Sean Connery

Though he was already established as an actor on the rise, Sean Connery blasted into international stardom when he surpassed several other name actors to become James Bond for the first installment of the decades-long spy franchise, "Dr. No" (1962). Suave and debonair, but also deadly, Connery exuded charm and appeal as MI6 agent 007, which helped make "Dr. No" a giant box office hit in both its native England and the United States. He reprised the role a total of seven times in three different decades, including the models for all other Bond films to follow, "From Russia with Love" (1963) and "Goldfinger" (1964). Though he bowed out of the role in 1967 following "You Only Live Twice," he returned for a big payday with "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), after which he famously vowed never to play the role again. He appeared in numerous additioanl films in the ensuing years - "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974), "A Bridge Too Far" (1977) and "Time Bandits" (1981) chief among them - and ended up reprising the role one last time for the unofficial Bond movie "Never Say Never Again" (1983), which was, as usual, a giant box office hit. Connery was primed to take his career to the next level, which he did when he won an Academy Award for his role as a gruff old Irish cop in "The Untouchables" (1987). He followed with a memorable performance as the senior Dr. Henry Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) while turning in a fine performance as a defecting Russian submarine commander in "The Hunt for Red October" (1990). Through the years, Connery turned in performances that were surprising in both their variety and subtlety, which only assured his place in cinema history as one of its finest and most publicly beloved actors.