Michael Bay paid tribute to the legendary actor Sean Connery. The 90-year-old actor died peacefully on Oct. 31 while he was sleeping. The Scottish actor portrayed the popular character of James Bond and also worked with new-age filmmakers.

The 55-year-old director addressed the veteran actor as one of his teachers. Bay said that actors like Connery, who leave their imprint on your personality and they turned out to be teachers that someone might come across once in two decades.

Connery had a power-pack journey in Hollywood while in 1996, he collaborated with Bay for The Rock. The actor played SAS Captain John Patrick Mason with John C. McGinley, Ed Harris, and Nicolas Cage. The movie turned out to be a hit, which was helmed by Bay.

The director reflected on his naiveness as it was his second film and he had heard Connery being "notoriously" difficult with the directors. Bay admitted being terrified while giving Connery direction for the first time as he asked him to be less charming.

Bay revealed that Connery replied, "Sure, boy!" and said that "Boy" was the nickname he earned from the actor. He recalled that the actor was not only practical but also thrifty. The director said that he would never forget his first day on the sets as he shot a scene where his character, Mason, was supposed to escape.

He explained how they used a fake quarter, which was triple in size, spun in front of the camera lens while Bay was lying on the floor under Connery's chair. The director admitted feeling stupid at that moment but acknowledged that the actor had been into more than 75 films and might not allow him to take a "silly film school shot."

However, after finishing the shot, Bay looked at Connery and said that he gave him a "James Bond smile," which meant he approved his shot. “He taught me so much about acting and the craft,” he concluded.

Bay recently came under fire after getting criticized for exploiting movies, Songbird. The director received backlash from the netizens as the movie showcase a love story that took place in the 214th week of lockdown.

The trailer of the film marked the first featured movie to launch since the lockdown was announced. While the intention of the movie was to reflect on the ongoing situation in America, people on social media criticize the movie for milking the pandemic.