Eight of Sir Sean Connery's best film performances – from 'Goldfinger' to 'The Untouchables'

Beloved Scottish 'James Bond' actor died on Saturday, aged 90

Sean Connery in Cannes, France on May 24, 1965. Getty Images

Sean Connery and Dirk Bogarde in A Bridge Too Far, 1977. Reuters

Actor Sean Connery and his son Jason on the set of the latter's play, April 16th 1988. Getty Images

Actor Sean Connery accepts the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 53rd Annual Golden Globes Awards. Getty Images

Sean Connery in his most famous role as 007, in Goldfinger, 1964. Getty Images

Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice, 1967. Reuters

Sean Connery in Woman of Straw, 1964. United Artists/Reuters

Sean Connery played Indiana Jones's (Harrison Ford) father in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Getty Images

Sean Connery and Claudine Auger in Thunderball, 1965. Reuters

Sean Connery arriving with his wife Micheline at New York's famed Avery Fisher Hall for the Film Society of Lincoln Centre's gala tribute to Connery and his film career. Reuters

Sean Connery and Christian Slater in The Name of the Rose, 1986 Reuters

Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery in Marnie, 1964. Reuters

French actress Brigitte Bardot and Sean Connery pose for a publicity shot during their first meeting in France before filming Shalako, 1968. Getty Images

Sean Connery during the filming of Goldfinger, 1964. Reuters

Sean Connery holds up his Oscar after winning the Best Supporting Actor at the 60th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, April 11, 1988. Reuters

Sean Connery and actress Lana Turner, who appear together in the film Another Time Another Place, arrive at London King's Cross Station. Reuters

Sean Connery arriving with his then-wife, actress Diane Cilento, for the premiere of You Only Live Twice at the Odeon, Leicester Square, 1967. Reuters

Sean Connery and Michael Caine at an awards night, circa 1985. Reuters

The Princess of Wales greeting Sean Connery at the premiere of The Hunt for Red October at the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square, 1990. Reuters

Sean Connery signs autographs for fans at the premiere of Playing By Heart in Los Angeles, 1998. Reuters

Sean Connery and Swiss actress Ursula Andress pose together in a promotional still for the film Dr. No directed by Terence Young, 1962. Getty Images

Sean Connery and Princess Paola of Belgium arrive for the premiere of the film Sahlako on October 31, 1968 in Belgium. AFP

Actor Sean Connery accepts his award during the 34th AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Sir Sean Connery held at the Kodak Theatre on June 8, 2006 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images

Actor Sean Connery and wife Micheline Connery attend the 76th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre on February 29, 2004 in Hollywood, California. AFP

Michael Caine as Peachy Carnehan and Sean Connery as Daniel Dravot in the film The Man Who Would Be King, 1975. Getty Images

Sean Connery talks with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at the State Department in Washington, DC in December 1999 following a dinner for the Kennedy Centre Honorees. AFP

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery pose for photographers during the photocall of American movie directed by Jon Amiel Entrapment on May 14, 1999 in Cannes. AFP

Kennedy Centre Honoree Sean Connery applauds US President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton upon their arrival at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC, 1999. AFP

Sir Sean Connery poses during a photo call at the 4th Marrakesh International Film Festival, on December 8, 2004. AFP

Audrey Hepburn, Sean Connery and Jeanne Moreau at Le Fouquet's à Paris restaurants, for the Cesars on March 7, 1987. AFP

Actors Sean Connery and Kyle MacLachlan attend the "Dressed To Kilt" fashion show celebrating Tartan Week and benefiting The Friends of Scotland, at Sotheby's April 5, 2004, in New York City. Getty Images

Sean Connery is seen backstage at the 75th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California on March 23, 2003. AFP

Actor Sean Connery and his then-wife American actress Diane Cilento are presented to Princess Margaret on February, 15, 1965, during the Royal Film Performance of Lord Jim. AFP

Sean Connery celebrates his special Bafta Award for a Lifetime's Contribution to the British Cinema with fellow Scot Billy Connolly at the Bafta Awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on April 19, 1998. AFP

Actor Sean Connery and model Jerry Hall at a restaurant, April 21st 1987. Getty Images

He may have been best known as the original James Bond, but Scottish actor Sir Sean Connery had a long and decorated career. He stepped into Bond's tuxedo seven times, but starred in more than 67 films throughout his career which spanned 58 years.

With an Oscar, three Golden Globes and two Baftas in his awards cabinet, as well as a number of honours, including France's Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters and a knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in 2000, Connery was one of the most celebrated actors in British history.

His death was announced by his son, Jason, who said his father died peacefully in his sleep in the Bahamas on October 31, having been “unwell for some time”.

“A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor,” he told the BBC.

Since news of his death broke, many Hollywood stars have paid tribute to the late actor, including fellow James Bond stars Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, and screen heroes Michael Caine and Nicolas Cage.

Here, we look at eight of the best Sean Connery films, to celebrate his life on-screen.

'The Untouchables' (1987) 

The Untouchables cast list reads like a who's who of male Hollywood greats, with Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro and, of course, Connery all on the bill. Harking back to America's Prohibition era, federal agent Eliot Ness (Costner) sets his sights on stopping Chicago gangster Al Capone (De Niro), with a small handpicked team that includes Jimmy Malone (Connery). In 1987, Connery won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role in the film.

'Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade' (1989)

Starring opposite Harrison Ford as Professor Henry Jones, the famed adventurer's father, the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise is a lighter take on the action movie. Set in 1938, after Professor Jones goes missing on the hunt for the Holy Grail, it is an classic of the genre.

'The Man Who Would Be King' (1975)

Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, Connery and Michael Caine play Danny Dravot and Peachy Carnehan, two former British soldiers who travel to the isolated land of Kafiristan. The pair are revered as rulers of the land, but they can't keep the deception up forever.

'The Rock' (1996)

Along with former British spy John Patrick Mason (Connery), meek FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed (Cage) is sent on an urgent mission to stop a nerve gas attack on San Francisco from Alcatraz Island.

'The Hunt for Red October' (1990)

Based on a Tom Clancy novel, this high-suspense film tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius (Connery) as he turns on his orders and makes his way to the east coast of the US in his virtually invisible submarine, Red October. However, when an American sub briefly detects Ramius's presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) sets out to determine his motives.

'The Name of the Rose' (1986)

In the 14th century, renowned Franciscan monk William of Baskerville (Connery) and his apprentice, Adso of Melk (Christian Slater), travel to an abbey investigate a suspicious death. During the course of the investigation, several more monks wind up dead and they are forced to turn to Bernardo Gui (F Murray Abraham), William's nemesis, to get to the truth.

'Finding Forrester' (2000)

There is something of the Good Will Hunting about Finding Forrester, which tells the story of eccentric, reclusive novelist Forrester (Connery) and Jamal, a gifted athletic scholar, and their unlikely friendship. When the novelist discovers that the young athlete is also an excellent writer, he takes him on as his protege.

'Goldfinger' (1964)

We can't round up a list of Connery films without the mention of at least one James Bond. The third 007 film made, after Dr No (1962) and From Russia with Love (1963), many film critics consider this to be the film where the agent really found his stride. Packed with fast cars and gadgets, it is also the movie where that famous saying was first uttered: "A martini. Shaken, not stirred." In Goldfinger, Bond comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, who has his sights set on obliterating the world's economy.