Sean Connery, the Scottish actor who rose to international fame in his role as James Bond, has died. He was 90.

His death was confirmed by his family according to the BBC, who said that the actor had been unwell for some time and that he died while in his sleep in the Bahamas.

Considered to be one of the best actors of his time, Connery celebrated his 90th birthday in August.

Although he made his big screen debut in 1957, his breakthrough role came when he played Bond in 1962. In a poll earlier this year, Connery who played Bond in seven films, was voted the favourite actor to have portrayed the 007 agent.

Throughout his career he won an Oscar, two Baftas and three Golden Globes.

He starred in an Alfred Hitchcock film, Marnie, in 1964 and Sidney Lumet’s The Hill in 1965. In 1974 he starred in Murder on the Orient Express, also directed by Lumet.

He received the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The Untouchables in 1988. That following year, Connery starred in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, for which he received both Bafta and Golden Globe nominations.

In 2006, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute and it was during his acceptance of the award that the actor announced his retirement from acting. In 2012, he also received the Cecil B DeMille award for his work in cinema.

Thenationalnews