Why Sean Connery Returned For Diamonds Are Forever After Skipping Bond 6
Sir Sean Connery starred in five official James Bond films before getting fed up with the role—so why did the Scottish actor return in Diamonds Are Forever? It is known that Connery had his issues with the Bond producers, namely Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, so it surprised many fans when he returned to the role for a sixth time in 1971, especially considering that he chose to skip 1969's On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
It was while filming the fifth Bond film, You Only Live Twice, that Connery became significantly disillusioned with playing the role of 007. By this point, Connery was bored with the part and didn’t feel he was being paid enough to compensate for the loss of privacy he was experiencing. He was heavily harassed by Japanese photographers throughout the filming of You Only Live Twice. When Connery wasn’t given his requested salary increase he left the role, with the following Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, seeing George Lazenby as James Bond for the first and only time.
Related: Roger Moore's Favorite James Bond Movie Is One Of Sean Connery's Worst
Lazenby’s sole outing as 007 was a commercial flop, taking in only $82,000,000 at the worldwide box office. This made it the fourth-worst Bond film in terms of commercial success, notably worse than You Only Live Twice, which generated $111,600,000 and performed nearly twice as well at the domestic box office. Financial backers made it clear to the Bond producers that Connery needed to be brought back, and that money would be no object. Connery was then enticed back into the role with a then-record $1.25 million salary, reuniting with Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton for 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. Choosing not to focus on Bond’s wife’s killer in
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