Sir Sean Connery reveals operation for kidney tumour

SIR Sean Connery underwent surgery for suspected cancer after doctors discovered a tumour on one of his kidneys, it emerged last night.

The 75-year-old star revealed he was "opened up in five places" by surgeons who removed the growth and later established it was benign.

The former 007 actor jetted from his home in the Bahamas to a specialist clinic in New York where he was operated on at a top private hospital.

Connery returned to the Bahamas to convalesce after the operation in January and only his family and closest friends were allowed to know what had happened.

"I was opened up in five places," the star is reported to have said.

Five years ago, Connery had benign cysts removed from his eyes. Despite the inherent risks of the surgery, he showed "little concern" according to a close friend.

The friend said: "Sean makes light of everything. He takes it in his stride and just gets on with it. He was ordered to rest in the Bahamas over the last few weeks where he could get [Irish sports channel] Setanta so he could watch all the Scottish football. He was kicking every ball in Rangers' European run."

Connery's brother, Neil, added: "As far as I'm led to believe, the tumour was benign. He seems to be quite upbeat about it."

Alex Salmond, leader of the SNP which Connery has supported for many years, said: "Sean is now fighting fit and raring to go. He has got an extraordinary fighting spirit and we all wish him well."

A spokesman for Connery confirmed that there had been no complications during the surgery.

He added: "The results were perfect and he's completely recovered."

In a newspaper interview, Connery also revealed that his health was not the reason that he had decided not to go in front of the camera. He said that only a "monumental" offer would tempt him back into a film part.

Instead, Connery said he intended to make a party political broadcast for the SNP.

He also spoke of the role he played in his last film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He said of making the film, in which he played the starring role: "It was a nightmare. The director should never have been given $185m."

He said: "I get fed up dealing with idiots. There is a widening gap between those who know about movies and those who green-light movies. Then the s*** hits the fan. The one thing you can't say in Hollywood is 'I don't know.' You appear in a film and then you realise that the director has directed f*** all."

Turning to politics, Connery praised one of the most trenchant critics of the Scottish Parliament, despite actively campaigning for the creation of the institution.

Speaking of veteran Labour MP Tam Dalyell, Connery said: "I always thought he was one of the great Labour MPs even if he was an Etonian."

And on the subject of Scottish independence he said: "All I ask is equal treatment for Scotland and we haven't had that for 300 years.

"For the first 100 years after union, Scotland went into decline. It is still run from Westminster. Scotland is just seen as great for shooting, golf and tugging your forelock, which is why so many get out. Why do you think Gordon Brown and those buggers got out?"