Sean Bean - Film & Theater Personalities, Timeline and Facts

Sean Bean was born as Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959, in Handsworth, a suburb of Sheffield. His father Brian Bean owned a fabrication shop, providing livelihood to over 50 people, and his mother Rita worked as a secretary there. Sean also has a younger sister named Lorraine.

As a child, he smashed a glass window in an angry outrage that left a piece of glass embedded in his leg; he struggled while walking for a while and had a large scar from it. This prevented him from pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a professional football player.

Sean left Brook Comprehensive School with O Levels in Art and English in 1975. He then went to Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, where he took a welding course while working on his father’s farm.

Eventually he shifted to drama classes at the Rotherham College, and in a matter of time won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he started a seven-term course in 1981.

Sean Bean made his professional debut in the theatre by playing ‘Tybalt’ in The Royal Shakespeare Company's ‘Romeo & Juliet’ in 1983. He made many stage appearances with the company between 1986 and 1988. During this time he also appeared in his first film, Derek Jarman's ‘Caravaggio’ in 1986.

He featured in the BBC productions ‘Clarissa’ and ‘Lady Chatterley’ in 1991 and 1993 respectively. In between, he was signed for the role of ‘Richard Sharpe’, the maverick rifleman from the Napoleonic Wars, in the ITV television series ‘Sharpe’. He became very famous for his portrayal of Richard Sharpe, a character whose credibility was enhanced due to Bean’s Yorkshire accent.

Sean Bean’s portrayal of antagonists in films like ‘Patriot Games’ in 1992, ‘Golden Eye’ in 1994, and ‘National Treasure’ in 2005 has earned him a lot of popularity. These roles, however, also led to him being stereotyped as a “villain” character.

His role of ‘Boromir’ in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy took his already flourishing career to newer heights. Some of the other popular films and television shows Sean Bean has appeared in include ‘Essex Boys’ (2000), ‘The Island’ (2005), ‘Equilibrium’ (2002), ‘Troy’ (2004), ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ (2010), ‘Cash’(2010), and ‘Accused’ (2012).

Sean Bean established himself as a talented character actor with his role of ‘Richard Sharpe’ in the TV series ‘Sharpe.’ The character was of a maverick rifleman from the ‘Napoleonic Wars.’ His Yorkshire accent added to the authenticity of the character. Over the course of the series, his character evolved from being ‘Sergeant Richard Sharpe’ to ‘Lieutenant Colonel Richard Sharpe’ and went through many ups and downs.

He is also extremely popular for the role of ‘Eddard 'Ned' Stark’, the character he played in the television series ‘Game of Thrones’. The series, an adaptation of the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series of novels by George R. R. Martin helped him reach the pinnacle of his career. Bean won the audiences’ hearts with his portrayal of Ned Stark, a man of honor, courage, and loyalty. His death in the first season broke every fan’s heart.

In 2003 Sean Bean received the Screen Actors Guild award, the National Board of Review award, and the Broadcast Film Critics Association award for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’.

He won the ‘Portal Award for Best Actor’, ‘IGN Award for Best TV Hero’ and ‘IGN People's Choice Award for Best TV Hero’ for his role in ‘Game of Thrones’ in 2011.

In 2013 Sean Bean was awarded in the category ‘Best Actor’ at the Royal Television Society awards and also won an International Emmy Award for his portrayal of ‘Simon / Tracie’ in the television series ‘Accused’.

Sean Bean has been married five times and divorced four times. In 1981 he married his secondary school sweetheart Debra James and divorced in 1988. In 1990 he married actress Melanie Hill, and the duo divorced in 1997. The same year Bean married actress Abigail Cruttenden but the marriage didn’t last even three years. They ended their marriage with a divorce in 2000.

Bean started dating actress Georgina Sutcliffe in 2006 and in 2008 they got married. The marriage was a volatile one; the police had been called three times due to complaints of domestic disturbances in their household. Eventually they ended their marriage in 2010. Bean recently married Ashley Moore on June 30, 2017.

As of July 2017 Sean Bean had a net worth of US $20 million.

The actor has a tattoo of the number nine on his shoulder in reference to his involvement in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ films.

Sean is a diehard fan of the Sheffield United Football Club.

He was afraid of flying before working on the trilogy of ‘The Lord of the Rings’.