12:02PM, Mar 04, 2009
The former shipyard welder and squaddie is best known as Scotland's premier comedy export - but he also enoys a successful sideline as an actor.
His finest big screen moment was probably as John Brown opposite Judi Dench's Queen Victoria - a role for which he was BAFTA-nominated.
After leaving school, Connolly worked in the Clyde shipyards and also joined the Territorial Army (in the Parachute Regiment.
Outside work, a keen interest in folk music led to him becoming banjo player for the Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty (later of 'Baker Street' fame).
Between songs Connolly would light up the stage with his jokes, and he soon turned into an act of his own and ultimately a full-time comedian.
As an actor, his first big screen role came in the Anthony Page's Absolution opposite the late Richard Burton.
Odd roles followed in Bullshot, The Hunting of the Snark and the Return of the Musketeers before his stock was raised by an appearance in The Big Man with Liam Neeson.
He had a tiny cameo as an auctioneer in the thriller Indecent Proposal before the call came for Mr Brown.
Now settled with his wife Pamela Stephenson in Los Angeles, Connolly stepped up his film work.
Roles followed in The Imposters and he turned in a winningly enjoyable performance in the affectionate tribute to ageing rock bands Still Crazy.
Subsequent appearances includes The Changeling, a disturbing role in The Debt Collector and a truly ill-advised part in Beautiful Joe opposite Sharon Stone.
Connolly went on to feature in Barry Levinson's Everlasting, Gabriel & Me and Mark Joffe's well received The Man Who Sued God.
In 2002, he starred in White Oleander and went on to play opposite Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai (opposite Tom Cruise) and the big screen adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
He went on to provide voices for the animated outings Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties and McSquizzy in Open Season.
Recent work includes the role of Father Joseph Crissman in The X-Files: I Want to Believe alongside David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.
