In 1962 Sean Connery had his first appearance when James Bond in the 007 adventure James Bond 007 chased Dr. No and became the world star overnight. After his Bond period, the British actor could hardly save himself from offers and gave some iconic roles for the best-among others in the name of the Rose, Indiana Jones and the last crusade or hunting for Red October.
During his career, however, Connery repeatedly refused big roles, such as that of the Gandalf in Peter Jacksons the Lord of Rings Trilogy. Connery almost embodied another iconic figure, who went down in film history as a thriller evil: Hannibal Lecter.
Sean Connery was supposed to play Hannibal Lecter in the silence of the lambs – but declined
Connery was considered by the silence of the Lämmer director Jonathan Demme for the role of Hannibal Lecter, as the filmmaker in 2017 revealed in an interview with Deadline:
Sean Connery was the only person [außer Anthony Hopkins]of which I thought he was great for the role. Connery had this irrepressible intelligence and this physical dignity. I love Tony Hopkins, but Sean could be great.
Look here a trailer for the silence of the lambs:
Silence of the Lambs – Trailer (English)
Sean Connery, however, was not very impressed by the role of the cannibalistic serial killer and decidedly rejected the role, as Demme remembered:
In order to take the commercial path – because Connery had a heyday at the time – we first sent the script to Sean Connery. We soon learned that he found it repulsive And would not think in a dream of playing the role. So, great, then we can now go to Tony Hopkins.
Sean Connery’s cancellation was finally Anthony Hopkins’ profit, who delivered an unforgettable performance as a lecter, which, among other things, earned him the Oscar as the best leading actor. Furthermore, the silence of the lambs in the categories of the best film, the best adapted script, best director and best leading actress.
Where can you see the silence of the lambs?
If you want to take a look at the thriller masterpiece with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, you can currently stream the silence of the lambs in the subscription to RTL+. Otherwise, the film is available as a loan and purchase title for VoD providers such as Maxdome and Apple TV.
A thematically similar article has been released on our sister page FilmStarts.