Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsScary Good HorrorHalloween Family FunNew York Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Back
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro
Sean Bean at an event for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Biography

Sean Bean

Edit

Overview

  • Born
    April 17, 1959 · Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK
  • Birth name
    Shaun Mark Bean
  • Height
    5′ 10½″ (1.79 m)

Biography

    • Sean Bean's career since the eighties spans theatre, radio, television and movies. Bean was born in Handsworth, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, to Rita (Tuckwood) and Brian Bean. He worked for his father's welding firm before he decided to become an actor. He attended RADA in London and appeared in a number of West End stage productions including RSC's "Fair Maid of the West" (Spencer), (1986) and "Romeo and Juliet" (1987) (Romeo) , as well as "Deathwatch" (Lederer) (1985) at the Young Vic and "Killing the Cat" (Danny) (1990) at the Theatre Upstairs.

      This soulful, green-eyed blonde's roles are so varied that his magnetic persona convincing plays angst-ridden villains, as in Clarissa (1991), passionate lovers like Mellors in Lady Chatterley (1993), rough-and-ready soldiers such as Richard Sharpe, heart wrenching warriors as the emotionally torn Boromir in "The Lord of the Rings," and noble Greeks, like Odysseus in Troy (2004), where his very presence in the film adds grace and validity to the rest of the movie. Recently, he did a turn in Shakespeare's "Macbeth," where as the principal lead, he so transfixed the audience that the show was extended in London and critically acclaimed. Bean, however, remains himself, a man's man, and in the glitzy world of movies this is a rare thing indeed. Bean resides in London where he enjoys raising his beautiful daughters, his beloved football, and the occasional pint.

      Bean has three daughters, Lorna, Molly and Evie.
      - IMDb mini biography by: Winona Kent and moviefarie

Family

  • Spouses
      Ashley Moore(June 30, 2017 - present)
      Georgina Sutcliffe(February 19, 2008 - December 21, 2010) (divorced)
      Abigail Cruttenden(November 22, 1997 - July 2000) (divorced, 1 child)
      Melanie Hill(February 27, 1990 - August 1997) (divorced, 2 children)
      Debra James(April 11, 1981 - 1988) (divorced)
  • Children
      Evie Natasha Bean
      Lorna Bean
      Molly Bean
  • Parents
      Brian Bean
      Rita Bean
  • Relatives
      Lorraine Bean(Sibling)

Trademarks

  • He often plays men who start off as heroes and, sometime during the course of the film, take a dark turn and become villainous
  • He often plays characters with a tendency to appear brooding
  • He often plays characters who die in a violent manner. This has occurred more than 20 times
  • His distinctive Yorkshire accent

Trivia

  • He has two scars. He got one when he was a child and the other from Harrison Ford while shooting his death scene in Patriot Games (1992). Ford accidentally hit him with a boat hook. In the Sharpe series, this was emphasised with makeup to add credibility to his character.
  • His dislike for flying is so intense that he tries to avoid it as much as he can. During the filming of the "Mount Caradhras" scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), he chose to walk to the top for 2 hours every day. While his fellow cast members were ferried in by helicopter, they could often see him hiking in costume to the shooting site. After having flown back to England when his shoot was over, Peter Jackson conceived of an elaborate flashback scene for which Bean was again required to fly to New Zealand. Unfortunately, the scene was later omitted from the movie, although it was included in the extended DVD edition.
  • Of his many death scenes, his favorite is Boromir's in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), commenting that "you couldn't ask for a more heroic death".
  • 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).
  • In a scene midway through Sharpe's Honour (1994), 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.

Quotes

  • [talking about his 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.
  • [spoken in answer to question at Cannes Film Festival Troy (2004) Interview] 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.
  • [on Casino Royale (2006)] I think there was a time I was linked to it but I suppose I blew it playing 006. They made a good choice in Daniel Craig. He's a very good actor. He was in one of the first Sharpes we ever did and I gave him a bit of a battering. So we can always say Sharpe battered Bond.
  • 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, easygoing, kind man at some point.
  • I sort of leave the characters 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.

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More from this person

  • View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb App
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.