Los Angeles, Nov 1 (IANS): Hollywood actor Kevin Costner has honoured late legendary actor Sean Connery, calling him the biggest star.

In his statement, Costner said his co-star in "The Untouchables" had an amazing career, reports variety.com.

"I, like the rest of the world, was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sean Connery. Sean was a crafted actor who was enormously proud of his body of work, particularly his work on stage. And although he was a very no-nonsense person, he was incredibly inclusive with me professionally and personally," Costner said.

"He was the biggest star that I ever worked with and I will be forever grateful to be linked with him on film. Sean Connery was a man's man who had an amazing career," he added.

Connery passed away on Friday in his sleep. He was 90 years old. The actor won an Oscar for his role in "The Untouchables" as a police officer Jim Malone, a mentor to Costner's character Elliot Ness. The film was a huge success when it released in 1987, making Costner a star and helping Connery once again prove his acting skills.

Actor Robert De Niro, who played Al Capone in "The Untouchables", also honoured Connery, saying, aceHe seemed much younger than 90; I expected -- and hoped -- he'd be with us much longer."

Connery was best known for playing James Bond in seven films. He also appeared in movies like "Time Bandits", "The Man Who Would Be King" "The Hunt for Red October" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".