Pierce Brosnan Pays Tribute to Sean Connery: ‘You Were My Greatest James Bond’

Pierce Brosnan took to Instagram on Saturday to honor his fellow “James Bond” actor Sean Connery, who died in his sleep at the age of 90.

“Sir Sean Connery, you were my greatest James Bond as a boy, and as a man who became James Bond himself. You cast a long shadow of cinematic splendor that will live on forever,” Brosnan wrote alongside a black-and-white picture of the late actor. “You led the way for us all who followed in your iconic foot steps. Each man in his turn looked to you with reverence and admiration as we forged ahead with our own interpretations of the role.”

“You were mighty in every way, as an actor and as a man, and will remain so till the end of time,” Brosnan added. “You were loved by the world, and will be missed. God bless, rest now, be at peace.”

Brosnan was the fifth actor to play the storied secret agent, starring in four films in the franchise from 1995 to 2002. Connery was the first to ever portray Bond, playing him in seven films between 1962 and 1983.

Daniel Craig, who currently portrays Bond, also remembered Connery on Saturday, calling him “one of the true greats of cinema.”