Long before he even joined the franchise to play the titular hero’s estranged father, Sean Connery already had a huge influence on the Indiana Jones series. After all, Steven Spielberg had always wanted to helm a James Bond film, but when he and George Lucas decided to craft their own globetrotting blockbuster instead, they decided that an homage would be good enough.
Indeed, the fingerprints of the early 007 outings were seen all over Indy’s movies, and the iconic super spy clearly had a major influence on Spielberg and Lucas. And so, it only made sense that when it was time to introduce Henry Jones Sr. in The Last Crusade, Sean Connery was the one to play him.
The casting was absolutely perfect, and the chemistry he had with Harrison Ford was through the roof, with the pair’s relationship easily being the highlight of the film. And though he hadn’t spoken up over the weekend following the Bond icon’s passing, the Star Wars legend has now issued a statement to Variety about it, saying the following:
“He was my father…not in life…but in ‘Indy 3.’ You don’t know pleasure until someone pays you to take Sean Connery for a ride in the side car of a Russian motorcycle bouncing along a bumpy, twisty mountain trail and getting to watch him squirm. God, we had fun — if he’s in heaven, I hope they have golf courses. Rest in peace, dear friend.”
Of course, Ford is far from the only one to pay tribute to the late Sean Connery, with countless others already having shared some kind words, including George Lucas, Stephen King, Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan and many, many more. As a true titan of the industry and a talent that was beloved by many, Connery’s loss will be felt for a long time to come and the legacy he leaves behind will continue to endure.
Aside from just 007 and Indiana Jones, the actor appeared in a whole bunch of terrific and memorable projects, even securing an Oscar for 1987’s The Untouchables. He may have retired from live-action appearances following a bad experience making 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but he’s still got a very rich, eclectic and impressive roster of credits to his name that show just what a tremendously talented individual he was.