Actor Sean Connery suffered from dementia during his final days, reveals his wife

Iconic Scottish actor Sean Connery died on Saturday at the age of 90, leaving behind a void in the world of cinema. Shortly after his death, his wife Micheline Roquebrune revealed that Connery suffered from dementia during his final years.

Connery, famous for playing the first on-screen James Bond, died at his home in the Bahamas. Tributes from various fields poured in as soon as the news came in. 

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He died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family members, his widow Micheline Roquebrune told the Mail on Sunday, AFP reported.

“I was with him all the time and he just slipped away,” the 91-year-old told the newspaper.

“He had dementia and it took its toll on him. He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss. It was no life for him. He was not able to express himself latterly,” she was quoted by AFP, as saying.

Connery will be honoured in a private funeral ceremony, with a memorial event to be held later, according to a publicist.

The actor, who was knighted in 2000, won numerous awards during his decades-spanning career encompassing an array of big-screen hits, including an Oscar, three Golden Globes and two Bafta awards.

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But it was his smooth, Scottish-accented portrayal of the suave licensed-to-kill spy 007 that earned him lasting worldwide fame and adoration.

The first actor to utter the unforgettable “Bond, James Bond”, Connery made six official films as novelist Ian Fleming’s creation, giving what many still consider to be the definitive portrayal.

Former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan joined the flood of weekend tributes to the Scottish actor, who he said “led the way for us all who followed in your iconic foot steps”.

“You were my greatest James Bond as a boy, and as a man who became James Bond himself, you cast a long shadow of cinematic splendour that will live on forever,” Brosnan added.

Meanwhile US President Donald Trump, like Connery a golf fanatic, took to Twitter to praise the big-screen star after he passed “on to even greener fairways”.

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“He was quite a guy, and a tough character,” Trump added, claiming Connery had once helped one of his Scottish developments win approval by saying “let him build the damn thing”.