Former James Bond Sean Connery has one son- 45-year-old Jason Connery. According to Sean’s ex-wife, the curmudgeonly actor has made it clear to Jason that he will never get any of his money -a fortune estimated at $170 million USD.
According to his former wife, Diane Cilento, the former James Bond actor told his son Jason that he would never receive a penny of his £85million fortune.
She said Connery was determined that Jason should pursue a career and earn his own living, rather than sponging off his father.
But Miss Cilento, who was married to Connery for 11 years before their bitter divorce in 1973, said Connery’s determination to cut Jason off financially meant they had a difficult relationship.
She claims that at one stage Jason, who now works as an actor and film director, threatened to change his name after Connery accused him of cashing in on his father’s fame.
Australian-born Miss Cilento told the Sunday Times: ‘Sean said, “You only got this (acting) job because your name’s Connery.” ‘Jason said, “Well, I’ll change it to something else.” Sean said, “If you do that I’ll f****** kill you.”
‘Jason loves him but Sean has a problem about relationships, as everybody round him knows. Jason is a very devoted son – when Sean is sick he rushes there. They play golf together.’
Connery, 77, is due next month to publish his long-awaited autobiography, Being A Scot.
It details his upbringing in the industrial end of Edinburgh by his mother and father, a cleaner and truck driver respectively.
There was no bathroom and the family had to use a communal toilet outside.
Aged 14 he earned 21 shillings (£1.05) a week as a barrow pusher before working as a lorry driver, labourer, coffin polisher and artist’s model.
Before landing the part of James Bond in the 1962 film Dr No, Connery spent some time as a milkman.
Jason, 45, is Connery’s only child and developed an interest in acting while a boarder at Gordonstoun.
He was accepted to the Bristol Old Vic drama school and the Perth Repertory Company, where, as well as acting he worked as an assistant stage manager to earn his Equity card.
According to friends, Jason, who is best known for the title role in the 1985 television series Robin of Sherwood, was so poor in the early 1980s that he relied on handouts from other actors to survive.
Jason, who has recently finished directing his second film, an action thriller which stars Cuba Gooding Jnr and Ray Winstone, refused to comment on his mother’s revelations.
Connery, who lives in the Bahamas, has also declined to reveal if his son will inherit any of his fortune.
I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, it’s Sean Connery’s money and he earned it. It’s his right to choose what happens to it after he’s gone. And after seeing so many celebrity spawns walking around like their God’s gift to the world, I think it’s commendable for a big star to make it clear to his kids that there are no free rides in life. But it sounds like Jason isn’t looking for special treatment anyway. And why give him a hard time about his last name being Connery? If casting people want to hire him because of that, how is that Jason’s fault? What I have a problem with is these parents who had a difficult childhood who somehow hold it against their own kids that they’ve had an easy life. Isn’t that what we want for our kids- why we work so hard? And while it’s true that Jason never had to push wheelbarrows or deliver milk, he did have to grow up with a meanie for a dad. I’d say he deserves something for that.
Jason Connery is shown at a photocall for the film Private Moments at Apart Gallery in London on 12/13/04. Credit: Vince Maher/WENN. Sean Connery is shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival premiere of The Edge of Love on 6/18/08. Credit: Solarpix / PR Photos
Wow. No denying paternity there, huh? He looks just like his dad…only better looking, if you ask me!
It is SC’s money to dispose of as he wishes. It seems like he would want to leave something to his only child; it seems pretty mean to cut him out completely. But, again, it is SC’s $, so it’s really not anyone else’s place to say he is wrong.
This is a very old story, I remember him talking about it himself in an interview ages ago. Connery IS tight, is known for it and is very much a product of his time and upbringing, but that’s not to say he still feels the same way now. I understood it at the time to be Connery saying that his kids were going to have to make it on their own without handouts from him. Anyway, he’s always been a bit of a dour, grumpy bastard.
Sean Connery is not a nice man, admits to wife beating “as being necessary and good” the out cry was such he had to deny he said it, but he’s not a nice guy. Which is sad – who else will he leave it to? His current wife, she needs every dime of it? Well good for him, seems his son is there for him anyway. His mother made sure he turned out to be decent, and good for him he’s directing now.
He said wife beating was OK? I had never heard that before. That really changes my opinion of him dramatically. I had never been a huge fan, although I liked him well enough. But if he said that, well…let’s just say he is lucky I was never his wife, or he’d be talking in a much higher pitch today.
Yes I’m afraid it’s true. He’s even on video saying it. He’s a dinosaur stuck in the 1950s, if he still thinks it’s okay to hoit women. You never hit a women period. I’d take care of him if I ever saw him hit a girl.
What’s he going to do, take it with him?
I’d heard the wife beating thing years ago, and at that time crossed him off my list of attractive men. Nothing attractive about a bully.
The kid (kid? 40-something? LOL) seems fairly sharp, with his response to the accusation that his last name was all that got him work. I’m hoping Dad relents and throws a couple mil his way.
It’s not about whether you leave them your money!!!
If your child is going to be a bum, they’ll be a bum. If you give it to them they’ll be a bum with money.If you don’t give it to them they’ll be a bum without money.
It’s about giving them a sense of worth and purpose while they grow – not to mention a decent work ethic by example!
It’s not about the money – kids need what money can’t buy
We see lots of trust fund bums on this website (Brandon, that oily one) — the ones who are busy making something of they’re lives we don’t see so much
What’s the old fart intend to do with it? Pack it in his coffin?
P.S. I saw Diane Cilento strutting around Cairns airport – I think she thought she was a movie star or something the way she was looking down her nose and ordering people around —Poor Jason
“‘Sean said, “You only got this (acting) job because your name’s Connery.” ‘Jason said, “Well, I’ll change it to something else.” Sean said, “If you do that I’ll f****** kill you.””
That’s awful! And insanely contradictory and tyrannical. He wants to be able to crow that Jason only gets work because of him, so he throws a tanty if the kid suggests a name change! Talk about controlling! My opinion of him just plummeted.
Jason is a babe, however. I watch him on the kid’s show Shoebox Zoo. It’s very cool and also has Rik Mayall’s voice in it. Can’t go wrong there!
sean connery’s a bastard. he needs to come off his pedistal. When I was a kid, he had my bro and I thrown out of our suite in Rome so he could have it. very very very rude pig of a man.
i hope his son becomes an even bigger star if not possessingmore talent.
p. brosnon was the best bond anyway, and he’s a real gentleman, even in REAL life. Connery can suck it!!!!
Daddy dearest thinks there’s nothing wrong with slapping the wife around a bit too. Kinda says it all, that.
I don’t understand people not wanting to leave their kids anything, especially very wealthy people, unless the kids are total crack heads or pedophiles or something equally horrendous. I mean, why the hell not leave it to them? Inheritance, while not a God given right, is surely a real helping hand, at least for the average working class folks. Maybe when you’re insanely wealthy you develop a God-like mentality and see your wealth as a sledge hammer with which to throw your weight around. I think the guy’s being a real ass about money and ought to spend his time trying to mend fences with his only son and leave a legacy of love instead of bully behavior. What a jerk.
Yeah, the Connery wife-beating thing is from an old Playboy interview. I think he tried to take it back at one point.
Other than that, I kind of think this is bullshit. Connery gave his Oscar to his son, and he stays with his son in NYC. Perhaps it’s just an idle threat.
“He wants to be able to crow that Jason only gets work because of him, so he throws a tanty if the kid suggests a name change! Talk about controlling! My opinion of him just plummeted.”
Exactly. I mean, look at Nicholas Cage–his real name is Coppola, but he wanted to make it on his own, not because of who he happens to be related to. There’s no disrespect there; in fact, one would think the family would be proud.
Connery sounds like an egomaniacal, controlling jerk. I betcha he is tiny where it counts (“down there”) and suffers from “little man syndrome.” I guess he’s compensating for his shortcomings ❗
I think this is dispicable. While maybe not giving him the entire fortune may be reasonable, what a nasty pig to deny your child in that manner. Disgusting. I am actually very pissed at him now.
I agree with xiaoecho that “If your child is going to be a bum, they’ll be a bum.” I went to college with a guy whose wealthy parents died in a car crash. He was intelligent and articulate, but because he’d inherited a shitload of money, he did nothing all day but hang around, smoking pot. On the other hand, I have a friend who stands to inherit at least a couple mill when her parents pass away, but she’s one of the hardest working, most driven people I know. If someone is inherently lazy or doesn’t have any kind of work ethic, they’ll find a way to sit on their ass, regardless of how much money they have.
So maybe Connery told his son he wasn’t going to leave him any money if he first didn’t prove that he was worthy of all that wealth. Maybe he just wanted his son to make his own way in the world, and not rely on other people. There’s nothing wrong with that.
This is the same guy who hits his wife when he needs too. Did everyone forget his admission on national TV a few years back?
Figures he probably hit his kid while he was growing up as well.
Greedy bastard should get a clue and at least give him something to remember him by except a hot poker up his Ass…
What exactly is so different about Sean Connery’s upbringing that sets it apart from millions of other working class people of that generation? My parents were careful with money but never used their upbringing to be tight about it. 🙄
At the risk of defending Sean Connery – entertaining actor, alleged utter git (the reason he stays with his son in NY is that the neighbours have taken him to court – he could have said this during an argument with his son back in the 70s or 80s. He could have changed his mind since then.
🙂 I don’t like Connery senior’s attitute – he will have to reincarnate and learn life lessons about love, compassion and generosity. His son is gorgeous and should be proud of all his achievements – we do not have to be defined by our parents. 🙂
Wow, Sean Connery is an asshole.
I think it’s bad of him to not provide his son with some sort of safety net, given that his son is not a bum. What if Jason gets sick and has serious medical bills?
On the other hand, I guess the money would do more good if he donated it towards the economic development of poor countries and the health of their people.
But don’t people usually want to take care of their families first? It’s just the way we’re programmed.
Firstly I LOVE how everyone has taken this article as Word. I read it on the internet – it MUST be true!
Secondly, the poster above was correct when they stated the Connery Sr, LIVES in his son’s New York apartment when he’s in town.
Now if Connery Jr owns a New York apartment – he’s doing pretty damn well for himself. And if his father uses it so often, that’s its more or less his second home, do you REALLY think they have a ‘difficult’ relationship.
You’re also taking the word of a woman who has NO good feelings towards her ex-husband. That’s fair enough – we dont know what happened in their marriage. But for people to base their opinions on a man they DON’T KNOW because of few words from a father to a son, a father who probably wanted him to grow up and make his own way – to become a Man. That’s just ridiculous.
What a dick. Roger Moore was my favorite Bond anyway.
Seems strange to think he would deny his son anything in his will because he wants him to make his own way. His son’s 45. If he hasn’t made it by now, he’s unlikely to. How could leaving money in the will make any difference?
Sounds like bollocks to me.
Does Connery subscribe to Carnegie’s theory that wealth should not be passed on to the family but instead should be used to provide for the public good (as in the Carnegie libraries, museums, etc.)? I’m not familiar with Connery’s charitable works. Does anyone know?
Neither is good looking. I never understood the fascination.
a charitable man should be nice & charitable to his own family first don’t tell me he wants to give all this money to charity if so he would have done it by now at least one third of that $17000000 don’t forget he’s an old man now, do you think his wife would alllow him to give all his money to charity? of course not & the only reason he doesn’t want to give any of it to his son is
because he’s a mean man & for some reason doesn’t love his son, shame on you sean.
This jackass actually went on int’l TV w/Babs Walter saying it is okay to slap a woman. No doubt this shanty mofo never went to college. My God, he’s gonna take the working class mentality to the grave. Goes to show, money cannot buy one class. And BTW, Rutger Hauer is attractive not this peasant faced Joe Blow.
It’s his money… he doesn’t have to give it to anybody. If his son wants a fortune, he should make it himself.
I have no idea what makes any other human being do what they do. So, I can’t make a judgement on Mr. Connery.
Jason Connery sounds like a regular guy just trying to make a living and see what he is capable of.
As a parent, you want the best for your loved ones. And there lay the catch. Love is relative. Sean is a tough one to understand. So, who is anyone else to dredge up even an opinion?
I don’t think Jason loves is Dad any less for leaving or not leaving him the cash. Nor will any thing anybody says change Sean Connery.
So, what’s the point of these types of editorials other than to make a riot out of afternoon tea.
If you don’t have any skills, hide behind the desk of the unseen writer of editorials.
What a father he is!!!!!!! He is supposed to leave his money half to the wife and half to the son. This life is about making happy your family and friends, so get it. If I were you, many years ago I would advance the money, for him and his family to be happy, you don’t need that much any more.
And what if your son is being hired for your Connery name???, good for him, good for you, but people who is hiring him see something in him, nobody is going to invest to loose, don’t you think and if they does, who cares at end?
Shawn is quite a guy. He likes to keep the girls in line by giving them a shot now and then. Sir Shawn, oh yeah.
I BELIEVE THAT JASON CONNERY SHOULD MAKE AMENDS TO HIS FATHER AND THEN AFTER HIS FATHER IS DECEASED THEN CHANGE HIS LAST NAME TO WHATEVER, I STILL CONCEDE THAT PARENTS ARE NOT STRICT ENOUGH BUT BEING PARENT THAT SHIRTTAILING ON PARENT , THE HOLLYWOOD STARS, CHILDREN SHOULD TRIED TO CALL THEIR OWN SHOTS , BUT STILL ASKS THE PARENTS THE WAY THEY ENTERED THE BUSINESS
BUT BE REAL OWN POTENTAIL IN HOLLYWOOD THE SHOULD BE ORIGINAL ETC.
I hate Connery. Anyone who says it’s totally fine to smack your woman around because “they ask for it” obviously does’t have an emotional conscience. Guy is a turd as far as I’m concerned and he clearly doesn’t understand the concept of love, both romantic and familial.
People have a bad habit of developing positive attachments and feelings for actors based on emotions that appear when watching a performance/role. They then transplant those particular impressions of the actor onto the actor’s real life. In a nutshell the real actor is nothing like the imagined/created profile by the fan. We idolize people for the wrong reasons. Our culture is rife with misplaced emotions and the business culture takes full advantage of those weaknesses. Most of society today revolves around false idols. We really haven’t come very far after all in thousands of years. We still have the same problems since the days of Moses.