Sean Connery receives doctorate in recognition of glittering film career

Published on Friday 19 June 2009 15:13

James Bond star Sir Sean Connery was awarded an honorary doctorate today for personal achievement in his glittering career.

The Oscar-winning Scot collected the "splendid honour" at a ceremony at Edinburgh Napier University, just a few miles from the school he left aged 13.

Sir Sean, whose life famously took him from a local milk round to international stardom as James Bond, was accompanied by his wife Micheline.

In a short, speech, Sir Sean, 78, said he had been on a "long and winding road".

"I know I could not be standing here today receiving this splendid honour if I had not learned to read and write at the age of five," he said.

"What is interesting in all of this is that I never realised it until I was in my 70s.

"Being able to read and write was key to almost everything I've done in my life."

Sir Sean, who grew up in Edinburgh's Fountainbridge area, is a patron of the Screen Academy Scotland, a joint venture between Napier and Edinburgh College of Arts (ECA) to educate and train film-making talent.

The actor has featured in more than 60 films, including a role in The Untouchables, for which he won an Academy Award.

Sir Sean, wearing, red, white and blue robes, a white bow tie and tartan trews, earlier laughed along as a montage of film clips was shown on three screens in the university's Turmeau Hall.

Officially awarding the Honorary Doctorate of the Universi

ty, principal Dame Joan Stringer said Sir Sean was an inspiration to future graduates.

She said: "As one of Scotland's most iconic and charismatic actors, Sir Sean remains for many the only candidate worthy of the title 'greatest living Scot'.

"It is a weighty responsibility to shoulder, even for a man whose fame and popularity stretches far beyond these shores, but one that has never diluted his passion and affection for his homeland."

Professor Robin MacPherson, director of the Skillset Screen and media academy at the university, highlighted Sir Sean's path to fame.

Describing the star's more humble beginnings at an Edinburgh dairy, he said: "Quickly promoted, he was given responsibility for his first horse, a Highland pony called Tich, to whom he quickly became devoted, entering her in the annual competition for best-dressed horse and gaining a highly-commended award – the first and no doubt the most modest of the many award ceremonies to feature in his heavily-garlanded career."