“Maybe we’ll use my stunt double more”: the scene that nearly killed Sean Connery
In the late 1980s, Sean Connery experienced a remarkable late-career resurgence, delivering several iconic performances that remain cherished today. Between 1987 and 1990, the legendary Bond actor starred in The Untouchables, for which he won the Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actor’, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, along with The Hunt for Red October. However, this upswing arguably began in 1986 with his role in Highlander. Cinema history, though, could have taken a dramatically different turn if one of the film’s stunts had gone just slightly wrong.
When Connery signed up to play the Egyptian immortal Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez in the fantasy action film – complete with his usual Scottish accent – he was only contracted for seven days of shooting. Director Russell Mulcahy knew it would be a tall order to get all his scenes in the can in that short period, but he knew he wanted the iconic star in the film, so he was determined to make it work.
In 2022, Mulcahy told Den of Geek, “The first time I went to meet him was at the Savoy Hotel in London. I knocked on the door of his hotel room, nervous, thinking, ‘I’m about to meet 007!'” Thankfully, the meeting went swimmingly, with the two men snacking on cucumber sandwiches and drinking tea while chatting about the film.
Mulcahy employed some clever time-savers to maximise production time with Connery. In scenes with Connery and Christopher Lambert’s protagonist, Connor MacLeod, he would make sure to shoot Connery’s coverage over Lambert’s shoulder. That way, he could then return to the scene at a later date if need be, reverse the shot, and a double could stand in for Connery.
Then, on Connery’s final day, Mulcahy quickly shot a host of random poses and expressions that he figured he might need for the film. He remembered, “We set it up so we had three cameras, all different sizes, on him. I was like, ‘Put your hat on, turn around, raise your sword, smile, look angry,’ and I ran him through about a minute of just Sean doing different things, and some of those spots are in the movie.”
While these tactics were undoubtedly innovative on Mulcahy’s part, they may have led to some things being attempted too quickly. It led to one stunt involving young actor Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) that almost ended in disaster, with Connery storming off the set in fury.
“I remember day one with him was in the castle in Scotland where the Kurgan comes in and attacks him,” explained Mulcahy. “It was Clancy Brown’s first day, and he was very anxious.” Brown was supposed to chop a table in half with his sword, but he accidentally hit the table with the flat part of the blade. The sword broke, and a shard arced over a stunned Connery’s head.
The Scot was visibly enraged, and he immediately left the set. When Mulcahy then heard that Connery had called a crisis meeting, he feared he was about to lose the biggest star in his film. Thankfully, Brown apologised profusely, admitting, “I’m so sorry. I was so nervous because it’s Sean Connery.” This must have assuaged Connery’s concerns because he accepted the inexperienced star’s apology before wryly suggesting, “Maybe we’ll use my stunt double more.”
To Mulcahy and Brown’s relief, the incident didn’t cloud Connery’s time on the film. The director, who later reunited with Connery on Highlander II: The Quickening, insisted, “As long as you had your shit together, Connery was a blessing. A wonderful, wonderful gentleman.”
