George Lucas Pays Tribute To Sean Connery

Long before he even joined the ensemble as the title hero’s estranged father, Sean Connery already had a huge influence on the Indiana Jones franchise. Steven Spielberg had always wanted to direct a James Bond movie, but when he and George Lucas decided to create their own globetrotting blockbuster based on their shared love of adventure serials, they decided that an homage would suffice.

Of course, the Bond films always start with a pre-credits action scene, which is something that the bearded duo lifted directly for Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s iconic opening salvo, while the fingerprints of Goldfinger and Dr. No are all over Temple of Doom‘s casino sequence. And so, when the decision was made to introduce Henry Jones Sr. in The Last Crusade, Spielberg and Lucas knew that there was only one man for the job.

Nobody else could have played Indiana Jones’ father other than 007 himself, and the chemistry generated by Harrison Ford and Sean Connery is off the charts, with their double act the highlight of the entire movie, despite the age difference between the two only being twelve years.

Yesterday, the creator of Star Wars paid tribute to the legendary actor following his passing by releasing a touching statement, which you can check out below.

“Sir Sean Connery, through his talent and drive, left an indelible mark in cinematic history. His audiences spanned generations, each with favorite roles he played. He will always hold a special place in my heart as Indy’s dad. With an air of intelligent authority and sly sense of comedic mischief, only someone like Sean Connery could render Indiana Jones immediately into boyish regret or relief through a stern fatherly chiding or rejoiceful hug. I’m thankful for having had the good fortune to have known and worked with him. My thoughts are with his family.”

Sean Connery may have quietly retired from acting and largely stayed out of the public eye after being put off the industry for good by his horrid experience working on 2003 box office bomb The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but he’d secured legendary status long before then. And as a true titan of Hollywood, the tributes will no doubt continue to keep pouring in as the world mourns the loss of a star who leaves behind a reputation that will endure for generations to come.