Late Iconic 'James Bond' Actor Sean Connery Had Only One Son — Introducing Jason Connery

Jan 23, 2021 by apost team

James Bond actor and Scottish celebrity Sean Connery passed away on Oct. 31, 2020. He was mourned worldwide by the famous and fans alike. His tenure as Bond, the suave British superagent, was longer than any other actor's, lasting from 1962's "Dr. No" to 1983's "Never Say Never Again."

This man of mystery was sometimes quiet about certain personal matters, which is why you may never have heard of his son, Jason Connery. And you may not know that Jason Connery is also an actor of some repute. Jason Connery was born just one year after his father started his "James Bond" career.

Jason Connery was born to Sean Connery and his then-wife, Diane Cilento, about a year after they were married. Unfortunately, the union wouldn't last, and the couple divorced in 1973, just 11 years after it began.

It initially wasn't clear whether Jason Connery would follow in his famous father's footsteps. As a young child, he was accepted to an exclusive boarding school after winning a half scholarship for his swimming, according to IMDb. While there, he shattered the under-16 freestyle swimming record for southern England. He held onto that record for quite some time.

Jason Connery later attended the Gordonstoun School for boys in his native Scotland. It was there that the young man developed his love of theater and film. He even had some limited stints as a director. So, it wasn't just acting that drew him to the art form.

Jason Connery would then go on to be a professional in the business following his acceptance to the Perth Repertory Theatre in Scotland. He served as a minor player and assistant stage manager in his first six months with the company. But in 1985, he would get his break, playing Robin Hood in the British TV series "Robin of Sherwood." Interestingly, father Sean Connery had starred as the noble bandit in 1976's "Robin and Marian."

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From there, Jason Connery's career started to take off. He would act primarily in TV shows and miniseries through the early 2000s. Such roles included small, featured parts in series like "The Famous Five" (1997), the animated "Liberty's Kids" (2002) and "Smallville" (2001-2003).

He would play a major role in several animated series, including "Gadget and the Gadgetinis" (2001-2009), as well as a leading role in the miniseries "The Other Side of Paradise" (1992) and the aforementioned "The Famous Five." It seems he was as valued for his voice as he was the famous features so reminiscent of his father.

While Jason Connery continues to act to this day, he has also had a successful career as a director. He started behind the camera with the 2009 horror film "The Devil's Tomb." He has directed four other feature films: "Pandemic" (2009), "51" (2011), the boxing film "The Philly Kid" (2012) and the romantic drama "Tommy's Honour" (2016).

There are still more parallels between his and his father's life. Neither had much luck with their first marriages. In 1996, Jason Connery wedded actress Mia Sara, who had starred as Sloane Peterson in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986). In 1997, they had a son whom they named Dashiell Quinn Connery. That same year, the only movie they would appear together in, "Bullet to Beijing," was released. Unfortunately, the union was not to last, and the couple divorced in 2002.

Jason Connery reportedly attributes his thick skin and Hollywood survival skills to his parents' example. As everyone knows, show business can be unpredictable and cruel to the unprepared. Jason Connery has been able to adapt over the years, as his long resume proves. He can find his niche in one moment and then reinvent himself in the next.

Sean and Jason Connery never had much to say about their father-son relationship or parallel acting careers. This led to many rumors that their relationship was strained. There is also evidence that, when the elder Connery divorced Jason Connery's mother, Diane Cilento, in 1973, he cut Jason Connery out of his will. Jason Connery refutes these claims.

"I am truly sick of reading about my father and our relationship and of his being portrayed as some sort of monster or tyrant who rules my life by cutting me off from his wealth,'" he said in a statement to The Herald of Scotland. "This all could not be further from the truth."

He went on to say, "[My father] earned this money through, nothing but his own tireless hard work, and what he does with it and who he gives it to is completely up to him. He and I have never had a conversation where he said 'you will never receive a penny' or anything to that effect. That is simply a lie."

Both hardworking actors seem cut from the same cloth. It seems that Jason Connery loved his father, though he has seldom said so publicly. One exception was in the July 28, 2008, edition of The New York Daily News, when he said, "I honor, respect and love my father and for good reason. And not only do I resent these lies ... but I refuse to allow them to be perpetuated any longer."

As proof of this affection, Jason Connery's current partner, Fiona Ufton, posted a touching picture of herself, Sean Connery and Jason Connery together on the Bond actor's 89th birthday. The elder Connery, surrounded by family, is seen smiling. Ufton captions the Twitter post with a traditional Irish message: brethla shona dhuit ("happy birthday").

Father and son also appeared on the red carpet together periodically over the years. They supported each other, saw each other's movies and television shows and were friends as much as they were father and son. Upon his father's death, Jason Connery told the BBC and the Irish Post, "[It is] a sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor."

Sean Connery was surrounded by his family, including Jason Connery, when he passed away in his sleep in the early morning hours of October 31. His legacy will live on through his films, memories of his larger-than-life personality and his son, Jason Connery, who is clearly following in his father's footsteps while at the same time forging his own path.

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