Sir Sean Connery turned down iconic movie role that won another actor Oscar

Edinburgh Live

10 hours ago

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The legendary Sir Sean Connery, who left us in 2020 aged 90, might have scored a Best Actor Oscar had he not turned down a film role he found "disgusting".
The esteemed actor, celebrated for his portrayal of James Bond and an Academy Award-winning performance in The Untouchables, said no to several roles which later became iconic.
Among the leading parts Sean rejected was one in a film that bagged five Oscars. Despite this, fans largely agree the 'Goldfinger' star's choice to avoid this "disgusting" script was wise.
Loyal fans of Sean's work were concerned the Scotsman's powerful screen presence could have transformed the character too much instead of fitting into the nuanced thriller genre.
A recent reveal on the r/TodayILearned subreddit highlighted: "Of the various roles Sean Connery turned down, they included Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs, John Hammond in Jurassic Park, Morpheus in The Matrix, Dumbledore in Harry Potter, and Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Of the Hannibal part in particular, Connery felt it was too 'disgusting'."
Jonathan Demme, the acclaimed director behind The Silence of the Lambs, acknowledged the extensive efforts made to entice Sean to join the project, but to no avail.
(Image: Paul Harris, Getty Images)
Demme revealed that the legend was initially considered for the role, stating: "Sean Connery was the only other person I thought could be amazing for this. Connery has that fierce intelligence and also that serious physicality. I love Tony Hopkins, but Sean Connery could be amazing."
However, Sean turned down the part, reportedly finding it "disgusting". This rejection ultimately led to Anthony Hopkins taking on the iconic role of Hannibal Lecter.
Fans speculated about how Sean would have interpreted the character, but many are relieved he passed on the part. One social media user commented: "What's funny is that while may have passed on them, the actors who took them made them into iconic performances."
Others noted that his acting style might not have been well-suited to the role, with one user stating: "There are two types of actors: those who transform into their characters, and those who transform the characters into themselves."
They added: "Connery is the latter. He didn't transform into James Bond, Ramierz from Highlander, or the submarine commander from The Hunt for Red October; he was just Sean Connery in each of those roles. All those roles he turned down would've just been Sean Connery."
Many fans believe that Sean's decision to pass on certain roles ultimately allowed other actors to make them iconic. One user shared: "That's my takeaway every time this comes up. He passed on some iconic roles, but they probably wouldn't have become iconic in the first place had he NOT passed on them.
"I try and imagine him in those roles and it just doesn't fit. Sean Connery had star power but he's not the kind of actor who can do anything and become anyone, and that's fine."