Sean Bean (Part 1)

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29 Feb 2024

Sean Bean

Sean Bean, born Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959, is a renowned English actor. His career began after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and he made his professional debut in a production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983 at The Watermill Theatre. Retaining his Yorkshire accent, Bean first gained mainstream success for portraying Richard Sharpe in the ITV series Sharpe, which ran from 1993 to 1997.

Bean's notable film roles include appearances in Patriot Games (1992), GoldenEye (1995), Ronin (1998), The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003), Troy (2004), Flightplan (2005), North Country (2005), Silent Hill (2006), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), Black Death (2010), Jupiter Ascending (2015), and The Martian (2015).

In the realm of television, Bean has been recognized for his roles in the BBC anthology series Accused, Broken, Game of Thrones, and the ITV historical drama series Henry VIII and Legends. He has also lent his voice to video games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Sid Meier's Civilization VI, as well as feature films such as Wolfwalkers and Mummies.Since 2002, Sean Bean has been the main voiceover for O2 adverts, with the most recent advert released in June 2023.

In 2022, Bean received the British Academy Television Award as Leading Actor for his role in Time, a BBC One drama. Sean Bean's career has been marked by a diverse range of roles across film, television, and voice acting, earning him acclaim and recognition in the entertainment industry.

Shaun Mark Bean, born on 17 April 1959 in Handsworth, a suburb of Sheffield, is the son of Rita (née Tuckwood) and Brian K. Bean (born 1934). He has a younger sister, Lorraine. His paternal grandfather, Harold Bean Jr. (1914–2001), served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and later worked as a stud mill laborer who became a pacifist. Bean's father owned a fabrication company, where his mother worked as a secretary. Despite the family's relative wealth, they chose to stay in their council estate to remain close to friends and family.

During his childhood, Bean had an incident where he smashed a glass door during an argument, resulting in a piece of glass embedded in his leg. This incident briefly impeded his walking and left a large scar, preventing him from pursuing his ambition of playing football professionally.

Bean attended local schools such as Handsworth Junior School and Athelstan School before moving to Brook School at the age of 12. In 1975, he left Brook Comprehensive School with O levels in Art and English. After working at a supermarket and for the local council, he joined his father's firm. While working, he attended Rotherham College of Arts and Technology for welding. Bean later discovered an art class at college, reigniting his interest in art. After attending courses at two other colleges, he returned to Rotherham College, enrolling in a drama course. Following some college plays and performances at Rotherham Civic Theatre, he earned a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), commencing a seven-term course in January 1981. This marked the beginning of Bean's formal training in acting, setting the stage for his successful career in the entertainment industry.

Shaun Mark Bean, born on 17 April 1959 in Handsworth, a suburb of Sheffield, began his career as an actor after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He made his professional acting debut in 1983 as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. Adopting the Irish spelling of his first name, Sean Bean's early career encompassed a mix of stage and screen work.

In 1984, he starred in David and Jonathan by William Douglas-Home at the Redgrave Theatre in Farnham. Between 1986 and 1988, Bean became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, featuring in productions like Romeo and Juliet, The Fair Maid of the West, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His film career commenced with Derek Jarman's Caravaggio (1986) and continued with War Requiem (1988).

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bean became a recognized figure on British television, starring in productions like The Fifteen Streets (1989), Clarissa (1991), and Lady Chatterley (1993). In 1996, he combined his love of football with acting in When Saturday Comes, realizing his childhood dream of playing for Sheffield United.

Sean Bean gained prominence for his role as Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe, based on Bernard Cornwell's novels about the Peninsular War. The series ran from 1993 to 1997, with Bean portraying the maverick Napoleonic Wars rifleman, Richard Sharpe. After critical successes in Caravaggio and Lady Chatterley, Bean became associated with the sex symbol image and found further success in Hollywood.

His notable Hollywood appearance was as an Irish republican terrorist in the 1992 film adaptation of Patriot Games. This marked the beginning of several villainous roles for Bean in Hollywood films, characterized by their gruesome deaths. Despite his rough-cut looks making him a natural choice for villains, Bean's versatility as an actor continued to shine through his diverse roles on both stage and screen.