Sean Connery death: Scottish actor was nude model before he was James Bond

Oil painting of actor in the buff was discovered nine years ago

Sean Connery had a surprising profession “to make ends meet” before becoming James Bond.

The Scottish actor, who died Saturday (31 October) aged 90, is being remembered by fans and co-stars, with 007 star Daniel Craig calling the former Bond star “one of the true cinema greats”.

In memory of the actor, old interviews with him are being shared on social media, two of which were with US chat show host Jay Leno.

While one sees Connery make a rather startling claim about action star Steven Seagal, another sees him reflect upon his time working as a nude model 10 years before he signed on to play Bond.

“You used to do nude modelling as a young man – is that true?” Leno asked Connery in a 1999 interview.

“At the Edinburgh College of Art, to make ends meet if you know what I mean,” Connery replied.

He continued: “There was an old guy who’d done it for years and years, and a quite an attractive young woman and myself. And we were the three models.”

The actor said "he used said to get six and eight pence an hour for standing stationary" in the class that was filled mostly with women.

One of the oil paintings, which show the actor from behind, was discovered nine years ago among a collection of artwork belonging to an elderly lady.

Find The Independent's tribute to Connery here – and our ranking of his 10 best roles here.