Almond’s gamble on Connery paid off. Connery, who had little formal training, brought his forceful persona and commanding presence to the role, said Robert Sellers in Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down.
Sellers’ book is about the change in acting talent and styles in England in the 1950s when drama schools, theater groups and eventually movies and TV turned to a new crop of actors that included Connery, Peter O’Toole, Albert Finney, Richard Harris, Robert Shaw, and others who went on to become big stars in the 1960s.
Connery was 30 at the time, had done a handful of films and several plays, when he was tapped to star in “Macbeth.”
The TV play is available on DVD and there is also a version of it on YouTube.
(For more overlooked film and television, check out Todd Mason’s blog.)