Murray Close/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Harrison Ford honored Sean Connery — who played his on-screen dad in the 1989 feature Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade — following the legendary actor’s death on Saturday at the age of 90.
“He was my father…not in life…but in Indy 3,” Ford said in a statement to Variety. “You don’t know pleasure until someone pays you to take Sean Connery for a ride in the side car of a Russian motorcycle bouncing along a bumpy, twisty mountain trail and getting to watch him squirm. God, we had fun — if he’s in heaven, I hope they have golf courses. Rest in peace, dear friend.”
George Lucas, creator the Indiana Jones franchise, also paid tribute to Connery, writing in a statement, “Sir Sean Connery, through his talent and drive, left an indelible mark in cinematic history. His audiences spanned generations, each with favorite roles he played.”
“He will always hold a special place in my heart as Indy’s dad,” added Lucas. “With an air of intelligent authority and sly sense of comedic mischief, only someone like Sean Connery could render Indiana Jones immediately into boyish regret or relief through a stern fatherly chiding or rejoiceful hug. I’m thankful for having had the good fortune to have known and worked with him. My thoughts are with his family.”
The BBC reported Saturday that Connery died peacefully in his sleep in the Bahamas, having been “unwell for some time,” according to his son, actor Jason Connery.
By George Costantino
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