Columbia Pictures There's a point in some actors' careers at which they become so successful that they can make enormous bank just for showing up for a tiny cameo. That shouldn't surprise anyone who's seen the power of comic book conventions – some actors can spend one day signing autographs and posting for photos, and net hundreds of thousands of dollars for it. One actor who was big enough to make a major splash through a brief cameo is the original James Bond himself, Sir Sean Connery. As we cope with the recent death of the iconic Scottish actor, who passed away at the age of 90 on October 31, 2020, we thought we'd look back at one of his
smallest roles that made him the most money. Back in 1976, Connery signed on to star as Robin Hood in the film Robin and Marian, opposite Audrey Hepburn as Lady Marian. Apparently, the former James Bond actor must've maintained a fondness for the story of Robin Hood and his merry band of man because he agreed to appear as a brief cameo in Kevin Costner's 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of
Thieves. We assume Connery enjoyed returning to Sherwood forest, but what we assume even more is that he enjoyed how much money he was paid for his troubles.
Warner
Bros. As you may recall, Robin Hood's whole "take from the rich and give to the poor" mentality comes as a result of the corrupt Prince John taking rule over England while King Richard the Lionheart is away. A big part of the resolution in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves involves Robin (Kevin Costner) being wed to Marion (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), a union over
which King Richard presides. King Richard is played by none other than Sir Sean Connery.Sean Connery made bank as King Richard the Lionheart
It was originally reported that the scene in which Connery appears net him an enormous $500,000. However, according to Connery's biographer Richard Yule, he made $250,000 for the gig. Either way, that's not too shabby for one day's work and what amounts to four lines of dialogue. The wonderful postscript to the story is that Connery didn't even keep his fee, opting instead to give the entire purse to charity.
Connery's uncredited cameo scene in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is fondly remembered — enough so that it was referenced two years later in 1993, when Mel Brooks created his parody of the film, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, starring Cary Elwes in the title role. Men in Tights also ends on a wedding officiated by King Richard, and Brooks even got another well-known knighted actor to play the part – Sir Patrick Stewart.
About
Sean Connery is an Scottish actor who played Robin Hood in Robin and Marian and later King Richard in the American film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
Selected Filmography
Actor
Film
- 2012 Sir Billi
... Sir Billi (voice, as Sir Sean Connery) - 2003 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
... Allan Quatermain - 2000 Finding Forrester
... William Forrester - 1999 Entrapment
... Mac - 1998 Playing by Heart
... Paul - 1998 The Avengers
... Sir August de Wynter - 1996 The Rock
... John Patrick Mason - 1996 DragonHeart
... Draco (voice) - 1995 First Knight
... King Arthur -
Sean Connery as King Richard
1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
... King Richard (uncredited) - 1991 Highlander II: The
Quickening
... Ramirez - 1990 The Hunt for Red October
... Marko Ramius - 1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
... Professor Henry Jones - 1988 The Presidio
... Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell - 1987 The Untouchables
... Jim Malone - 1986
Sean Connery with Christian Slater in Der Name Der Rose
The Name of the Rose
... William von Baskerville - 1986 Highlander
... Ramirez - 1984 Sword
of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
... The Green Knight - 1977 A Bridge Too Far
... Maj. Gen. Urquhart - 1976 Robin and Marian
... Robin Hood - 1975 The Man Who Would Be King
... Daniel Dravot - 1974 Murder on the Orient Express
... Col. Arbuthnot - 1971 Diamonds Are Forever
... James Bond - 1969 The Red Tent
... Amundsen - 1968 Shalako
... Shalako - 1967 You Only Live Twice
... James Bond - 1965 Thunderball
... James Bond - 1964 Goldfinger
... James Bond - 1963 From Russia with Love
... James Bond - 1962 Dr. No
... James Bond - 1962 The Longest Day
... Pvt. Flanagan - 1961 Macbeth (TV Movie)
... Macbeth - 1954
Simon (Short)
... Policeman
Television
- 1960 An Age of Kings (TV Series)
— Henry IV Part 3: The New Conspiracy (1960) ... Harry Percy, surnamed Hotspur
— Henry IV Part 2: The Road to Shrewsbury (1960) ... Harry Percy, surnamed Hotspur
— Henry IV Part 1: Rebellion from the North (1960) ... Harry Percy, surnamed Hotspur
— Richard II Part 2: The Deposing of a King (1960) ... Harry Percy, surnamed Hotspur
— Part One: The Hollow Crown (1960) ... Harry Percy, surnamed Hotspur
External Links
IMDb