Sean Bean turns 65
Hollywood’s number one death row candidate – right?
Sean Bean is 65 years old – an honor that has been bestowed on very few of his roles.
© Landmark Media. [email protected]. Tel:00 44 20 7033 3830/ImageCollect
He came, saw and died: But the now 65-year-old Sean Bean can do much more than just (admittedly very creatively) hand in the cinema spoon.
Quartered, beheaded, buried alive, beaten to death by a satellite dish, pierced with arrows, shot countless times and even massacred by a wild herd of cows: British actor Sean Bean (65) unfairly has the reputation of being Hollywood’s favorite death row inmate. In reality, the actor is not only in good health, he is celebrating his 65th birthday on April 17th. There are also some exciting anecdotes to tell that have nothing to do with his fictional demise.
Sean Bean was born Shaun Mark Bean on April 17, 1959 in Sheffield, England. Early in his career, he established himself as the perfect fit for complex, shady characters – just like a later “Game of Thrones” colleague, by the way. Because Bean and the Scot Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont, 62), who is almost the same age, look very similar, they often competed for the same roles, as Bean revealed in an interview.
Speaking of close competition: he almost became Pierce Brosnan’s (70) predecessor. At least he auditioned for the 1987 film “The Breath of Death” as a double zero agent. As is well known, the contract was awarded to Timothy Dalton (78), who was allowed to play the agent again two years later in “License to Kill”. Six years later, Bean found himself in a “Bond” flick in “GoldenEye” – just on the wrong side.
Another story that is often told about the Brit has to do with his fear of flying. This was so pronounced on the set of “The Lord of the Rings” that it made him the laughing stock of the other companions. Because while they all flew comfortably by helicopter to shoot on a mountain, Bean made his way to the set on foot – in full Boromir costume. Unlike the other actors, he didn’t have to act exhausted.
Meanwhile, there was a special kind of souvenir from Harrison Ford (81) in 1992. The two played the antagonists in “The Hour of the Patriots”, in which – how could it be otherwise – Bean died at the end. But not before Ford accidentally gave him a real wound above his left eye with a boat hook. The scar from the accident can still be seen today.
Live and let die 25 times
To date, Bean has retired from film life around 25 times, usually impressively. The most memorable moments certainly include his last appearances as the aforementioned “Bond” villain Alec Trevelyan alias 006 in “GoldenEye” (1995), his inglorious (and headless) end as Ned Stark in the first season of “Game of Thrones.” ” and of course Boromir’s heroic death in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001): “I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king!”
Although it’s hard to believe, there are actually a few actors who have had to bite the dust in the cinema more often than Sean Bean. Among the still living stars is “Machete” grater Danny Trejo (79), who has already died over 40 times across films and series. However, film legend Christopher Lee (1922-2015) is probably unassailable in first place. He died in around 70 productions – including ten times as the bloodsucker Dracula.
So far, Sean Bean’s luck in love has seemed to be about as long-lasting as his roles. Four out of five marriages have already ended in divorce. However, he has been happily married to his fifth wife, Ashley Moore, since 2017. In comparison, the offspring remained more manageable. Sean Bean has three children, all daughters, from two of his previous marriages: Lorna Bean, Molly Bean and Evie Natasha Bean.