Sir Sean Connery stripped down to become a life model for Edinburgh art students before his big break in Hollywood.
The big screen star, who turned 90 today, was employed by the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) to be an artist's model from February to May 1952.
A contract, which remains available in the the ECA archive to this day, reveals that the agreement was signed when he was known as Thomas Connery - which is his real first and last name.
Sir Sean, who was a keen bodybuilder since the age of 18, had a chance to show off his physique to groups of upcoming artists.
Richard DeMarco, an artist who had the pleasure of painting the nude Connery as a student, recalls him as being “too beautiful for words, a virtual Adonis”.
One painting that is still in the archives of the capital’s art college shows the lean man standing up tall with his hands clasped, while wearing nothing but a pouch around his private parts.
In 1953, he would go on to compete in the junior bracket of global bodybuilding contest Mr Universe, where he would earn a third place finish.
These are just two things he would take on during his early career before his breakthrough moment in cinema.
Milkman and coffin polisher were also among the jobs that the Edinburgh-born actor would carry out during his younger days.
Sir Sean would go on to make his film debut in the British musical Lilacs in the Spring in 1954.
Eight years later, his career would rise into dizzying heights as he was cast as the famous James Bond for the first time in the film Dr No.
He starred as 007 on a further six occasions in From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds are Forever and Never Say Never Again.
His legendary career continued until his final on-screen appearance in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003.
In his five-decade-long acting career, Sir Sean won an Oscar, two BAFTAs and three Golden Globes.
Not bad for a former life model from Auld Reekie.
