This Heartwarming Story Will Make You Love Sean Connery Even More
As of this writing, the world is still in mourning of the loss of one of Hollywood's brightest stars: Sir Sean Connery. He breathed his last breath on October 31, 2020, at the age of 90, bringing to an end his incredible and highly influential life. As a byproduct of his passing, fans from all over the world are coming together to recall his countless big-screen appearances, and the impact his characters had on so many over his 50-year career. From the mysteriously dead Professor Henry Jones Sr. to his Oscar-winning turn as Commissioner Jim Malone, he left an indelible mark on moviegoers in some way or another.
Even though he was, for decades, a larger-than-life presence in pop culture, you have to keep in mind that behind that persona was a human being with a life, a family, and, most of all, a heart. As evidenced by the many heartfelt messages coming out after his death, he meant so much to the people lucky enough to know him in and out of the industry, and they'll miss him dearly. He's remembered as a talented, kind, and consummately professional man away from cameras, who took his craft seriously and treated his colleagues with the utmost respect on set.
One of the most touching personal anecdotes about the late actor came from Untouchables screenwriter David Mamet, who shared a lovely story about Connery's unending kindness.
Connery called Mamet's cousin to cheer her up
On the day of Sean Connery's passing, David Mamet sat down with The Hollywood Reporter and shared a tale about him shortly after they wrapped up The Untouchables together. As he recalled, during post-production, the former James Bond actor went off to Majorca, and the two scheduled a time to speak over the phone. Prior to their chat, Mamet took a call from his cousin from Ohio, who was dealing with "a failed marriage, a husband who'd just lost his job, and, no doubt, the attendant kids down sick."
According to Mamet, his cousin was in a very bad place because of everything going on around her. "She was beyond despair. I told her I'd have to get off the phone as I was expecting a call from Sean Connery, and I'd call her back after the business call," to which she requested that he "give him [her] love," almost pleading with him, saying "please; I adore him. Tell him first thing." She was a big fan of the Scottish actor and very much wanted him to know, and this was her best chance of getting through to him.
Thankfully for her, Mamet was more than willing to quickly relay the message. "Then Sean called. I said, 'My cousin adores you.' He asked about her, and I sighed and told him the tale of her troubles," he said, and Connery's response couldn't have been any kinder. "What's her number?" he asked, and the screenwriter gave it to him, then "he rang off, called her in Ohio, and chatted for half an hour."
The personal struggles of David Mamet's cousin clearly moved Connery, and he knew that giving her a ring would make her day and, hopefully, lift her spirits for a time. That's just the kind of man he was — if he could help someone out, or do anything to fix up a bad situation, he would without hesitation. People like Sean Connery are few and far between in this world, and, sadly, with his demise, they've become even rarer.