Sean Bean on his many deaths and ‘Game of Thrones’ legacy
NEW YORK – Sean Bean is as famous for his rugged looks and thick northern British accent as the many creative ways in which he dies onscreen. He’s been stabbed, shot, chased off a cliff, tossed off a satellite dish, beheaded, exploded, killed by arrows, and drawn and quartered in everything from the Bond movie “Goldeneye” to “Game of Thrones” and “The Lord of the Rings.”
For his new series, the Yorkshire-bred actor shockingly makes it to the end of the season. In “The Oath,” on Crackle, Bean plays the imprisoned patriarch of a gang of rogue cops. Bean, 58, talked with The Associated Press.
This is another tightly wound, sinister character. What attracts you to them?
Bean: I guess when your character is in darkness or is very cerebral and contained, you don’t have to learn as many lines. (Laughs.) You just do it with facial expression. They do actually tend to be men-of-not-many-words sort of characters – I quite like that. I don’t like saying too much. I don’t like too much repetition.
Can we talk about your many deaths? Does it affect your choices?
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Bean: I don’t mind. I remember Sean Connery once said that he doesn’t like dying in films. He doesn’t take jobs on where he dies in films. He doesn’t think it’s a good vibe or good karma. So I don’t know where that leaves me. I can understand that, but I’ve done it so many times. It’s not intentional, but I know I’m high up in the death table. But they’ve all been quite memorable. It’s a surprise when I survive. A quite nice surprise for me and, hopefully, for the audience as you always think I’m going to die.
Can we talk about your accent? It seems like many directors leave you alone.
Bean: Unless there’s a reason to change it, I usually use how I speak now. ... Certainly it suited Ned Stark. We did the read-through, and the producers and directors and writers said, “Just talk like that, Sean. What do you think?” I said, “Yeah, all right. Good with me.” But then everybody who came after was part of the Stark family who had to adopt a Yorkshire accent.
Speaking of “Game of Thrones,” we know Stark had a swift and grisly end. But have you noticed that your story line is still the dominant one?
Bean: I’m glad they remember me and am mentioned because it leaves a legacy. It’s wonderful to be still mentioned because the character made such a big impact in the first season.
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