Legendary actor and James Bond star Sir Sean Connery dies aged 90

Acting legend and iconic James Bond star Sir Sean Connery has died at the age of 90.

The Scottish actor was the first to play British agent 007 in 1962 in ‘Dr. No’. He went on to appear in six more films for the franchise.

During his decades-long career, Connery won an Oscar, two Bafta awards and three Golden Globes.

He reportedly died peacefully in his sleep while in the Bahamas, according to the BBC who quoted his son, Jason Connery.

"We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time,” Jason said.

"A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor."

Colleagues and fans have united in their grief and paid tribute to the star online.

Connery was raised in near poverty in the slums of Edinburgh and worked as a coffin polisher, milkman and lifeguard before his bodybuilding hobby helped launch an acting career that made him one of the world's biggest stars.

As Bond, his debonair manner and wry humour in foiling flamboyant villains and cavorting with beautiful women belied a darker, violent edge, and he crafted a depth of character that set the standard for those who followed him in the role.

He would introduce himself in the movies with the signature line, "Bond - James Bond." But Connery was unhappy being defined by the role and once said he "hated that damned James Bond".

When he was knighted at the age of 69 by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 2000 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, he wore full Scottish dress including the green-and-black plaid kilt of his mother's MacLeod clan.

Some noteworthy non-Bond films included director Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" (1964), "The Wind and the Lion" (1975) with Candice Bergen, director John Huston's "The Man Who Would be King" (1975) with Michael Caine, director Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) and the Cold War tale "The Hunt for Red October" (1990).

Connery retired from movies after disputes with the director of his final outing, the forgettable "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" in 2003.

"I get fed up dealing with idiots," he said.

"I grew up with no notion of a career, much less acting," he once said. "I certainly never have plotted it out. It was all happenstance, really."

Connery married actress Diane Cilento in 1962. Before divorcing 11 years later, they had their son, Jason, who became an actor. He married French artist Micheline Roquebrune, whom he met playing golf, in 1975.

- with AAP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.