Scots comedian Billy Connolly is celebrating 50 years in showbusiness with a TV special this week to mark his career with Dame Judi Dench and Sir Elton John expected to be there to do the honours. Connolly is best known for his improv standup global tours and playing Queen Victoria’s close companion after Prince Albert died in the film Mrs Brown.
Connolly has been with actress turned therapist Pamela Stephenson for nearly 40 years; he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years ago which has stopped him playing the banjo and touring.
Born 24 Nov 1942 4.30am Glasgow, he was abandoned by his mother when he was four, his father away fighting in WW11, and was looked after by aunts who were unkind. His father abused him physically and sexually when he was 10 to 15 years old, which was the subject of a memoir he wrote.
His Sun Venus are in Sagittarius (a typical comedians’ sign) opposition Uranus Saturn in Gemini; with his Moon in Gemini conjunct Saturn. He says he has struggled for most of his life with low self-esteem because of his childhood. Plus Pluto square Mars, pointing to the brutality he suffered.
He has a talented Half Grand Sextile of Saturn Uranus sextile Pluto sextile Neptune sextile Sun Venus, so he managed to turn the wreckage of his early years into performance art. Plus a lucky Jupiter conjunct his Midheaven.
When he was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 2012, tr Neptune was square his Sun Venus Uranus and then Saturn; with his Solar Arc MC conjunct his Neptune along the way – so an undermining time.
He’s got tr Uranus square his Jupiter later this month for an enthusiasm boost; and hopes he can return to touring if new medication works. Though with tr Neptune moving to square his Moon in 2018 he won’t be as energetic as he was.
There’s a fair amount of Saturn cross-overs in his relationship with Pamela Stephenson, as with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. She was born 4 Dec 1949 and is a Sun Mercury in Sagittarius square Mars Saturn in Virgo, so would have her own demons to work out. His Saturn opposes her Sun and her Saturn squares his Moon. There’s a Yod in their composite chart of Saturn sextile Moon inconjunct Venus – which would bring strains initially but clearly settled down.