"Of course the films will go on, but who'll play me?" he once said of Bond. October 31, 2020, 1:08 PM • 7 min read Sir Sean Connery, the Academy Award-winning actor famous for playing James Bond, has died, the franchise confirmed Saturday. He was 90 years old. Born Thomas Sean Connery in 1930 in Scotland, the eventual big screen star quit school at an early age and later joined the Royal Navy.