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RSS FeedSean Connery's Hollywood fans are shaken n' stirred
“If Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then flattered you must be,” AFI Chair Sir Howard Stringer told Sir Sean Connery, the iconic Scottish actor best known for being Bond, James Bond. “Because at any moment in time, people around the world are doing Sean Connery impersonations.”
That was certainly true at AFI’s Life Achievement Award dinner at the Kodak Theatre Thursday. Almost everyone paying homage to Connery - Mike Myers, Tippi Hedren, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Andy Garcia, Craig Ferguson, “Deadwood’s” Ian McShane and Eddie Izzard - did their best (and often worst) Connery accent.
Connery’s “First Knight” costar Julia Ormond recalled that while the rest of the cast struggled in and out of period costumes, Connery had his fastened with Velcro so he could get to the golf course fast. And when she went to audition for Sabrina” with Harrison Ford, Connery gave her this advice: "Give him a Swiss kiss."
“What’s a Swiss kiss?" she asked. (Cue the accent) “It’s the same as a French kiss,” he replied. “Only you yodel.”
Pierce Brosnan recalled seeing “Goldfinger” at age 11 in London and finally meeting Connery after a dangerous fireball stunt in Brosnan’s first Bond flick. “We got the take and later on the lot, I ran into Sean who said (cue the accent), “I saw what you did. Pretty good. Are they paying you enough money?”
His “Untouchables” costar Garcia recalled Connery impatiently watching director David Mamet try to get Garcia to turn towards the camera so they could see his face. Cut the accent. “C’mon kid. Its not Hamlet,” Connery groused from off-set. Several takes later, Mamet whined, 'We still can’t see both your eyes.' Connery rolled his eyes and said (accent, please), “You saw both his eyes. They’re just very close together.”
But it wasn’t all impersonations...
Photo Credit: Sir Sean Connery - better known as James Bond - still the actor that men want to be and women want to be with - at the American Film Institute 34th Life Achievement Award.
WireImage/Gregg DeGuire
Mike Myers actually wore a kilt onstage. "People ask me if anything is worn under my kilt," he said. "I tell them 'No, everything is in fine working order."
Myers admitted having a “man crush” on Connery and also owes a huge debt to him. “No James Bond. No ”Austin Powers" and no private jet for me. No Sean Connery Scottish accent. No "Shrek" Scottish accent and no vacation home in the Hamptons for me.”
Ferguson spoke of Connery’s career impact on all young Scottish lads. “Because Sean Connery had lifted the crates too, we thought the first rung on the Hollywood ladder was delivering milk on a freezing cold Scottish winter morning.”
McShane, Connery’s pal for 30-odd years, told a disjointed story about them shooting a film in “fucking freezing” Norway, a stash of Bazookas, way too much blackberry brandy and some drunken guy going “oh-oh-seven” and poking Connery all night.
Welsh singer Tom Jones sang the theme from “Thunderball” while mini-skirted dancers in white go-go boots Frugged, Twisted and Watusied around the stage. And clips of Connery in his many films – from “Marnie,” “Robin and Marian,” “The Name of the Rose,” “The Man Who Would Be King,” and all his Bond films to his Oscar-winning role in The Untouchables” - were shown throughout the evening.
George Lucas cut his speech short saying he needed to go finish writing the new Indiana Jones movie that will hopefully reunite Connery and Harrison Ford as father and son. “As Harrison reminded me last year, ‘Indiana Jones’ father is getting pretty old. Come to think of so is Indiana Jones.”
Ford pretended to be baffled by the father/son casting, since Connery is only 12 years older. “Which means either he looks older than his age or I looker younger than mine,” he growled.
Finally, kilted Scots musicians played the bagpipes while Connery made the long walk through the wildly applauding audience to accept his award.He even danced a little jig to the music onstage.
“When I first heard about this I had no idea it was such a big deal,” Connery began. “But then I saw the list of people who have received it in the past and I began to get nervous, although not as nervous as I am at this moment.”
Visibly moved and yes, even misty-eyed, Connery continued: “I’m very happy to be here and happy that you are all here too. I’m more than pleased you liked my work. I must admit it looked pretty good from where I was sitting.”
Looked pretty good from where we were sitting too, Sir Sean. The AFI tribute to Connery will be telecast at 9 P.M. on the USA Network, June 21.
Photo Credit: Mike Myers' kilt was part of his AFI homage to Sir Sean Connery at the Kodak Theatre. And he swears "nothing is worn" under his kilt. "It's all working just fine." WireImage/Gregg Deguire
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