Sean Bean on his many deaths and ‘Game of Thrones’ legacy

Sean Bean is as famous for his rugged looks and thick northern British accent as the many creative ways in which he has died onscreen.

He has 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. It’s a brooding, dark and violent look at how corrosive corruption can be.

Bean, 58, talked with The Associated Press about the new series, his many deaths and why he’s pleased that he’s left his mark on “Game of Thrones” long after losing his head. AP: 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-notmany-words sort of characters — I quite like that. AP: Is there a second season in the works, and are you a part of it?

Bean: Well, I don’t die in it. Well, maybe I shouldn’t tell you. You know, everyone expects me to die, don’t they? I think there’s talk of it. I think they’re seeing how it goes down and see what the reaction is.

AP: Can we talk about your many deaths? Does it affect your choices?

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.

AP: Actually, we’re a little shocked you managed to survive through the first season of “The Oath.”

Bean: There was talk about me dying in it, but they liked what they saw, what I was doing, and I think they decided to extend his life a bit more.

AP: 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. Not too broad. If I spoke really broad Yorkshire, people might not understand what I’m saying. I kind of tone it down. It suits the characters that I play, many of them anyway.

AP: On “Game of Thrones,” your character 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. He was one of a very few good men.