Sean Bean

Sean Bean
Bean in October 2017
Born
Shaun Mark Bean

(1959-04-17) 17 April 1959 (age 65)
Sheffield, England
OccupationActor
Years active1983–present
Spouses
  • Debra James
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1981; div. 1988)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1990; div. 1997)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1997; div. 2000)​
  • Georgina Sutcliffe
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2008; div. 2011)​
  • Ashley Moore
    ​
    (m. 2017)​
Children3

Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean; 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his professional debut in a production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983 at The Watermill Theatre.[1] Retaining his Yorkshire accent, he first found mainstream success for his portrayal of Richard Sharpe in the ITV series Sharpe, which originally ran from 1993 to 1997.

Bean's film roles include Stormy Monday (1988), Patriot Games (1992), GoldenEye (1995), Ronin (1998), Don't Say a Word (2001), The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), Equilibrium (2002), National Treasure (2004), Troy (2004), Flightplan (2005), North Country (2005), The Island (2005), Silent Hill (2006), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), Black Death (2010), Jupiter Ascending (2015), and The Martian (2015).

His television roles include the BBC anthology series Accused, Broken, Game of Thrones, and the ITV historical drama series Henry VIII and Legends. As a voice actor, Bean has been featured in the video games The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Sid Meier's Civilization VI, and the feature films Wolfwalkers and Mummies among others.

Since 2002, Bean has been the main voiceover for O2 adverts, with his most recent narrated advert released in November 2024.

In 2022, Bean won the British Academy Television Award as Leading Actor in Time, a BBC One drama.[2]

Early life

Sheffield Legends plaque in Bean's home city of Sheffield

Shaun Mark Bean[3] was born in the Handsworth suburb of Sheffield on 17 April 1959,[4] the son of Rita (née Tuckwood) and Brian K. Bean (born 1934).[5][6] He has a younger sister, Lorraine. His paternal grandfather, Harold Bean Jr. (1914–2001), served in the Royal Navy in the Second World War[7] and was a stud mill labourer who later became a pacifist.[6] His father owned a fabrication company that employed 50 people, including Bean's mother, who worked as a secretary. Despite becoming relatively wealthy, the family never moved away from the council estate as they preferred to remain close to friends and family.[8] As a child, Bean smashed a glass door during an argument, which left a piece of glass embedded in his leg that briefly impeded his walking, and left a large scar.[5] This prevented him from pursuing his ambition of playing football professionally.[9]

Bean first attended a local school, Handsworth Junior School, before going to Athelstan School until he was 12, when he went to study at Brook School.[10] In 1975, Bean left Brook Comprehensive School with O levels in Art and English.[11] After a job at a supermarket and another for the local council, he started work at his father's firm. Once a week, he attended Rotherham College of Arts and Technology to study welding.[12] While at college, he came upon an art class, and decided to pursue his interest in art. After attending courses at two other colleges, one for half a day and the other for less than a week, he returned to Rotherham College, where he enrolled in a drama course. After some college plays and one at Rotherham Civic Theatre, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), starting a seven-term course in January 1981.[5]

Career

Bean at the premiere of North Country at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival

Bean graduated from RADA in 1983, making his professional acting debut later that year as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury.[5] His early career involved a mixture of stage and screen work. As an actor, he adopted the Irish spelling of his first name. His first national exposure came in an advert for Barbican non-alcoholic lager.[13] In 1984, he starred in David and Jonathan by William Douglas-Home at the Redgrave Theatre in Farnham.[14] Between 1986 and 1988, he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in productions of Romeo and Juliet, The Fair Maid of the West, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.[15][16] He appeared in his first film, Derek Jarman's Caravaggio (1986), opposite Tilda Swinton, playing Ranuccio Tomassoni, followed by the same director's War Requiem (1988). He had the protagonist role in Stormy Monday (1988), directed by Mike Figgis. In 1989, he starred as the evil Dominic O'Brien in The Fifteen Streets, where he gained a dedicated following.[17]

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bean became an established actor on British television.[18] In 1990, Bean starred in Jim Sheridan's adaptation of the John B. Keane play The Field. Also in 1990, his role as the journalist Anton in Windprints examined the difficult problems of apartheid in South Africa. He appeared in the BBC productions Clarissa (1991) (with Saskia Wickham and Lynsey Baxter) and Lady Chatterley (1993) (with Joely Richardson).[19] In 1996, he combined his love of football with his career to finally achieve his childhood dream of playing for Sheffield United, starring as Jimmy Muir in the film When Saturday Comes.[20] Although the film was not critically acclaimed, Bean received credit for a good performance.[21] In August 1997, Bean appeared in what became a famous Sky Sports commercial for the upcoming 1997–98 Premier League season.[22] His football-related work continued in 1998 when he narrated La Coupe de la Gloire, the official film of the 1998 FIFA World Cup held in France.[23]

Bean's critical successes in Caravaggio and Lady Chatterley contributed to his emerging image as a sex symbol, but he became most closely associated with the character of Richard Sharpe, the maverick Napoleonic Wars rifleman in the ITV television series Sharpe. The series was based on Bernard Cornwell's novels about the Peninsular War, and the fictional experiences of a band of soldiers in the famed 95th Rifles. Starting with Sharpe's Rifles, the series followed the fortunes and misfortunes of Richard Sharpe as he rose from the ranks as a Sergeant, promoted to Lieutenant in Portugal, to Lieutenant Colonel by the time of the Battle of Waterloo.

Bean was not the first actor to be chosen to play Sharpe. As Paul McGann was injured while playing football two days into filming, the producers initially tried to work around his injury, but it proved impossible and Bean replaced him. The series ran continuously from 1993 to 1997, with three episodes produced each year. It was filmed under challenging conditions, first in Ukraine and later in Portugal. After several years of rumours, more episodes were produced: Sharpe's Challenge (2006) and Sharpe's Peril (2008).[24] Both of these were released as two cinema-length 90-minute episodes per series.[25] With a role as enigmatic Lord Richard Fenton in the TV miniseries Scarlett, Bean made the transition to Hollywood feature films. His first notable Hollywood appearance was that of an Irish republican terrorist in the 1992 film adaptation of Patriot Games. While filming his death scene, Harrison Ford hit him with a boat hook, giving him a permanent scar. Bean's rough-cut looks made him a patent choice for a villain, and his role in Patriot Games was the first of several villains that he would portray, all of whom die in gruesome ways.[26]

Bean at a press conference for Ridley Scott's The Martian, 2015 Toronto Film Festival

In the 1995 film GoldenEye, Bean portrayed James Bond's nemesis Alec Trevelyan (MI6's 006).[27] He played the weak-stomached Spence in Ronin (1998), a wife-beating ex-con in Essex Boys (2000), and a malevolent kidnapper/jewel thief in Don't Say a Word (2001). He was also widely recognised as villainous treasure hunter Ian Howe in National Treasure, and played a villainous scientist in The Island (2005). In the independent film Far North, he plays a Russian mercenary who gets lost in the tundra and is rescued by an Inuit woman and her daughter, whom he later pits against one another.[28]

Bean's most prominent role was as Boromir in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. His major screen time occurs in the first instalment, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He appears briefly in flashbacks in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, as well as in a scene from the extended edition of The Two Towers. Before casting finished, rumours circulated that Jackson had considered Bean for the role of Aragorn, but neither Bean nor Jackson confirmed this in subsequent interviews. Bean's fear of flying in helicopters caused him difficulties in mountainous New Zealand, where the trilogy was filmed. After a particularly rough ride, he vowed not to fly to a location again; in one instance, he chose to take a ski lift into the mountains while wearing his full costume (complete with shield, armour, and sword) and then hike the final few miles.[29][30]

Other roles gave more scope for his acting abilities. In 1999's Extremely Dangerous, his character walked a fine line between villain and hero.[31] He became a repentant, poetry-reading Grammaton cleric who succumbs to his emotions in 2002's Equilibrium, a quirky alien cowboy in 2003's The Big Empty, and a sympathetic and cunning Odysseus in the 2004 film Troy. He appeared with other Hollywood stars in Moby's music video "We Are All Made of Stars" in February 2002.[32] In the same year, he returned to the stage in London performing in Macbeth.[33] Due to popular demand, the production ran until March 2003.[34] In 2005, Bean had sizeable roles in the films Flightplan and North Country.

Bean at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival

Bean has done voice-over work, mostly in the British advertising industry.[35] He has featured in television adverts for O2, Morrisons and Barnardos as well as for Acuvue and the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States. He also does the voice-over for the National Blood Service's television and radio campaign. Bean has also filmed a TV ad for Yorkshire Tea, a United Kingdom brand of tea.[36] For the role playing video game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, he voiced Martin Septim.[37] Bean's distinctive voice has also been used in the intro and outro segments of the BBC Formula 1 racing coverage for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Bean completed a one-hour pilot, Faceless, for US television. He has also appeared in Outlaw (2007), an independent British remake of the 1986 horror film The Hitcher; here he used an American accent again. In 2009, he appeared in the Red Riding trilogy as the malevolent John Dawson. He also appeared in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), playing the role of Zeus, the king of Mount Olympus and god of the sky, thunder, and lightning. Also that year, Bean starred in Cash, playing the lead role of Pyke Kubic, a dangerous man determined to recover his wealth in a bad economy. Cash explored the role money plays in today's hard economic times. Bean also played the villain's twin brother, Reese. Bean starred in the first season of Game of Thrones, HBO's adaptation of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin, playing the part of Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark.[38] Bean and Peter Dinklage were the two actors whose inclusion show runners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss considered necessary for the show to become a success, and for whose roles no other actors were considered. His portrayal won him critical praise; as The A.V. Club's reviewer put it, he "portrayed Ned as a man who knew he lived in the muck but hoped for better and assumed everyone else would come along for the ride."[39] HBO's promotional efforts focused on Bean as the show's leading man and best-known actor.[40][41]

In 2012, Bean appeared in four films: Soldiers of Fortune; Cleanskin, in which he plays a secret service agent faced with the task of pursuing and eliminating a suicide bomber and his terrorist cell; Tarsem Singh's Snow White adaptation, Mirror Mirror; and the sequel Silent Hill: Revelation, in which he reprised his role as Christopher Da Silva.[42] Also that year, Bean co-starred in the ABC drama series Missing, and appeared as cross-dressing teacher Simon in the opening episode of the second season of UK television series Accused, a role which would earn him a Royal Television Society best actor award.[43][44]

Bean starred in the espionage television series Legends as Martin Odum, an FBI agent who takes on various fabricated identities to go undercover. The show was canceled after its second season. An intensive viral marketing campaign was centred on the hashtag #DontKillSeanBean, focusing on the various deaths of his past characters and promising his character in Legends would not suffer the same fate.[45] The campaign culminated with a Funny or Die exclusive video featuring Bean filming a scene for the show where he's become so accustomed to dying on screen that he expects his character to die a bizarrely gruesome death despite the simplicity of the scene.[46]

From 2015 to 2017, Bean starred in the ITV Encore drama series The Frankenstein Chronicles.[47] In that time, he also starred in multiple notable films including Jupiter Ascending, Pixels, and The Martian. In 2017, Bean starred in the BBC series Broken as the troubled priest Father Michael Kerrigan, which earned him a BAFTA award for Best Actor.[48] In 2019, Bean played a damaged veteran in the TV drama World on Fire, basing his interpretation on his late paternal grandfather.[49]

On 31 May 2020, Bean appeared on Josh Gad's YouTube series Reunited Apart which reunites the cast of popular movies through video-conferencing, and promotes donations to non-profit charities. The episode saw Bean reunited with fellow Lord of the Rings castmates Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, and Elijah Wood, plus composer Howard Shore, writer Philippa Boyens and director Peter Jackson.[50]

In 2021, the actor was reunited with Jimmy McGovern (author of Broken and Accused) and Stephen Graham (his co-star in Tracie's Story) for the 3-part BBC prison drama Time.[51]

Bean starred alongside Nicola Walker in Stefan Golaszewski's drama series Marriage (2022), which opened to mixed reviews from both critics and viewers.[52][53][54][55][56]

Public image

Personality

Bean is often described as "down to earth" and has retained his Yorkshire accent.[19] He says that he does not mind being considered as a "bit of rough" by women.[57] He has developed a reputation as a loner, a label that he considers unfair.[19] He has described himself instead as quiet, and interviewers confirm that he is a "man of few words",[58] with one interviewer calling him "surprisingly shy".[59] He admits that he can be a workaholic; he reads books or listens to music in his spare time, and is a skilled pianist. He is also a keen gardener, welder, and sketcher.[60] Popular in his home county, a 2018 poll for Yorkshire Day saw Bean ranked the second greatest Yorkshireman ever behind Monty Python comedian, and fellow Sheffielder, Michael Palin.[61]

Acting style

Despite being professionally trained, Bean adopted an instinctive style of acting that some say makes him especially well-suited to portraying his characters' depths.[62] He has said that the most difficult part is at the start of filming when trying to understand the character.[63] After achieving this, he can snap in and out of character instantly. This ability to go from the quiet man on set to the warrior Boromir "amazed" Sean Astin during filming of The Fellowship of the Ring.[64] Other fans include directors Mike Figgis and Wolfgang Petersen, who described working with Bean as a "beautiful thing".[62]

Deaths of characters

For many years, Bean's characters died on screen, a phenomenon that gained notoriety on the internet and in The Lord of The Rings, Game of Thrones and James Bond fandoms and had become an Internet meme.[65] Bean's favourite on-screen death is Boromir in The Fellowship of the Ring: "I thought his death was very heroic and triumphant and poignant. It had pathos."[66] In September 2019, Bean revealed that he had begun turning down roles that would have his character killed because his screen death had become predictable.[67][68]

Personal life

Bean has been married five times and divorced four times. He married his secondary school sweetheart Debra James on 11 April 1981, and they were divorced in 1988. He met actress Melanie Hill at RADA, and they were married on 27 February 1990. Their first daughter was born in October 1987, and their second was born in September 1991. Their marriage ended in divorce in August 1997. During the filming of Sharpe, Bean met actress Abigail Cruttenden, and they were married on 22 November 1997. Their daughter was born in November 1998. They were divorced in July 2000. In addition to his three children, Bean has four grandchildren.[69]

Bean began dating actress Georgina Sutcliffe in 2006. After cancelling their planned January 2008 wedding on the eve of the ceremony for "personal reasons", he married Sutcliffe at the Marylebone Town Hall in London on 19 February 2008.[70] During allegations that Bean physically abused Sutcliffe in 2009,[59] domestic disturbances resulted in the police being called to their home in Belsize Park on three occasions. Bean and Sutcliffe's separation was announced on 6 August 2010,[71] and a decree nisi was granted on 21 December 2010.[72] He married Ashley Moore on 30 June 2017.[73]

Bean has been a fan of Sheffield United (the "Blades") since he was eight years old, and has a tattoo on his left shoulder that reads "100% Blade".[74][75] He opened their Hall of Fame in 2001 and, after making a six-figure contribution to the club's finances, was on their board of directors between 2002 and 2007 to help raise the profile of the club. He stepped down in 2007 to "go back to being an ordinary supporter" where he feels at home.[76] During his time there, he had a dispute with Neil Warnock, former manager of Sheffield United, after Warnock claimed that Bean stormed into his office and shouted at him in front of his wife and daughter when the club had just been relegated from the Premier League. Bean denies it, calling Warnock "bitter" and "hypocritical".[77] He wrote the foreword and helped to promote a book of anecdotes called Sheffield United: The Biography.[78] He also follows Yorkshire County Cricket Club.[79]

Bean has a tattoo of the number nine on his shoulder, written using Tengwar, in reference to his involvement in the Lord of the Rings films and the fact that his character was one of the original nine companions of the Fellowship of the Ring. Seven of the other actors of "The Fellowship" (Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, and Viggo Mortensen) have the same tattoo, while John Rhys-Davies, whose character was also one of the original nine companions, arranged for his stunt double to get the tattoo instead.[80][81]

Aligned with the British left, in 2015 Bean expressed support for Jeremy Corbyn and for "old Labour", the era before Tony Blair rebranded the party as New Labour; Bean also spoke of his admiration for Tony Benn.[82]

Bean is a Christian[83] and a gardener in his spare time.[84]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Winter Flight Hooker
1986 Caravaggio Ranuccio
1988 Stormy Monday Brendan
1989 How to Get Ahead in Advertising Larry Frisk
The Fifteen Streets Dominic O'Brien
War Requiem German Soldier
1990 Windprints Anton
The Field Tadhg McCabe
1992 Patriot Games Sean Miller
1994 Shopping Venning
Black Beauty Farmer Grey
1995 GoldenEye Alec Trevelyan / Janus
1996 When Saturday Comes Jimmy Muir
1997 Anna Karenina Vronsky
1998 Ronin Spence
Airborn Dave Toombs
1999 Bravo Two Zero Andy McNab
2000 Essex Boys Jason Locke
2001 Don't Say a Word Patrick Koster
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Boromir
2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended edition only
Equilibrium Errol Partridge
Tom and Thomas Paul Shepherd
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Boromir
The Big Empty Cowboy
2004 National Treasure Ian Howe
Troy Odysseus
2005 North Country Kyle Dodge
Flightplan Captain Marcus Rich
The Island Dr. Merrick
The Dark James
2006 Silent Hill Chris Da Silva
2007 The Hitcher John Ryder
Outlaw Danny Bryant
Far North Loki
2010 Black Death Ulric
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Zeus
Cash Pyke Kubic / Reese Kubic
Death Race 2 Markus Kane Direct-to-DVD
2011 Age of Heroes Jones
2012 Cleanskin Ewan
Soldiers of Fortune Dimidov
Mirror Mirror The King, Snow White's father
Silent Hill: Revelation Christopher Da Silva / Harry Mason
2014 Wicked Blood Frank Stinson
2015 The Snow Queen 2: The Snow King Arrog Voice
Any Day Vian
Jupiter Ascending Stinger Apini
Pixels Corporal Hill
The Martian Mitch Henderson
2016 The Young Messiah Severus
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV King Regis Voice[85]
2017 Drone Neil
Dark River Richard Bell
The Unconquered Narrator Voice; short film[86]
2018 Taniel Narrator Voice; short film
2020 Possessor John Parse
Wolfwalkers Bill Goodfellowe Voice
2023 Mummies Pharaoh Voice
Knights of the Zodiac Alman Kiddo (Mitsumasa Kido) Lead role[87]
2024 Buffalo Kids Outlaw Wilson Voice
2025 Rogue Trooper TBA Voice; post-production
TBA Anemone TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1984 The Bill Horace Clark Episode: "Long Odds"
1985 Exploits at West Poley Scarred Man Television film
1986 The Practice Terry Donlan 2 episodes
1988 The Storyteller The Prince Episode: "The True Bride"
Troubles Capt. Bolton Television film
1989 The Jim Henson Hour Prince Episode: "Musicians"
1990 Screen Two Vic Episode: "Small Vones"
Lorna Doone Carver Doone Television film
Wedded Man Television film
1991 4 Play Smith Episode: "In the Border Country"
Screen One Gabriel Lewis / Jack Morgan 2 episodes
Clarissa Lovelace 4 episodes
1992 Inspector Morse Alex Bailey Episode: "Absolute Conviction"
Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery Micky McAvoy Television film
My Kingdom for a Horse Steve Television film
1993 Sharpe's Rifles Sergeant/Lieutenant Richard Sharpe Television film
Sharpe's Eagle Captain Richard Sharpe Television film
Lady Chatterley Mellors 4 episodes
A Woman's Guide to Adultery Paul 3 episodes
1994 Jacob Esau Television film
Sharpe's Company Captain Richard Sharpe Television film
Sharpe's Enemy Major Richard Sharpe Television film
Sharpe's Honour Television film
Scarlett Lord Richard Fenton 3 episodes
1995 Sharpe's Gold Major Richard Sharpe Television film
Sharpe's Battle Television film
Sharpe's Sword Television film
1996 Decisive Weapons Narrator Documentary
Sharpe's Regiment Major Richard Sharpe Television film
Sharpe's Siege Television film
Sharpe's Mission Television film
1997 Sharpe's Revenge Television film
Sharpe's Justice Television film
Sharpe's Waterloo Lieutenant Colonel Richard Sharpe Television film
1998 The Canterbury Tales The Nun's Priest Voice
Episode: "Leaving London"
1999 Bravo Two Zero Andy McNab Television film
Extremely Dangerous Niel Bryne 4 episodes
The Vicar of Dibley Himself Episode: "Spring"
2003 Henry VIII Robert Aske Television film
2004 Pride Dark Voice
Television film
2006 Faceless Eddie Prey Unaired pilot
Sharpe's Challenge Sergeant/Colonel Richard Sharpe Television film
2007 Once Upon a Time in Iran Narrator Voice
Documentary[88]
2008 Crusoe James Crusoe 4 episodes
Sharpe's Peril Colonel Richard Sharpe Television film
2009 Red Riding John Dawson 2 episodes
2010 The Lost Future Amal Television film
2011 Game of Thrones Eddard "Ned" Stark 9 episodes
2012 Missing Paul Winstone 8 episodes
Accused Simon / Tracie Episode: "Tracie's Story"
2013 Family Guy Portrait Griffin Voice
Episode: "No Country Club for Old Men"
2014 Robot Chicken Doctor Doom / North / Heathcliff Voice
Episode: "Catdog on a Stick"
2014–2015 Legends Martin Odum 20 episodes; also producer
2015–2017 The Frankenstein Chronicles John Marlott 12 episodes; also co-producer
2015 Sean Bean on Waterloo Himself (Presenter) Documentary
2016 Wasted Sean Bean 6 episodes
Roman Empire: Reign of Blood Narrator Voice
Documentary
2017 Broken Father Michael Kerrigan 6 episodes and also executive producer
Yorkshire: A Year in the Wild Narrator Voice
Documentary
2018 Medici: Masters of Florence Jacopo de' Pazzi 8 episodes
The Oath Tom Hammand 10 episodes
Sally4Ever Sean Bean Episode #1.7
2019 Curfew[89] Errol "The General" Chambers 6 episodes
World on Fire Douglas Bennett 7 episodes
2020–2021, 2024 Snowpiercer[90][91] Mr. Wilford 11 episodes
2021 Time[92] Mark Cobden 3 episodes and also executive producer
2022 Marriage Ian [93]
2024 Shardlake Thomas Cromwell 2 episodes
TBA This City is Ours Ronnie Filming[94]

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes
1997 GoldenEye 007 Alec Trevelyan Likeness
2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Boromir
2006 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Martin Septim
2012 Lego The Lord of the Rings Boromir
2013 Papa Sangre II Narrator / Guide
Train Simulator 2014 Narrator Marketing trailer only
2014 Train Simulator 2015
2015 Kholat
Life Is Feudal
2016 Sid Meier's Civilization VI
2018 Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall
Hitman 2 Mark Faba Voice and likeness
2019 Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Narrator
A Plague Tale: Innocence Marketing trailer only

Music videos

Year Artist Title Role
2002 Moby "We Are All Made of Stars" Himself

Voice over

Year Brand Project Role
2002–present O2 TV adverts Voice over

Awards and honours

In his home city of Sheffield, he has received several honours and acclaims, including an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in 1997 and a Doctor of Letters in English Literature from the University of Sheffield in July 2007.[95][96] He was selected as one of the inaugural members of Sheffield Legends (the Sheffield equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame) and a plaque in his honour has been placed in front of Sheffield Town Hall.[97] Bean commented: "I did get a doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University about 11 or 12 years ago so now I'm a double doctor. But this was wonderful, especially from my home city."[95][96]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2002 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award Best Acting Ensemble Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring[98] Won
2002 Empire Award Best British Actor Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring[99] Nominated
2002 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring[100] Nominated
2002 DVD Exclusive Award Best Audio Commentary, New Release Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring[101] Nominated
2003 Online Film Critics Society Award Best Ensemble Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers[102] Won
2003 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award Best Acting Ensemble Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers[98] Nominated
2003 DVD Exclusive Award Best Audio Commentary, New Release Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers[103] Nominated
2004 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award Best Acting Ensemble Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Won
2004 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Lord of the Rings: Return of the King[104] Won
2004 Critics' Choice Award Best Acting Ensemble Lord of the Rings: Return of the King[105] Won
2004 National Board of Review Best Acting by an Ensemble Lord of the Rings: Return of the King[106] Won
2010 Screamfest Horror Film Festival Best Actor Black Death[107] Won
2011 Portal Award Best Actor Game of Thrones[108] Won
2011 IGN Summer Movie Award Best Television Hero Game of Thrones[109] Won
2011 IGN People's Choice Award Best Television Hero Game of Thrones[109] Won
2011 EWwy Award Best Actor in a Drama Game of Thrones[110] Nominated
2011 Scream Award Best Ensemble Game of Thrones[111] Nominated
2011 Scream Award Best Fantasy Actor Game of Thrones[111] Nominated
2012 Screen Actor's Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Game of Thrones[112] Nominated
2012 Saturn Award Best Actor on Television Game of Thrones[113][114] Nominated
2012 Fangoria Chainsaw Award Best Actor Black Death[115] Nominated
2013 International Emmy Award Best Actor Accused[116] Won
2013 Royal Television Society Awards Best Actor Accused[117] Won
2013 BAFTA Award Leading Actor Accused[118] Nominated
2013 People's Choice Award Favorite Cable TV Actor Legends[119] Nominated
2017 Royal Television Society NW Best Performance in a Single Drama or Drama Series (Male) Broken[120] Won
2017 Cologne Film Festival Hollywood Reporter Award Himself[121] Won
2018 BAFTA Award Leading Actor Broken[122] Won
2021 BAFTA TV Award Leading Actor Time[123] Won

References

  1. ^ "The Watermill Theatre – MY WATERMILL STORY by late Artistic Director, Jill Fraser MBE". www.watermill.org.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  2. ^ "BAFTA TV Awards 2022 winners: Full list of winners and nominees".
  3. ^ Kendall, Ellie (29 September 2019). "How old is Sean Bean? 23 surprising facts about Somerset-based World on Fire actor". Somerset Live. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Sean Bean. Biography, news, photos and videos". hellomagazine.com. 22 November 1984. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d "Sean Bean Biography". Tiscali. p. 1. Archived from the original on 13 August 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  6. ^ a b "Famous family trees: Sean Bean". Find My Past. 22 July 2013. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  7. ^ Pharo, Jen (19 September 2019). "Sean Bean on becoming a war hero turned conscientious objector in BBC drama". The Express. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  8. ^ Jardine, Cassandra (14 March 2006). "I do my work and if things work out, they work out". London: Telegraph Group. p. 4. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
  9. ^ Clarke, Hayley (20 June 2021). "BBC Time star Sean Bean's savage scar from Harrison Ford that actually gave him his big TV break". MyLondon. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Sean Bean Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions". WIRED – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Sean Bean – actor". Sharpe Appreciation Society. Archived from the original on 16 September 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  12. ^ "Sean Bean honoured on Sheffield walk of fame". BBC News. BBC. 16 January 2010. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Barbican Ad". 26 December 1999. Archived from the original on 5 October 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2006.
  14. ^ "Royal Night at the Redgrave". www.compleatseanbean.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  15. ^ Trowbridge, Simon. The Company: A Biographical Dictionary of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Oxford: Editions Albert Creed (2010) ISBN 978-0-9559830-2-3
  16. ^ "The Company: A Biographical Dictionary of the RSC: Supplementary Material".[permanent dead link‍]
  17. ^ "Bringing Cookson stories to screen". Evening Chronicle. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  18. ^ "MSN Movies". Microsoft. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  19. ^ a b c Hockney, Karen (22 April 2006). "Sharpe still cuts it". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2017.(subscription required)
  20. ^ Michael Betzold (2016). "When Saturday Comes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  21. ^ "When Saturday Comes review". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  22. ^ "A look back at the best Sky ads from the past 20 years". The Guardian. 23 June 2015. Archived from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  23. ^ "FIFA World Cup and Official FIFA Events: Programming" (PDF). FIFAfilms.com. March 2012. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  24. ^ "Sharpe rumours". Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
  25. ^ "Sharpe's Challenge official website". sharpefilm.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  26. ^ Kent, Winona (28 March 2009). Death by Cow: The List. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  27. ^ "Sean Bean on 'great honour' of playing a James Bond villain". Digital Spy. 30 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  28. ^ French, Philip (9 April 1991). "Far North". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  29. ^ "Flightplan interview". Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  30. ^ Bean, Sean. "Sean Bean on the Jonathan Ross Show" (Interview). Interviewed by Jonathan Ross. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  31. ^ "Sean Bean Biography". Hollywood Media Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  32. ^ "We are all made of Stars". Archived from the original on 5 June 2002. Retrieved 24 September 2006.
  33. ^ "The Compleat Sean Bean". Archived from the original on 20 September 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2006.
  34. ^ "West End Macbeth Extends Through March 2003". Playbill. 14 December 2002. Retrieved 18 September 2006.
  35. ^ "Voice that's earning a bean or two..." (reprint). Sheffield Today. 11 November 2003. Archived from the original on 5 October 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2006.
  36. ^ Blow, John (8 July 2019). "Sean Bean and Dynamo Yorkshire Tea adverts receive 'thousands of lovely comments'". Yorkshire Post Newspapers (JPIMedia). The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  37. ^ "Bethesda Softworks Taps Hollywood Voice Talent". Bethesda Softworks. Archived from the original on 18 November 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2006.
  38. ^ "'Game Of Thrones' Star Sean Bean On Playing 'A Good Man For A Change'". MTV. 18 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  39. ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (13 June 2011). ""Baelor" (for experts)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  40. ^ Rose, Steve (15 April 2011). "Game Of Thrones: The Sopranos with swords or Dynasty in chainmail?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  41. ^ Mulkerrins, Jane (18 April 2011). "Sean Bean on Game of Thrones". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  42. ^ "Sean Bean Back For Silent Hill Sequel". Empire Online. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  43. ^ Barnes, Anthony (20 March 2012). "Royal Television Society Programme Awards: Sean Bean wins best actor gong for cross-dressing teacher role". Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. The Independent. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  44. ^ Hibberd, James (16 March 2012). "Sean Bean talks 'Missing' future after pilot shock". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  45. ^ "#DontKillSeanBean Campaign Aims to Save Actor From Yet Another Onscreen Death". Time. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  46. ^ "Sean Bean Death Scene". Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  47. ^ Hogan, Michael (11 November 2015). "The Frankenstein Chronicles, review: 'eerily effective'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  48. ^ "Bafta TV Awards: The night in pictures". BBC News. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  49. ^ "Sean Bean on becoming a war hero turned conscientious objector in BBC drama". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  50. ^ "Actor Josh Gad reunites stars of "Lord of the Rings" while raising money for kids in need". www.cbsnews.com. June 2020.
  51. ^ "First look at Sean Bean and Stephen Graham in Time as Siobhan Finneran joins cast". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  52. ^ Harrison, Ellie (14 August 2022). "Marriage: BBC viewers divided over slow, realist Sean Bean drama". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  53. ^ Sturges, Fiona (14 August 2022). "Marriage is largely tedious – Sean Bean's new TV series finally gets it". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  54. ^ "TV tonight: Sean Bean and Nicola Walker argue over a jacket potato". The Guardian. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  55. ^ East, Ben (14 August 2022). "Marriage on BBC review: Sean Bean and Nicola Walker deliver acting masterclass in authentic relationship study". Metro. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  56. ^ Hilton, Nick (14 August 2022). "Marriage review: Sean Bean and Nicola Walker's marital non-drama will bore you to tears". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  57. ^ "The Andrew Duncan Interview" (reprint). Radio Times. 11 May 1996. Archived from the original on 6 October 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2006.
  58. ^ Kent, Winona (2001). "The Interview". The Compleat Sean Bean. Vancouver, BC. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  59. ^ a b Raphael, Amy (17 February 2009). "Sean Bean's Brutal Role in Red Riding". The Times. London.
  60. ^ Black, Mary (8 August 2005). "The Thinking Woman's Bit of Rough" (reprint). Ms London Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 September 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  61. ^ "Ed Sheeran named among the greatest Yorkshiremen of all time". London Economic. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  62. ^ a b "Sheffield Steel" (reprint). Vogue. June 2004. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2006.
  63. ^ "Sean Bean: The Interview". Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2006.
  64. ^ The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, "Cast Commentary", region 2
  65. ^ Fowler, Matt (11 August 2014). "The many deaths of Sean Bean". UK IGN.
  66. ^ Ling, Thomas (17 September 2019). "Sean Bean reveals which of his character deaths he thinks is the best ever". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  67. ^ Barnes, Sarah (24 September 2019). "Actor Sean Bean Has Died 23 Times on Screen, Announces He Won't Be Doing That Anymore". My Modern Met.
  68. ^ Carlisle, Madeleine (21 September 2019). "'Game of Thrones' and 'Lord of The Rings' Actor Sean Bean Says He's Now Rejecting Roles Where He's Killed". Time.
  69. ^ Billen, Andrew. "Sean Bean family". Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  70. ^ "Celebrity wedding venue popular with Sir Paul McCartney and Liam Gallagher reopens after £60m renovation". Evening Standard. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  71. ^ "Sean Bean To Divorce". National Ledger. 7 August 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  72. ^ "'LOTR' star divorces for a fourth time". Canoe Inc. 22 December 2010. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  73. ^ Powell, Emma (30 June 2017). "Game of Thrones star Sean Bean ties the knot for fifth time – and celebrates with a beer". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  74. ^ "Sean Bean – Biography". TalkTalk. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  75. ^ "Sean Bean Profile". UKTV Interactive Limited. Archived from the original on 11 July 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  76. ^ "Sean Bean quits Blades". The Star. 11 December 2007. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  77. ^ "Warnock: 'Sean Bean swore at my son'". Channel 4 News. 31 July 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  78. ^ "Sheffield United: The Biography". FL Interactive. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2007.
  79. ^ "Its hard being a sex symbol!" (reprint). Woman's Own. 13 January 2003. Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 15 September 2006.
  80. ^ "Sean Bean Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions". Wired. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  81. ^ "The stars of The Lord of the Rings trilogy reach their journey's end". SciFi.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
  82. ^ Stone, Jon (3 November 2015). "Sean Bean says Jeremy Corbyn is 'sticking up for the working class' and 'talks a lot of sense'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  83. ^ Larsen, Peter (11 March 2016). "Actor Sean Bean talks 'The Young Messiah,' the story of Jesus Christ as a child". Orange County Register. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  84. ^ Pharo, Jen (19 September 2019). "Sean Bean on becoming a war hero turned conscientious objector in BBC drama". Daily Express. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  85. ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (31 March 2016). "Final Fantasy 15 Movie 'Kingsglaive' Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  86. ^ "The Unconquered Movie". Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  87. ^ Kit, Borys (21 September 2021). "Mackenyu, Madison Iseman, Sean Bean, Famke Janssen to Star in Live-Action 'Knights of the Zodiac' Adaptation (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  88. ^ "Radio and TV Narration". compleatseanbean.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  89. ^ Clarke, Stewart (25 January 2018). "Sean Bean to Star in Sky's Street-Racing Drama 'Curfew'". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  90. ^ "Snowpiercer". 17 May 2020 – via IMDb.
  91. ^ Petski, Denise (31 October 2019). "'Snowpiercer': 'Game Of Thrones' Alum Sean Bean Joins Season 2 Of TNT Drama As New Series Regular".
  92. ^ "Sean Bean and Stephen Graham to star in new Jimmy McGovern drama Time for BBC One". bbc.co.uk. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  93. ^ "First look images released of Sean Bean and Nicola Walker in Stefan Golaszewski's drama Marriage for BBC One and BBC iPlayer". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  94. ^ Goldbart, Max (28 May 2024). "Sean Bean To Play Gang Leader In BBC Drama Series 'This City Is Ours' From 'The Crown' Producer Left Bank". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  95. ^ a b "The Sean Bean Picture Pages". Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2006.
  96. ^ a b "Sheffield University". Archived from the original on 10 September 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2007.
  97. ^ "Sean Bean Sheffield Legends". Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  98. ^ a b "AWARDS | PHOENIX FILM CRITICS SOCIETY". phoenixfilmcriticssociety.org. 28 April 2018. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  99. ^ "The Empire Awards 2002". 12 June 2002. Archived from the original on 12 June 2002. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  100. ^ "The 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  101. ^ "DVD Exclusive Online". 14 January 2005. Archived from the original on 14 January 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  102. ^ "Two Towers Online Crits' Fave". E! Online. 6 January 2003. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  103. ^ "DVD Exclusive Online". 15 February 2005. Archived from the original on 15 February 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  104. ^ "The 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  105. ^ "CNN.com – 'Rings' big winner at L.A. film awards – Jan. 11, 2004". www.cnn.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  106. ^ "2003 Archives – National Board of Review". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  107. ^ "2010 Festival Archive". SCREAMFEST. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  108. ^ "2011 Portal Award Winners – Game of Thrones & Fringe Head the List". SpoilerTV. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  109. ^ a b "Best Television Hero – Best of 2011 – IGN". 19 August 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  110. ^ "The 2011 EWwy Award Winners Announced (EW.com Awards)". 4 November 2016. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  111. ^ a b "Top 10 Action Movies of 2011". www.webcitation.org. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  112. ^ "The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  113. ^ "Saturn Award Nominations Announced; HUGO and HARRY POTTER Lead with 10 Nominations Each". Collider. 29 February 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  114. ^ "38th Annual Saturn Award Winners Include RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, SUPER 8, BREAKING BAD and FRINGE as Frontrunners". Collider. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  115. ^ "The 2012 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Winners". archive.is. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  116. ^ "Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean wins International Emmy for role in". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  117. ^ "Bean awarded for cross-dressing role". BBC News. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  118. ^ "TV Baftas 2013: all the winners". The Guardian. 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  119. ^ "People's Choice Awards – Full list of winners". ABC7 Los Angeles. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  120. ^ "Regional Awards – North West 2017". Royal Television Society. November 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  121. ^ "The Hollywood Reporter Award". Film Festival Cologne. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  122. ^ "2018 Television Leading Actor". BAFTA Awards. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  123. ^ Hooton, Kayleigh (8 May 2022). "BAFTA TV Awards 2022 winners in full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 May 2022.

Further reading

  • Trowbridge, Simon: The Company: A Biographical Dictionary of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Oxford: Editions Albert Creed (2010) ISBN 978-0-9559830-2-3
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sean Bean.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sean_Bean&oldid=1263975518"