Connery’s relationship with Bond, and with the producers, wasn’t a straight line. It had peaks and valleys. Some days were joyful; others were tense. But that doesn't make him unprofessional. It makes him human. And too often, the myth of the “reluctant Bond” is based on cherry-picked photos or out-of-context remarks rather than a balanced view of the working environment across months of production.

Judging by photos like this, Connery's relationship with Cubby Broccoli, though heavily strained by the mid-60s, was not always acrimonious.

Understanding Connery’s Bond-era career means accepting this complexity. It’s not about denying the strain he felt, but acknowledging the full picture: the man who occasionally clashed with his bosses was the same man who danced with co-stars, improvised on set, and trained for weeks to sell a fight scene.

Conclusion: Reappraising Connery’s Bond With Fresh Eyes

Sean Connery’s legacy as Bond is often narrowly defined. For many, his “classic” performances ended with Goldfinger or Thunderball, and everything after that is seen through the fog of fatigue, contract disputes, or a changing cinematic landscape. Yet a closer, more compassionate look reveals a different truth.

Connery’s time as James Bond had its difficulties. He was not always comfortable with fame, nor with the growing scale of the productions that swirled around him. But what emerges from the testimonies of directors, co-stars, producers, and Connery himself is a portrait of an actor who cared; about the character, about the quality of the work, and about his role in shaping a pop culture phenomenon.

In You Only Live Twice, his performance was quieter, more internalised; not a sign of disengagement, but of experience. In Diamonds Are Forever, he navigated a campier, more ironic script with dry wit and sharp timing, never missing a beat even when the tone drifted from the serious spycraft of earlier films. And in Never Say Never Again, under far worse conditions than any of his EON Bond films, he still delivered a Bond who was older, wiser, and yet unmistakably dangerous.

The idea that Sean Connery stopped trying is a myth born of selective memory and out-of-context moments. The image of him looking exhausted on set should be weighed against the dozens of moments where he’s laughing, training, improvising, collaborating; and delivering unforgettable performances. He was a professional. A performer with control and presence. Whether the tone was exotic spectacle, crime caper, or something else, Connery always calibrated his Bond to meet the moment.

Still charismatic, still Bond; just with more layers.

To appreciate Connery’s full contribution to the Bond legacy is to watch these later performances with open eyes and without preconception. You’ll find an actor still in command, still charismatic, and still unmistakably 007.

"I don't think a single other role changes a man quite as much as Bond. It's a cross, a privilege, a joke, a challenge, and as bloody intrusive as a nightmare. Fortunately, the Bond character is so much larger than life that there is always fun in the role." - Sean Connery, 1971

Postscript: A Note on Additional Perspectives

Since publishing this article, I’ve had the opportunity to read Graham Thomas’s book The Definitive Story of You Only Live Twice: Fleming, Bond and Connery in Japan. While I haven’t changed my view; I still believe Connery gave a strong performance in You Only Live Twice, and that the popular image of him “phoning it in” is misguided; I do feel it's worth acknowledging some additional insights that lend more nuance to the broader picture.

Thomas presents several contemporary quotes that make clear just how difficult Connery’s experience was during the 1966–67 production. At a Tokyo press conference, for example, Connery stated bluntly:

“I definitely want to quit. I've been working since 007 started. I can't beat it. I hate being equated with James Bond. My name is Sean Connery.”

Connery with Mie Hama and Akiko Wakabayashi during the Tokyo press conference, 29 July 1966. Though composed in appearance, he was visibly jet-lagged and weary, having arrived in Japan just two days earlier. En-route to Japan, he publicly announced his intention to leave the role of James Bond.

Thomas also cites Roald Dahl critiquing Connery’s performance, claiming it lacked nuance because he "walked through it"; though it should be noted that Dahl had a strained relationship with Connery and was not exactly an impartial observer.

In fact, Dahl seems to have taken issue with Connery’s off-camera distance, later commenting:

“Nobody ever got close to Sean, you know. [...] He never stood anyone a round. He is, in my opinion, not an attractive personality.”

That sentiment was echoed (though more wryly) by Assistant Director Richard Jenkins, who worked on multiple Bond films including You Only Live Twice. In The Battle for Bond by Robert Sellers, Jenkins recalled:

“We got on OK, but I never particularly liked him. [...] Sean was not a generous man at all. [...] But as an actor in that part, he was absolutely terrific, absolutely right for it.”

As I noted in the main article, not everyone who worked with Connery felt negatively about him; Assistant Directors like William Cartlidge and Kazuto Kawabe shared much warmer memories.

It’s also worth recognising that Connery was, by many accounts, a naturally private man—focused, reserved, and sometimes guarded on set.

Between takes on You Only Live Twice, Connery reads an issue of Variety. Photos like this reflect his reserved, inward-facing demeanour; focused on his work, rather than on creating a persona for those around him.

For some collaborators, particularly those who expected a more sociable or performative temperament, this could be misread as aloofness or ego. But being introverted is not the same as being indifferent, and by all credible accounts, Connery took his craft seriously, even when he no longer had enthusiasm for the spotlight that came with it.

The negative reflections do not fundamentally alter the thesis of this article. Instead, they help round out a more complex portrait of Connery’s temperament, both during You Only Live Twice and across his Bond career.

Despite his frustrations, fatigue, or desire to leave the role; Connery remained committed to delivering strong performances. He was, as certain collaborators have noted, “too much the professional” to short-change the audience.

This is something Connery himself attested to in a 1967 interview with F. Lee Bailey. Speaking frankly after completing You Only Live Twice, he acknowledged the repetitiveness of the role and the pressure of a long production, but insisted:

“I was reasonably sharp. [...] You've got to cater a bit for the aficionados [...] who get the little quirks and things. It has to be a bit more subtle, a bit more edged humour.”

Connery may have been done with Bond off-screen; but when the cameras rolled, he still showed up to entertain.

Updated in June 2025

FURTHER READING

This article was inspired in part by my own work on “Diamonds Reimagined,” a fan-made reconstruction of Connery’s return to Bond in 1971. You can read more about that project here.

Many of the quotes and anecdotes featured in this article can be in found in the excellent Special Issue of MI6 Confidential; Sean Connery: A James Bond Journey. As of May 2025, there are still copies available to order.

You can also find some of these quotes in Some Kind of Hero: The Making of the James Bond Films, which was written and researched by the same authors: Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdury.

Other quotes came from The James Bond Archives, edited by Paul Duncan. I especially reccommend this as a resource for anybody interested in the timelines of the making of the Bond films. There are some stories in here which are familiar, but also ones I'd never heard of.

The quote from Tom Mankiewicz about Connery suggesting the "Named after your father, perhaps?" line I found in the free e-book Scripting 007, available to download via this link on the website commander007.net.

The full interview with You Only Live Twice's Japanese assistant director Kazuto Kawabe on his memories of Sean Connery can be read here.

I'd like to give additional credit to the fantastic archive site thunderballs.org, from which I sourced most of the production stills and behind the scenes photographs featured in this article. I always keep coming back to it for inspiration when working on Diamonds Reimagined.