Of Course you are

The suave fellow above is one Sean Connery, playing the role that made him both famous (good for him), and my hero of this particular day (good for me). However, as with most days in this rotten, heat addled month, today is not M. Connery's birthday. He was born August 30th, 1930 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The son of a cleaning lady, and a lorry driver, young Sean started his working life as a milkman before joining the Royal Navy. It was while in the navy that he got his two tattoos (same number as I have), his read simply "Mum and Dad", and "Scotland Forever."

As as young lad he was a fair hand at football, and was offered a trial at a decent Scottish club (if there be such a thing), but realized that footballers have a very short shelf life, and decided to stick with the acting gig. Good thing for the history of film that he did. His big break came in 1962's "Dr. No" when he played (to perfection) the role of secret agent James Bond. He went on to play Bond in seven films, including the first five. At first, he was not Ian Fleming's idea of James Bond, being a bit too much like a "stunt man" than a suave secret agent. The story goes that it was director Terence Young that taught Connery how to "be" Bond, if so, he did a damn fine job. Connery is by far my favourite Bond, and delivers one of the best lines ever (in "Diamonds are Forever') when he responds to the well endowed Plenty O'Toole's introduction of herself as "I'm Plenty O'Toole" with the laconic "Of course you are." It is a great line, and Connery plays it to perfection. He might be almost 80 years old now, and looking a little rough, but he will always be the image that I pull up in my mind of James Bond.

He went to make a lot more lovely films, and to play some pretty damn fine roles. Even winning an Academy Award for his role in "The Untouchables", but it is for those seven Bond films that he is, and remains my hero. So, even though it isn't his birthday, and Sir Sean hasn't played Bond in decades, it is for being the suave, cool, James Bond that Sean Connery (August 30th, 1930-present), you are my (340th) hero of the day.