Sean Bean Bio - Sean Bean Biography

Sean Bean: Biography

In his 20 plus years in show business, Sean Bean has been called many things. Actor Pierce Brosnan calls him, a class act. Biographer Laura Jackson dubbed him, the sexiest man in cinema. And Britain named him their greatest living sex bomb. Not too bad for a guy who had no intentions of becoming an actor.

The oldest child of Brian and Rita Bean, Sean quit school at 16 and soon took an apprenticeship at his father�s welding company so he could learn a trade and make money. But Sean�s first love was art, and while taking courses at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, he passed an art class in progress and made the decision that he wanted to become an artist and go to art school.

It was while pursuing his art degree that Bean got involved with a drama class and found what would lead to his life-long career, acting. When he was 21 years old, Sean was accepted at London�s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and just days before his 22nd birthday, got married to his first wife, Debra Ann James. However, the couple soon divorced.

The next step on his road to fame was the Royal Shakespeare Company, where Sean honed his skills for over 5 years. The 5 foot 11 inch actor also met and married his second wife, Melanie Hill, at this time. The couple had two daughters together before divorcing in August of 1997.

Just 3 months later, Sean married for his third (and as he says) last time. Abigail Cruttenden, the mother of Bean�s youngest daughter, met the actor while they filmed Sharpe�s Regiment together. Sean began playing the lead character, Richard Sharpe, in 1993. Bean and Cruttenden divorced after just 3 years of marriage.

Over his long career, Sean has played some of the nastiest of villains - Sean Miller in Patriot Games, and the kindest of souls - Errol Partridge in Equilibrium. He�s been historical figures - Odysseus in Troy, and infamous men - Mickey McAvoy in Fools Gold. Yet all the while retaining his seductive Sheffield accent and his love for the Sheffield United.

Sean Bean is one of Hollywood�s most versatile stars and there�s no telling where you�ll see him next.

For his role as 006 in GoldenEye, Sean had to sit for 1 hour while his prostetic make-up was applied to his face.(edit)
Sean has several movies due out in 2008 including: Sharpe's Peril, A Woman of No Importance, Come Like Shadows, and The Root of All Evil.(edit)
Sean married 29 year old actress, Georgina Sutcliffe, on February, 19 2008 in a low-key ceremony at the Marylebone Register Office in London. The wedding took place a month after the nuptials were postponed due to Sean and Georgina's work commitments. It is Bean's 4th marriage.(edit)
Sean has a "Bacon Number" of 2.
Sean was in Don't Say a Word with Oliver Platt,
Oliver was in Loverboy with Kevin Bacon.(edit)
Sean has appeared in music videos for Tony Hadley's "Build Me Up" in 1996, Enya's "May It Be" in 2001, and Moby's "We are All Made of Stars" in 2002.(edit)
Sean made his professional stage debut in Romeo and Juliet (as "Tybalt") at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, England, in 1983.(edit)
Sean was not the first choice for the role of "Richard Sharpe" in the Sharpe series; he stepped in when an accident prevented actor Paul McGann from taking the part.(edit)
In 1996, The Famous Rainbow Recipe Book featured Sean Bean's Complete Sunday Roastor Chicken in Red Pesto Sauce. The book was compiled by Tony Head and Sarah Fisher.(edit)
Sean wrote the forward for the book Sheffield United FC: The Biography by Dr. Gary Armstrong.(edit)
Sean supports many charities, his favorite being the National Osteoporosis Society.(edit)
Sean has narrated several audio books including, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Sharpe's Devil by Bernard Cornwell, and The Way it Was by Stanley Matthews.(edit)
In the United Kingdom Sean narrates advertisements for O2, Morrisons supermarkets, and the National Blood Service's recent 2006 campaign. He also appeared in a television commerical for Marks & Spencer in 2002.(edit)
He was featured in a series of television ads for Johnson & Johnson Acuvue contact lenses as well as a promotional ad for the Sci-Fi television network in the United States.(edit)
Sean has a scar over his eye given to him by Harrison Ford while shooting his death scene in Patriot Games. Ford accidentally hit him with a boat hook. In the Sharpe series, this scar was emphasised with makeup to add credibility to his character.(edit)
Sean Bean was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree from Sheffield Hallam University in England in 1997.(edit)
In a scene midway through Sharpe's Honour, Sharpe and Marquesa Dorada are galloping down a hill on horseback when they suddenly tumble off the horse and land in the middle of a shallow stream. The scene is real; the horse stumbled as it was crossing the stream, sending Bean and co-star Alice Krige down into the water. Director Tom Clegg liked the scene and kept it for the final cut.(edit)
He has a tattoo on his left shoulder that reads "100% Blade" in reference to his support for, and directorship of, Sheffield United. This tattoo is often digitally removed from films or otherwise disguised if the filmmakers feel it doesn't fit his character. For example, in the Sharpe series of films it was disguised as a large, curved scar. His right shoulder has a tattoo of the Elvish word for nine to commemorate playing a member of the Fellowship in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.(edit)
Sharpe's Challenge is loosely based on the early Sharpe novels, but Sean did not want to play a very young Sharpe so instead the storyline was moved to two years after Waterloo. (edit)
In 2002 and 2004, Sean and company were nominated by SAG for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, respectively; they won the award in 2004.(edit)
In 2002, Sean and company won the PFCS Award for Best Acting Ensemble for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. They were nominated again in 2004 for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.(edit)
In 2003, Sean and company won the NBR Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. That same year they were also nominated for the DVDX Award for Best Audio Commentary (New for DVD) for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.(edit)
In 2002, Sean was nominated for the Empire Award for Best British Actor
for: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.(edit)
In 2004, Sean won the BFCA Award for Best Acting Ensemble for: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.(edit)
Sean's dislike for flying is so intense that during the filming of the 'Mount Caradhras' scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, he hiked in costume to the shooting site while his fellow cast members were ferried in by helicopter.(edit)
Sean is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, where his credits include A Midsummer Nights Dream and King Richard II.(edit)
Sean says that he took the roles of "Boromir" and "Odysseus" because he was 'tired of being known as a villainous actor' to American audiences (he says he was tired of playing just bad guys and wanted a change of pace and to play a sympathetic character or two).(edit)
Bernard Cornwell, author of the Sharpe series, dedicated his novel Sharpe's Battle to Sean.(edit)

Sean Bean: A common misperception of me is...that I am a tough, rough northerner, which I suppose I am really. But I'm pretty mild-mannered most of the time. It's the parts that you play I guess. I don't mind it. I'm not a tough guy. I'd like to act as a fair, easy-going, kind man at some point.(edit)
Sean Bean: I had no intention of being an actor. I was quite good at it. I was pretty capable at other things but never any good at anything.(edit)
Sean Bean: (about being a Bond villain in "GoldenEye") It's more fun to play the bad guy. 006 was such an interesting character and the film really explored his friendship with Bond and how it all went wrong, so it was a very personal journey for both characters. (edit)
Sean Bean: (His philosophy) Listen to people and treat people as you find them. There's an inherent goodness in most people. Don't pre-judge people - that was me Mam's advice anyway. (edit)
Sean Bean: (about appearing in the movie "North Country") I'd been trying for a while to get parts that weren't just the English bad guy, so it was quite refreshing to be playing someone who was a compassionate, decent guy.(edit)
Sean Bean: (of filming "Sharpe's Challenge") I've done quite a lot of sword fighting in the meantime. On stage in Macbeth which featured a huge sword fight, then in Troy which also had loads, and as Boromir in Lord of the Rings. Luckily I really enjoy it.(edit)
Sean Bean: I sometimes find that playing the bad guy, or villains, or psychopaths tend to be much more psychologically rewarding. And you can really push it – you can push the limits – and get away with it.(edit)
Sean Bean: I'm still Sean that me mates went to school with, not Sean the film star. And that's the way I prefer to be.(edit)
Sean Bean: My family thought the fascination with acting was just another fad.(edit)
Sean Bean: (about his "Lord of the Rings" character Boromir) He's a fallen hero, a very gentle man under that exterior. He's lived in an environment always ravaged by war and had to be realistic. He wants to use the ring against the enemy instead of destroying it. He doesn't understand the complexities this piece of metal can have on human beings.(edit)
Sean Bean: Everyone was very deeply involved in the world of The Lord of the Rings. From the wardrobe department to lighting, all were fascinated with the story. This is something that does not happen usually.(edit)
Sean Bean: I think everybody's got different methods of working which suit the particular individual. Mine is to sort of play the part, and give 100%, to concentrate and focus on it while I'm actually working, but then leave it behind until the next day.(edit)
Sean Bean: I'm proud of Lord of the Rings. I think it's a once in a lifetime role, and a once in a lifetime film. It was made with so much care and passion and meticulous detail and everybody was so behind it.(edit)
Sean Bean: If you have a very good concept of your character, you can snap into it.(edit)
Sean Bean: Lord of the Rings was just so much enjoyment. It was over about the space of a year that I was filming. It's one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done, so emotional.(edit)
Sean Bean: There's a wealth of literature out there which, hopefully, will be, you know, exploded in the future, and I personally find it very rewarding to be involved with classic storytelling, and sort of legendary characters.(edit)
Sean Bean: Lord of the Rings was something I always wanted to do. I read the book when I was about 25, and I was always hoping if it was ever made into a feature film that I would be involved in some way. And then I finally got it, and I was over the moon. It was fantastic news.(edit)
Sean Bean: (about the character Sharpe) He's a bit street-wise. There's a roguish element to him... but he has to be, because that's how he survives all these battles.(edit)
Sean Bean: (about reprising the role of Sharpe) When we first started talking about it, I got very excited about the prospect of playing him again. But it was slightly odd, the first few days, just seeing everybody again, Daragh and Tom, and the same uniforms on. It's just like, it's just like it was the other day since we did the last one, you know. It's been about eight years, I think.(edit)
Sean Bean: (about the "Sharpe" films) I think the differences between this, what we're doing here, and a bigger budget from a big film -- a Hollywood film -- is that we just do, like, one take of everything, (laughs) more or less. I mean it's very rare that we go again, unless we have to. So, it's very fast, you see, I like working at that pace. I think it's very, uh, very exciting.(edit)
Sean Bean: (about his Rifleman's uniform) The last one I did, Sharpe's Waterloo, I got it in the contract that I kept my costume and my sword, which is an original... but the years have gone by, and I think they had to make one a bit bigger.(edit)
Sean Bean: I put quite a few trees in last autumn. A lot of silver birch and a couple of native trees-- just generally doing gardening, putting plants in and hedges in. It takes quite a lot of time and I love it.(edit)
Sean Bean: (on doing voices for The Elder Scrolls IV) 'Oblivion' is something unique, an entertainment experience unlike anything I had seen before. I decided this was a project I really wanted to work on creatively, and I hope fans of the game enjoy the results.(edit)
Sean Bean: I sort of leave the character at the end of the day. I don't carry anything around with me - no excess baggage or unnecessary thoughts. I think it's too exhausting to do that. To put things into perspective - your work is your work, and your leisure time is something else.(edit)
Sean Bean: Sharpe is my favorite role of all that I've played. He's a very complex character. He knows that he's a good soldier, but he will always have to fight the prejudice of aristocratic officers because of his rough working-class upbringing. On the battlefield, he's full of confidence -- but off it, he is unsure, a bit shy and ill at ease.(edit)