Sir Sean Connery announces taking a back seat involvement in Edinburgh Film Festival

Published on Friday 25 June 2010 00:10

HIS presence on the red carpet has helped bring a touch of Hollywood glamour to the Edinburgh International Film Festival while his work backstage has helped to make it a truly world-beating event.

But now Sir Sean Connery, who is 80 this year, has said he is scaling down his commitment – and may not be able to return to the city of his birth to attend the festival every year.

Yesterday, the EIFF confirmed that although the former Bond star would continue to be a patron to the Festival in name, he will be reducing his day-to-day involvement.

Film festival insiders say he will become one of a team of high-profile supporters, including Tilda Swinton, Robert Carlisle and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey.

Artistic director Hannah McGill said: "Sir Sean has been a devoted supporter of the festival and will remain a patron and a friend, but what he cannot do is continue to travel every year to the festival.

"We are extremely grateful for his patronage which has lasted nearly 20 years."

Sir Sean's agent, Nancy Selzer, confirmed from Los Angeles that Sir Sean had decided to scale down his involvement: "Yes, Sir Sean in fact made an emotional speech about his stay in Edinburgh declaring he was stepping down as patron."

Ginnie Atkinson, the former managing director of the EIFF who has described herself as Sir Sean's "aide de camp" in Edinburgh, announced her own decision to leave the festival earlier this year. She said at the gala showing of The Man Who Would Be King at the Festival Theatre: "It has been a perfect year. I am going on my horse over the horizon and Sir Sean seems to be coming too."

Earlier this year Ms McGill spoke about the importance of the hands-on role the highly respected actor has adopted towards the film festival – of which he has been a patron since 1992.

She said: "He always wants to come here to have fun and watch the movies and meet the film makers, and he is very supportive through the year.

"We always talk over any big decisions about the festival with him so he is a very active member of the crew as well as being a great kind of advocate and a great face for the festival."

She said it had been decided to stage a special gala screening of The Man Who Would Be King – thought by many to be Connery's greatest role – to honour his support for the EIFF and as a celebration of his career.

Sir Sean announced he had retired from acting in March 2006. However he returned as a voice actor, playing the title character in the animated short Sir Billi the Vet.

At the gala performance of The Man Who Would Be King, he was reunited with veteran actor Saeed Jaffrey, who appeared in the film as the Gurkha Billy Fish.

Sir Sean himself appeared emotional to be back on the stage at the Festival Theatre – where he said he appeared at the start of his acting career.

He recalled working as a lifeguard at Portobello Baths and as a life model at Edinburgh College of Art, and spoke of his continuing love for his French wife Micheline, whom he met while making the film.