Sean Bean is an English film and stage actor known for his portrayal of Richard Sharpe in the television series Sharpe.
He was born in South Yorkshire, England on April 17, 1959. He did not pursue his dream of becoming a professional football player because of a childhood accident that left him with impeded walking throughout his childhood. Instead, he pursued the arts, and eventually appeared in some college plays before successfully applying for a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
His professional acting debut was in the 1983 play Romeo and Juliet. His first national exposure, however, came from a television advertisement for a brand of lager. He toured the United Kingdom with the Royal Shakespeare Company until he became established as a television star, with his appearances in BBC productions such as Lady Chatterley.
However, he became popular as the fictional British soldier Richard Sharpe in the historical drama Sharpe. The series began shooting in 1993 and produced three episodes per year until 1997, after which, the program was extended. Two more episodes will be shown on British television in 2008.
His first notable Hollywood appearance was in the 1992 film Patriot Games, as an Irish republican terrorist. He became known for playing villain roles, first as Alec Trevelyan in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, then as Spence in the 1998 Robert De Niro-starrer Ronin. He also appeared as a villain in 2000’s Essex Boys, 2001’s Don’t Say A Word, and 2004’s National Treasure.
He played the role of Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; his involvement in the next two sequels was minimal. He then appeared in 2005’s The Island, North Country and Flightplan, and is slated to appear in the MacBeth adaptation, Come Like Shadows.