Sean Connery death: What James Bond star thought about Daniel Craig as 007

Actor shared his view on Craig’s casting ahead of ‘Casino Royale’

Sean Connery has died aged 90 surrounded by his family in the Bahamas.

The Scottish actor was a screen icon whose credits included seven James Bond films, The Untouchables and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

While Connery may have had a fraught relationship with the British spy he was renowned for playing, he left the film series on a high, and always kept an interest in the direction the franchise took.

Connery was a big fan of the most recent incarnation of 007. 

When Daniel Craig was announced as Pierce Brosnan’s replacement in 2005, he called him a “terrific choice”.

Connery told MailOnline: "I think they're going back to a more realistic type of Bond movie as I don't think they could have gone much further with the special effects."

Speaking about whether he thought he would stop being chiefly associated with the character, Connery added: "It's not something that's ever likely to happen. It's with me until I go to the box."

Bond was Connery’s breakthrough role following a decade of stage and TV roles in the 1950s.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Micheline Roquebrune, his son, Jason, and his brother, Neil.

Craig’s next Bond film, the delayed No Time to Die, will be his final outing as the character. The actor paid tribute to Connery, calling him “one of the true cinema greats”

In 2003, Connery retired from making films following a terrible on-set experience.