UPDATE – As it turns out, the documents below were fabricated and the story, while interesting, is fake. That said, Sean Connery is still fucking JAMES BOND!
Back in 1998, Apple was not quite the computer juggernaut it is today and was anxiously launching its new product: the iMac. Sales were slowing approaching the holiday season and Steve Jobs was looking for a way to boost sales. Being a big fan of James Bond, he had his ad agency mock up a campaign highlighting Sean Connery as 007.
Jobs and his lawyers sent a proof of the ad to Connery’s reps in hopes he would sign off on the campaign and approve his likeness to be used in selling the iMac. On December 11th that year, Connery sent Jobs back this letter:
Even better than the letter is hearing what it must’ve sounded like as he dictated that to his assistant. “You do undershtand English, don’t you?”
For what it’s worth, Connery went on to appear in ads for Louis Vuitton and Japanese scotch so he’s not entirely adverse to selling out his image. Maybe he’s just a PC guy…