Who is Shaun Mark Bean? The entertainment and acting world knows Sean Bean as an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for starring roles in the films Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, GoldenEye, Patriot Games, Troy, National Treasure and Silent Hill, as well as the television series Sharpe. Bean has also acted in a number of television productions, most recent being HBO's Game of Thrones, as well as performing voice work for computer games and television adverts.Early life and family
Bean was born 17 April 1959 Shaun Mark Bean in the Handsworth district of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, the son of Rita and Brian Bean.[1] Bean's father owned a fabrication shop, which he had set up with a colleague. The business employed 50 people, including Bean's mother, who worked as a secretary. He has a younger sister named Lorraine. Despite becoming relatively wealthy (his father owned a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow), the family never moved away from the council estate, because they preferred to remain close to friends and family.[2]
As a child, Bean smashed a glass door due to an argument over scissors. It left a piece of glass embedded in his leg that briefly impeded his walking and left a large scar.[1] This accident prevented him from pursuing his dream of playing football professionally. In 1975, Bean left Brook Comprehensive School with two O Levels in Art and English.[3] After a job at a supermarket and another for the council, Bean started working for his father's firm with a day release at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology to take a welding course. While at Rotherham he stumbled into an arts 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 came across a drama course for which he subsequently enrolled. After some college plays and one at Rotherham Civic Theatre, he applied for and received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), starting a seven term course in January 1981.[1]Career
Early career
He graduated from RADA in 1983 having won the Silver Medal for his performance in Waiting for Godot.[4] He made his professional acting début in 1983 at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, Berkshire as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet.[1] His early work involved a mixture of stage and screen work. As an actor, he adopted the Irish spelling "Sean" of his first name. His first national exposure came in an advert for non-alcoholic lager.[5] 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.[6][7] He appeared in his first film in 1986 when he played Ranuccio Tomassoni in Derek Jarman's film Caravaggio. He then reunited with the director on War Requiem in 1988, which also starred Sir Laurence Olivier.During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he became an established actor on British television.[8] He had notable performances in the BBC productions Clarissa and Lady Chatterley. His role in the latter became infamous for his sex scenes with Joely Richardson.[9] In 1990, Bean co-starred with Richard Harris in Jim Sheridan's adaption 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.
In 1996 he appeared in what became a famous Sky Sports commercial for the Premier League and, that year, he combined his love of football with his career, to finally achieve his childhood dream of playing for Sheffield United, albeit as Jimmy Muir in the film When Saturday Comes. Although the film was not critically acclaimed, Sean Bean received credit for a good performance.[10]Sharpe
His 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. Bean was not the first actor to be chosen to play Sharpe, but Paul McGann, the first choice, was injured while playing football two days into filming. Initially, producers tried to work around McGann's injury, but it proved impossible and Bean received the call.[11] The 16-episode Sharpe television series was based loosely 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 to Lieutenant Colonel by the time of the Battle of Waterloo. It ran from 1993 to 1997, with three episodes produced each year. The series was filmed under challenging conditions, first in Ukraine, and later in Portugal. After several years of rumours, more episodes were produced, called Sharpe's Challenge, which aired in April 2006, and Sharpe's Peril which aired on ITV in the autumn of 2008 and was later released on DVD.[12]Hollywood villain
With a mini-series role as enigmatic Lord Richard Fenton in the TV miniseries Scarlett, loosely based on the sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, 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; in a fight scene, Harrison Ford clocked him with a boat hook, giving him a permanent scar. Bean's rough-cut looks made him a patent choice for a villain, and this role in Patriot Games was the first of several villains that he would portray, all of whom come to a sticky end.[13] He became Alec Trevelyan (MI6's 006) and James Bond's nemesis in the 1995 film GoldenEye; the weak-stomached Spence (with Robert de Niro) in Ronin (1998); a wife-beating ex-con in Essex Boys (2000); the malevolent kidnapper-jewel thief in Don't Say a Word (2001). He was also widely recognised as villainous treasure hunter Ian Howe in the popular National Treasure opposite Nicolas Cage. He also played a villainous scientist in The Island (2005) and a dedicated father in Silent Hill. In the independent film, Far North, he played a Russian mercenary, lost in the tundra and rescued by an Inuit woman and her daughter; he ends up pitting his two female rescuers against one another. "I think I'm quite good at differentiating between the psychopaths", he commented to an interviewer.[14]The Lord of the Rings
In arguably Bean's most prominent role, as Boromir in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, his major screen-time occurs in the first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring. He appeared briefly in flashbacks in the theater releases of The Two Towers and The Return of the King; he also appears in a scene from the extended edition of The Two Towers. Before casting finished, rumors circulated that Jackson had considered Bean for the role of Aragorn, but neither Bean nor Jackson confirmed this in subsequent interviews. Bean's well-known fear of flying 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 and then hike the final few miles, in full costume complete with shield, armour and sword.[15]
Bean has a tattoo of the English word "nine" written in Tengwar on his shoulder, a reference to his involvement in the Lord of the Rings and the fact that his character was one of the original nine companions of the Fellowship of the Ring. The other actors of "The Fellowship"—Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, and Viggo Mortensen—acquired the same tattoo. John Rhys-Davies, whose character was Gimli, also one of the original nine companions, arranged for his stunt double to get the tattoo.[16]Recent career
Later roles gave more scope for his acting abilities. In 1999's Extremely Dangerous, his character walked a fine line between villain and hero, reminiscent of the 1960s American TV series, The Fugitive.[17] 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 cameoed with other Hollywood stars in Moby's music video "We Are All Made of Stars" in February 2002.[18] In the same year, he returned to the stage in London performing in Macbeth alongside Samantha Bond.[19] Due to popular demand, the production ran until March 2003.
Bean's high profile and recognisable voice have created opportunities for voice-over work, especially in the British advertising industry.[20] 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. For the role playing video game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, he voiced Martin Septim.[21]
Bean has completed a one hour pilot, Faceless, for US television. He has also appeared in Outlaw, an independent British production, and a remake of 1986 horror film, The Hitcher (released in January 2007); here he used an American accent again. He also starred in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, playing the role of Zeus, the king of Mount Olympus and God of lightning, in February 2010. Also that year, Bean starred in CASH (CA$H), playing the lead role of Pyke Kubic, a dangerous man determined to recover his wealth in a bad economy. CASH (CA$H), which co-starred Chris Hemsworth, explored the role money plays in today's hard economic times. Bean will also play the villain's twin brother, Reese. The film was directed and written by Stephen Milburn Anderson (South Central).[22]Bean stars 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 Stark.[23] Bean will star in Soldiers of Fortune, alongside Ving Rhames and Christian Slater.
Bean has just completed filming Cleanskin, in which he plays a secret service agent faced with the task of pursuing and eliminating a suicide bomber and his terrorist cell. The film stars Charlotte Rampling, James Fox, Abhin Galeya, Tuppence Middleton and Michelle Ryan. The film was written, produced and directed by Hadi Hajaig.
Bean will reprise his role as Christopher Da Silva in the Silent Hill film sequel Silent Hill: Revelation 3D.[24]
Despite Bean's obvious commercial success, he has demonstrated a willingness to participate in less high profile projects such as the independent film Far North.
Possible roles
Two films in production will reportedly star Bean. Come Like Shadows is an adaptation of Macbeth.[25] He had starred in a production of Macbeth on the London stage with Samantha Bond as Lady Macbeth with much critical success. As of 2008, this film as well as A Woman of No Importance are listed as being in pre-production according to the Internet Movie Data Base. The actor also has said that he would like to appear in Coronation Street (joking that he could be the milkman).[26] Bean has also stated that he would like to do some wildlife presenting sometime in the future.[27] In February 2010, Bean was cast in the planned production of Death Race: Frankenstein Lives.[28]Bean is rumored to have been cast in the upcoming romantic comedy 'Let Them Eat Jake' starring Jesse Eisenberg and Eugene Levy. The film centers around a man who goes to dinner to meet his girlfriend's family, only to discover that they are cannibals and plan on eating him. Levy said of the film "It's the best script I've read since New York Minute, and I can't wait to get started". Bruce Willis and Mila Kunis are also said to be considering joining the film.[citation needed]
Image
Often described as down to earth, Sean Bean has retained his Sheffield accent, despite now living in London.[9] Partly due to his role as Sharpe, he is also described as a sex symbol. He was voted the UK's second sexiest man in 2004; his Trilogy co-star Orlando Bloom received the highest votes.[29] He admits he does not mind being considered as a "bit of rough" by women.[30] Bean's first love was football and he has been a passionate Sheffield United supporter from a young age; he has a tattoo on his left shoulder that reads 100% Blade.[31] He was until December 2007 one of the directors of the club, but decided to "go back to the terraces, where (he) truly belong(s)".[32] He had some problems 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 after the 2006–07 season. Bean denies it, calling Warnock "bitter" and "hypocritical".[33] He also wrote the foreword and helped to promote a book of anecdotes called Sheffield United: The Biography.[34] He also follows Yorkshire County Cricket Club.[27]In addition to his image as a sex symbol and an admitted "bit of rough", Bean has developed a reputation as a loner, a label he considers unfair.[9] He has described himself instead as quiet, and interviewers confirm that he is a "man of few words";[35] a recent interviewer even called him surprisingly shy.[36] Although he admits he can be a workaholic, in his spare time he relaxes with a book or listens to music, and is a talented pianist. He is also a keen gardener, and does both welding and sketching.[37]
Sean is closely affiliated with the Broomhill Friery in Sheffield, where his nephew Dan Bean works.
He is also known for his tough-guy roles. On June 13, 2011, he and April Flowers went out on the deck of the Camden's Hill Bar and Brasserie for a smoke, when a passerby was making lewd comments about Flowers' past, in turn made Bean confront him. The situation escalated when the stranger came back later that night and there was a bar fight. Bean was reportedly punched in the face, causing a bruise over his eye, and stabbed in the arm with broken glass. Despite his wounds, Bean refused any medical attention and opted not to go to a hospital. Instead, the actor accepted a first aid kit from the bar staff, then ordered another drink. [38]
Acting style
Despite being professionally trained, Sean Bean adopts an instinctive style of acting.[39] He has said in interviews that the most difficult part is at the start of filming when trying to understand the character.[40] 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.[41] Other fans include the directors Mike Figgis (Stormy Monday) and Wolfgang Petersen (Troy), who described working with Bean as a "beautiful thing".[39]Personal life
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Awards and honours
Sean Bean has yet to receive a major individual award in the film industry. However he did receive three separate awards as part of the ensemble cast in Return of the King:[47] from the Screen Actors Guild, the National Board of Review and the Broadcast Film Critics Association all in 2004.In his home city of Sheffield, he received an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University in 1997 and a second doctorate, a Doctor of Letters in English Literature from the University of Sheffield in July 2007.[47][48] Afterward, 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."[47][48] He was also selected as one of the inaugural members of Sheffield Legends, the Sheffield equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He now has a plaque in his honour placed in front of Sheffield Town Hall.[49]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Caravaggio | Ranuccio | |
| 1988 | Stormy Monday | Brendan | |
| The True Bride, Jim Henson's The Storyteller | Prince | ||
| 1989 | How to Get Ahead in Advertising | Larry Frisk | |
| War Requiem | German Soldier | ||
| 1990 | Windprints | Anton | |
| The Field | Tadgh McCabe | ||
| Lorna Doone | Carver Doone | TV programme | |
| Wedded | Man | TV programme | |
| 1991 | Prince | Jack Morgan | TV programme |
| Clarissa | Robert Lovelace | TV programme | |
| Tell Me that You Love Me | Gabriel Lewis | TV programme | |
| In The Border Country | Smith | ||
| My Kingdom for a Horse | Steve | TV programme | |
| 1992 | Inspector Morse: Absolute Conviction | Alex Bailey | TV programme |
| Patriot Games | Sean Miller | ||
| Fool's Gold: The Story Of The Brink's Mat Robbery | Micky McAvoy | ||
| 1993 | Sharpe's Rifles | Sergeant/Lieutenant Richard Sharpe | TV programme |
| Sharpe's Eagle | Captain Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Lady Chatterley | Oliver Mellors | ||
| 1994 | Sharpe's Company | Captain Richard Sharpe | TV programme |
| Sharpe's Enemy | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Sharpe's Honour | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Black Beauty | Farmer Grey | ||
| Shopping | Venning | ||
| 1995 | Sharpe's Gold | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme |
| Sharpe's Battle | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Sharpe's Sword | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| GoldenEye | Alec Trevelyan | ||
| 1996 | When Saturday Comes | Jimmy Muir | |
| Sharpe's Regiment | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Sharpe's Siege | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Sharpe's Mission | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| 1997 | Anna Karenina | Vronsky | |
| Sharpe's Revenge | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Sharpe's Justice | Major Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| Sharpe's Waterloo | Lieutenant Colonel Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| 1998 | Ronin | Spence | |
| Airborne | Dave Toombs | ||
| The Canterbury Tales | The Nun's Priest | TV programme | |
| 1999 | Extremely Dangerous | Neil Byrne | |
| Bravo Two Zero | Andy McNab | ||
| 2000 | Essex Boys | Jason Locke | |
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Boromir | |
| Don't Say a Word | Patrick Koster | ||
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Boromir | |
| Equilibrium | Errol Partridge | ||
| Tom and Thomas | Paul Shepherd | ||
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Boromir | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture National Board of Review Award for Best Cast |
| The Big Empty | Cowboy | ||
| Henry VIII | Robert Aske | ||
| 2004 | Pride | Dark (voice) | |
| National Treasure | Ian Howe | ||
| Troy | Odysseus | ||
| 2005 | North Country | Kyle | |
| Flightplan | Captain Marcus Rich | ||
| The Island | Dr. Merrick | ||
| 2006 | The Dark | James | |
| Silent Hill | Chris DeSilva | ||
| The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (video game) | Martin Septim | voice/video game | |
| Sharpe's Challenge | Lt Col (ret'd) Richard Sharpe | TV programme | |
| 2007 | The Hitcher | John Ryder | |
| Outlaw | Danny Bryant | ||
| Far North | Loki | ||
| 2008 | Sharpe's Peril | Lt Col (ret'd) Richard Sharpe | TV programme |
| Crusoe | James Crusoe | TV programme | |
| 2009 | Red Riding | John Dawson | TV programme |
| 2010 | Black Death | Ulric | |
| Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief | Zeus | ||
| Ca$h (Cash) | Pyke Kubic Reese Kubic | ||
| The Lost Future | Amal | ||
| 2011 | Death Race 2 | Markus Kane | |
| Game of Thrones | Eddard Stark | TV programme (10 Episodes) | |
| Age of Heroes | Jones | post-production | |
| Silent Hill: Revelations | Chris DeSilva | post-production | |
| Cleanskin | Ewan | Post-production |
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