He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. 

Yet, from his early acting days until his first superstar role, Sean’s stardom was certainly not an over-night success story. 

From his first work in modelling, bit theatrical parts, and chorus appearances, it was almost eight years before he was cast opposite Lana Turner in 1958’s film ‘Another Time, Another Place.’ 

It would be another four years before he first uttered those unforgettable words, “Bond, James Bond.”  

Many critics and fans alike have said that the quality of his acting has only improved with age. Certainly his personal appeal has. 

In 1989, at almost 60 years of age he was voted People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.”

Getting started in theatre in his mid 20’s Sean never considered himself an aspiring serious actor until Robert Henderon a veteran American actor/director introduced Sean to the works of Henrik Iben, Marcel Proust, Tolstoy, Bernard Shaw and eventually Shakespeare. 

Sean wasted no time devouring these literary works and he studied them assiduously and always with a dictionary handy by his side. 

He went on to read Stanislavski’s ‘An Actor Prepares and My Life in Art continuing to learn his stagecraft and improving his literary knowledge. 

Later, having been contracted under Fox Sean felt like a man walking through a swamp in a bad dream. And with his success with Bond it spelt the end of what would be the prostitution phase of his career. 

People said how lucky Sean was to get the Bond part but that truly wasn’t the case. He started off with a Scots accent that was so thick it was like a foreign language. 

He cured himself of that by the amount of study that he took. He worked and sweated blood in theatrical plays and various film acting roles until he got his break. 

As the saying goes everybody gets their chance and the thing is to be ready – like Sean was. 

Which bring me to a story that is very relevant to the adage of luck is what you make of it. 

When Neil Connery, Sean’s younger brother, decided to star in his first acting role in ‘Operation Kid Brother’ a spy parody of the previous Bond films his older brother starred in. The film failed to make its mark and bombed at the box office. 

Having done a couple of more roles that didn’t get him any further notice Neil wasn’t sure whether he should proceed in the acting game and his brother, Sean, gave him the following advice 

‘Either shit or get off the pot’ which tellingly explained what his younger brother had to do. 

Of course, his younger brother never got to become as successful as his older brother which perhaps goes to show that the pot might have just been too big for his derriere – in other words he wasn’t as committed to the path as Sean was to begin with.

So, what made these two men distinctively different? was it hard work? grafting? putting in the effort? Or just having talent? You could say it entails some of those elements. 

But more than anything it’s about being persistent, determined and resolute to see things through and to put our butts on the seat when it’s required and get, pardon my French, shit done!  

If one can’t be bothered to sit long enough to do what’s required then move on. 

It’s about deciding to do something and sticking with it no matter what. 

It’s about not pussy footing around and wasting valuable time. 

It’s about being fully invested, committed 100 per cent and going all the way. 

Committed to the path.

Committed to being consistent 

Committed to being potty trained 

So, let’s start showing some commitment to what it is we want to do in our lives, to not concede, but to commit like Sean did all these years well into his 70’s and still be considered one of the sexiest men of his generation. 

Sean said, Love, Work and knowledge are the well springs of our life. They should also govern it. 

Not bad for being potty trained Sean.