Connery hails Bond director's style

Sean Connery may well be praised for his on-screen depiction of super-smooth sleuth James Bond, but he said more credit should go to the director.

The actor admitted the depiction of Ian Fleming's iconic 007 character actually came from director Terrence Young when the franchise was launched with Dr No in 1962.

Young brought to the fore the spy's suave sensibilities and droll sense of humour, Sean said.

He told Variety the director's contributions were "enormous" and praised him as a "bon vivant", who was always elegant and fashion savvy.

"He got me a rack of clothes and, as they say, could get me to look convincingly dangerous in the act of playing it," the star told the magazine.

"And the humour was one element that was missing from the books of Fleming himself."

Daniel Craig is the latest in the impressive list of actors to play Bond, a list which includes Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan, and upcoming Skyfall finds him teamed with Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes.