It’s been just under a month since Sir Sean Connery sadly passed away, leading to multiple tributes from across the entertainment industry and beyond. The actor died at the age of 90, and the causes have now been revealed via his death certificate, a copy of which was obtained by TMZ. While there are no surprises in the report, it does appear to line up with the account from Connery’s widow Micheline Roquebrune that he departed peacefully in his sleep.
According to the certificate, the actor’s death at 1:30am on October 31st resulted from respiratory failure brought on by old age, pneumonia and atrial fibrillation, with the latter condition typically linked to an irregular heartbeat. The performer, who remains perhaps the classic version of James Bond, was at home in the Bahamas at the time. Subsequent comments by his family and others seemed to indicate that Connery had been ill for a while, and also reportedly experienced dementia.
More recently, Roquebrune announced that her husband’s last wish was to have his ashes scattered both in his adopted land of the Bahamas, and back in Scotland. Despite spending a lot of time away from the country, Connery remained a dedicated advocate of its independence, and was a long-term member of the Scottish National Party.
Although learning the exact cause of the screen icon’s passing does not add in any complications to what we know about the event, it at least reminds us of the renewed interest in re-exploring his career. With that in mind, now’s as good a time as any to dig into Sir Sean Connery‘s work as James Bond, and also his many memorable supporting performances in the likes of The Untouchables and Highlander.