Scottish actor Sean Connery, who is best known for his portrayal of James Bond in the spy films, has died aged 90.

Connery passed away peacefully in his sleep, while in the Bahamas, having been "unwell for some time," his son told the BBC.

In an illustrious career that spanned decades, Connery won an Oscar, two Bafta awards and three Golden Globes.

He starred in films including The Hunt for Red October, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Rock, while he won his Oscar for his role in the 1987 film The Untouchables. 

Connery is, though, likely to be best remembered for his role as 007, the suave and sophisticated spy in the James Bond films.

Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon was among those paying tribute, writing on Twitter: "I was heartbroken to learn this morning of the passing of Sir Sean Connery. Our nation today mourns one of her best loved sons."

Connery was raised in near poverty in Edinburgh and worked as a coffin polisher, milkman and lifeguard before his bodybuilding hobby helped launch an acting career that made him one of the world's biggest stars.

As Bond he crafted a depth of character that set the standard for those who followed him in the role.

He would introduce himself in the movies with the signature line "Bond, James Bond."

Tall and handsome, with a throaty voice, Connery played a series of noteworthy roles besides Bond and won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a tough Chicago cop in The Untouchables.

Connery was a supporter of Scotland's independence and had the words 'Scotland Forever' tattooed on his arm while serving in the Royal Navy. When he was knighted at the age of 69 by the UK's Queen Elizabeth in 2000 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, he wore full Scottish dress including the green-and-black plaid kilt of his mother's MacLeod clan.

Some noteworthy non-Bond films included director Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964), The Wind and the Lion (1975) with Candice Bergen, director John Huston's The Man Who Would be King (1975) with Michael Caine, director Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and the Cold War tale The Hunt for Red October (1990).

The Bond franchise is still going strong more than five decades on. The lavishly produced movies, packed with high-tech gadgetry and spectacular effects, broke box office records and grossed hundreds of millions of dollars.

After the success of Dr No, more Bond movies followed for Connery in quick succession: From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965) and You Only Live Twice (1967).

Connery's influence helped shape the character in the books as well as the films. He never attempted to disguise his Scottish accent, leading Ian Fleming to give Bond a Scottish heritage in the books that were released after Connery's debut.

Born Thomas Connery on 25 August, 1930, he was the elder of two sons of a long-distance truck driver and a mother who worked as a cleaner. He dropped out of school at age 13 and worked in a variety of menial jobs. At 16, Connery was drafted into the Royal Navy, and served three years.

"I grew up with no notion of a career, much less acting," he once said. "I certainly never have plotted it out. It was all happenstance, really."

(Video editor: James Sandifer)