Sean Connery’s Mom Was a Cleaning Lady — Despite Anger in the Past, He Saw to ‘Everything’ in Her Final Years

• Before becoming a successful actor, Sean Connery had humble beginnings in Edinburgh.
• His parents were blue-collar workers, with his mom working as a cleaning lady and his dad as a truck driver and factory worker.
• Connery resented his mom at one point in his life, but he cared for her as best he could when she grew older.

Born Thomas “Sean” Connery on August 25, 1930, the actor is the son of Euphemia “Effie” McBain, a cleaning lady, and Joseph Connery, a lorry driver and factory worker.

Connery’s brother, Neil, was a plasterer living in Edinburgh, while Connery himself engaged in several odd jobs to get by before venturing into acting,

After Connery took his first job as a milkman at thirteen, he quit school. He’s also worked as a laborer, an artist’s model, a lorry driver, a lifeguard, and even a coffin polisher.

The “Thunderball” star also joined the Royal Navy, and during that time, got two tattoos that read “Scotland Forever” and “Mum and Dad.” The Royal Navy discharged him due to medical conditions.

After being discharged, Connery had to take on several odd jobs. While working as a coffin polisher, he reportedly had no place to sleep and spent several nights sleeping inside a coffin.

When his co-workers discovered what he was doing, one gave Connery a room in one of their homes. He ended up being life-long friends with the same group of people.

Beginning at the age of 18, Connery engaged himself in bodybuilding. He even joined the Mr. Universe competition in the 1950s.

Aside from bodybuilding, Connery’s primary sport was football. He played with several clubs and was in a match against a local team Matt Busby, the then-manager of Manchester United, was scouting.

Matt Busby noticed Connery and offered him a contract immediately after the game. He was tempted by the figures, but his heart desired acting more than becoming a sportsman. Speaking about that crossroad in his life, the actor said:

“I realized that a top-class footballer could be over the hill by the age of 30, and I was already 23. I decided to become an actor, and it turned out to be one of my more intelligent moves.”

So, Connery began an acting career. He landed his first feature in 1954, and his movie career took off from there, spanning an impressive five decades.

During his early years as an actor, Connery was married to Diane Cilento. They wed in 1962 but had a difficult marriage, eventually splitting in 1973.

After the success of the first three Bond movies, Connery was so famous that he no longer knew how to cope with it. The actor constantly had a mob of female fans following him around.

Connery’s fans weren’t only loyal; some turned out to be aggressive. It got to the point where some would try to break into his home or climb windows to catch a glimpse of him.

During this time, Cilento hired the help of celebrity shrink RD Laing to help him cope. Then, the shrink unraveled the actor’s strong feelings toward his mother.

Growing up, Connery was resentful of his mom, Effie. Through constant pressing from the psychiatrist, Connery was positive his mother withheld affection from him as a young boy.

He was bitter and angry towards this part of his childhood, and years later realized his feelings towards his mother reflected in how he lived his adult life.

Such strong feelings manifested in how he dealt with the other relationships. His marriage to Cilento ended in divorce, and two years later, he wed Micheline Roquebrune.

Connery only had one biological son, Jason, whom he welcomed with Cilento. His son went on to become an actor and director just like him.

Despite the pressure of being in the same industry as his dad, Jason admitted he never felt anything wrong with their relationship as father and son. He once said:

“He’s never made me feel I get work through him or that I have to prove myself to him. There are a lot of unhappy people with famous parents, but he’s never made me feel uncomfortable about who he is.”

Throughout his career, Connery reportedly made $450 million. He made a chunk of his fortune as the first James Bond in seven Bond films spanning two decades.

Aside from the Bond films, he also starred in “The Russia House,” “The Untouchables,” and “Dr. No.” His final movie was “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” released in 2003.

Despite feeling so much resentment towards his mother, he never let his feelings get in the way of his good relationship with his parents. Connery even arranged the best possible medical care for his mother, who was left disabled during her last few years.

She lived in Edinburgh, and the actor’s brother Neil cared for her daily, filling her in on the latest news. Due to his busy life in Los Angeles, Connery wasn’t always with his mother.

However, he saw to “everything” regarding her condition. He was always on the phone with his brother and the doctor to keep himself updated.

Being so far away from his mom during such a vulnerable time in her life troubled Connery. Roquebrune constantly tried to keep him busy, whether at home or at the golf course.

Family security was essential to Connery’s life, and Roquebrune, Jason, and his stepson Stefan tried their best to give it to him. While he wasn’t the conventional father, he was still close to his children.

Connery’s mom, Effie, died on April 2, 1985. She experienced a traditional Scottish wake, and Connery joined a small family group in mourning the loss.

Years later, Connery experienced the same love he showed his mother when it was his children’s turn to care for him. He remained close to his family until his death on October 31, 2020, due to pneumonia and heart failure.