Sean Bean talks "Legends"

[patch]

http://dishmag.com/issue161/celebrity/14985/sean-bean-talks-legends-/

  “One of the attractions of this show was playing multiple characters, which I have never done before. It was interesting to see the psychological consequences of going undercover, to totally believe that you are someone else, and still try and lead a normal life with a wife and child. It’s a very serious dilemma,” says Bean, who was eager to tackle the challenges of the role. “Actors love to immerse ourselves in the roles that we’re playing, and that was particularly relevant to this production.”

Adopting the guise of “goofy, introverted” Lincoln Dittmann in the pilot episode, Bean spoke with an American accent and a stutter. “I met some doctors who help people who stutter, and kind of just kept practicing and practicing the accent with the stutter, until gradually I was comfortable with it,” says Bean.

 Another alter ego was quite the opposite, quite smooth, steely and sophisticated. “I thoroughly enjoyed that because I drove big, nice cars and wore Gucci costumes, and went out with a lot of women,” he laughs. “In one of the episodes, I played a character named Len Barlow from Texas, and the accent was easier to learn than a regular American accent because it’s very idiosyncratic,” he noted, adding that he worked with a voice coach for a few weeks before production started.

“It’s kind of a solitary existence in many ways because in order to process and develop a real character there’s a lot of preparation, a lot of imagination, a lot of time on your own, including pretending and looking in the mirror, and sometimes even pulling faces. And I think that’s how it comes together,” Bean reflects on the process. “Actors never go into a role thinking, ‘Oh yeah, I know how to play that part.’ It’s always a challenge--every single job is a challenge, and you never get used to that. You get flutters in your stomach the night before. It’s like starting school for the first day, and I guess that’s the buzz and that’s the rush for us.”

Sometimes, he admits he finds characters hard to shake when the cameras stop. “Yeah, I do carry some remnants of the character home on occasions, but I guess that’s just natural,” he reflects. “The more intense the role, the more likely you are to have that person live with you for a few days or  even weeks after. I wouldn’t say I’m a method actor but I certainly try and focus on what I’m doing when I’m filming, and I might not be the most sociable character to be around. But they disappear in the end, they go away in the end.”

 “To see Sean morph into these different people is incredible to watch,” says Ali Larter (Heroes), who plays his FBI associate in the drama, which also stars Morris Chestnut, Steve Harris and Tina Majorino as Odum’s fellow agents, and Amber Valletta as his ex-wife. “It’s just exciting to be part of it, to watch him do it and to work opposite him.”

Bean is rarely at a loss for inspiration. “I don’t think it ever really disappears. There’s always something I’m very excited about. I try and take on diverse roles that offer me challenges, and that keeps the creative energy bubbling away like an everlasting fountain. It’s a wonderful thing! I just enjoy what I do so much, and I think I’m blessed to be able to do it.”

A West End veteran who trained at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,
Bean enjoys going back and forth between television and movies, from big blockbusters to independent films. “It’s very intense when you do a low budget independent film, but it’s also sometimes the most fun; you get to know everybody, you’re working fast, and there’s a lot of energy. Whereas in a big film, you’re hanging around for sometimes long periods of time, but it’s fantastic when you see the end product.”

These days, Bean thinks the quality and opportunities in television are better than ever, “with Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead - there are so many wonderful productions and performances that everybody wants to be in,” he points out. “There used to be a kind of taboo about TV if you were a film actor, and it’s great that those lines don’t exist anymore. You could even say they’re doing better quality television than they are features these days, and I think that’s why people want to be involved.”

He cites other advantages of the small screen, including top quality writers and producers, and the luxury of telling a story over a longer term. “You have a chance to develop a character and his experience and his adventures, and play interesting parts with unpredictable endings, like Game of Thrones. I was a good guy in it and I got my head chopped off,” he laughs. “Anybody can die at any time, which is a good thing.”

While he enjoys working in the U.S., Bean, the divorced father of three young daughters, still calls London home. He even stays in hotels and temporary apartments when he’s here. He doesn’t take many vacations, but concedes, “It’s probably about time I made a little time for myself, for a holiday and to get away from everything.”

That’s what I’m intending to do after this, probably have a break, see my family,” says the busy actor. “I haven’t seen them for a while.”
 

http://dishmag.com/issue161/celebrity/14985/sean-bean-talks-legends-/

[moonflower]

Thanks for posting that, patch.

[galamb]

thanks a lot for this

[lasue]

Yes, thank you Patch. I have always wanted to hear Sean talk about his work (as an actor) and what he does
to develop so many GREAT CHARACTERS !! Apparently, it's a combination of talent and hard work !!


                                                         

[lulu]

Nice to hear he misses his family

[patch]

'Game Of Thrones' Alum Sean Bean Talks TNT's 'Legends,' #DontKillSeanBean, & More! [MStars Exclusive Interview]

What excited him about the leading role:

SB: It started off from scratch. It was just wonderful to have an opportunity to actually create someone with mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, various character traits. That was particularly exciting for me and very much part of the attraction to doing it.
They're all very different, but they all have a piece of Martin in there. You've got to have some kind of truth to hang onto.


Which of the multiple character was his favorite to play on the TNT drama:

SB: I guess one of my favorites, perhaps the favorite, was the original character that was first created and that was Lincoln Dittman. And he was a kind of stumbling big geeky guy, with a victim complex, who latches onto other people.
 

MS: Tell me about the challenges that went on behind creating each persona, especially on a tight TV schedule.


SB:  Yes, I guess where I start is getting inside the man's head and trying to work from the inside out. Then I put on the costume and various other effects.
But it is very much about finding a voice, finding out what makes the guy tick, getting into his psyche, and making it your own.
I didn't want to make any big obvious changes, like wearing a wig or mustache, and stuff like that. I wanted to make them more subtle and more kind of physiological rather than physical, even though they did have their own particular physical attributes


About his death reel and the promotion of #DontkillSeanBean:

SB: I'm not that familiar with these things. I'm not very well educated in computers or the internet; not vastly educated anyway.
Memes, soundbites and hashtags...Oh my gosh! I'm amused by all of them! It obviously plays a major part in promoting productions, such as Legends these days. So I'm quite happy to go along with that.
I saw it (the death reel) a few months ago. My kids said, "You should watch this, Dad!" And I'd heard about it. I thought it was successfully done. I was quite flattered by it in all honesty.
 

http://www.mstarz.com/articles/35044/20140810/game-of-thrones-alum-sean-bean-talks-tnts-legends-dontkillseanbean-more-mstars-exclusive-interview.htm


Sean Bean hopes that this time his show won’t kill Sean Bean

The show is a little more serious. Bean says he was drawn to the role partly because of showrunner Howard Gordon, who also executive produced “24,” but also because “It was a very fascinating opportunity to play somebody who plays multiple personalities and creates the characters for himself in order to do the job that he does.”

The fact that Odum’s true identity is a mystery is heightened by the degree to which the character is isolated. Bean calls him “a very lonely man who kind of throws himself into characters, like an addiction, to find some relief from his everyday life. He’s happier being someone else.”
 

http://www.metro.us/newyork/entertainment/television/2014/08/10/sean-bean-hopes-that-this-time-his-show-wont-kill-sean-bean/

[Frances]

Sean is a really talented actor... I'm sure will see another great performance in this show! 

[patch]

Life After Deaths: Sean Bean on 'Game of Thrones' Paternity and 'Legends'

Spending time with Bean is somewhat disconcerting after seeing him play so many somber, doomed roles. His infectious smile is permanently plastered on his face, and he punctuates most sentences with laughter, emotions that are foreign to almost all of his characters over the years. The actor talked, and laughed, about life after onscreen death, his toughest death scene to film, the time he almost died for real—and why we may not have seen the last of him on Game of Thrones.

It seems like you have the best of both worlds: the stability of a regular TV gig, but multiple characters to jump around to and play.

Absolutely, yeah. When I first talked to [executive producer] Howard Gordon, his enthusiasm is infectious and when he outlined the premise, I was totally blown away by it. As opposed to a regular cop show, it’s got these wonderful, psychological dreamlike qualities, which excited me very much. It’s such a joy to have this opportunity as an actor, not just to be playing the part, but as you said, playing multiple parts. It’s like me playing a part, playing a part. I’ve never done anything like that before.

Martin’s legends are bleeding into his real life. Is that something you’ve struggled with as an actor, burrowing too deeply into a role that you can’t shake it?

I don’t, but there’s a certain residue that kind of filters through, which you do carry on to some extent. But I’ve known people who have been Method actors, and that can take its toll. It can be very difficult to get out of. I tried to apply that to this, but without having to be a Method actor.


 David Wilcox says he tapped into your wry sense of humor, which we haven’t seen much from you onscreen. Has it been fun to finally show that side of yourself?

Yes, it is. You don’t necessarily equate me with humor! [laughs] We’ve had some very good directors on this who have brought out the humor in general with all the characters. Which it needs, because it’s quite brutal and quite intense, and you need that humorous intermission. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek on occasion, which I think is good. We’re not treating it that reverentially and seriously. It’s not all [groans] doom and gloom.

Given your past roles, many people will hear you’re starring in a show called Legends and tune in expecting to see a medieval drama, where you have armor…

And a horse. It’s quite the opposite!


Legends is based on Robert Littell’s 2005 novel, and the term is used heavily throughout the show, but I can’t recall ever hearing it on TV or movies before in this context.

No, I hadn’t either before I began this. So when I’m explaining things to people — “my legends…”—they think I’m showing off. “I’m legend-ary!” [laughs]


Last month, TNT gave reporters a shirt that said #DontKillSeanBean, which was funny, but I didn’t realize they would turn into a whole marketing campaign.

Neither did I! [laughs] Somebody just said, “Stick this on and we’ll take a picture of you.” “What?”


What was your reaction?

I thought it was funny. I mean, I’m still quite bemused by it. I don’t exactly know what to say about it. I guess I’m flattered that people want me to stick around for a little longer. So that’s good. But it seems to have taken off.


TNT has never killed off the star of one of its shows, but I guess they could skirt around that by killing one of your legends off.

Well, that’s true! I guess I put [one of his legends; spoiler redacted] to rest. And that’s quite a poignant moment, because I’ve invested so much time and fondness in this character, it’s almost like putting somebody to rest. So I guess you could say that I died! [laughs] I died!


You’ve had so many memorable deaths that have resonated with audiences. What is it like being known for dying?

 That’s good. I think my deaths have gotten better recently, in the last few years. First it was just usually like “bang,” but since I’ve become a little more of a name, they seem to take longer! They stretch it out a little. Like Lord of the Rings, that’s one of my favorites because there’s a pathos to it, a heroic demise. But I’ve not died for awhile, actually.


Probably because it’s hard to top how you went out on Game of Thrones.

Yeah, that was wonderful, the shock and like, “Wait a minute, we made a deal!” That was pretty shocking and that was very well put together. But I guess part of the reason is that I’ve played quite a lot of villains. As you know, the villains usually all die.


Can you remember what your very first death was, either onstage or onscreen?

Let’s see…I did a lot of Shakespeare. Romeo, that was a good death. I did that at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Which death was the toughest to film?

I did a film called Patriot Games with Harrison Ford and we actually shot three different versions of my death. And they settled on the third. But they were flying me back from London to L.A. because they put it together and they would go, [shakes head] “Uh...” They drowned me first, and me and Harrison were underwater. They sent me back to England, then they said, “Sean, we need you back next weekend. It didn’t work, that death.” That happened three times. In the end, they finally settled on me getting an ice pick in the back of my head or something. [Editor’s Note: He was actually impaled on a boat anchor, and then blown up.] That was a very long, labored death scene, which worked very well in the end. And there was the one in Henry VII, with Ray Winstone, where I was drawn and quartered. That was cold, and I was covered in sticky blood in winter in England, on a castle wall. I quite enjoyed it, actually, looking back! [Editor’s note: His Henry VII death actually involved him being hung from the castle in chains; he was drawn and quartered in 2010’s Black Death.]


Have you had any real-life near-death experiences?

I once fell through a glass door when I was only 4 years old. That was like a guillotine. I always would lose my temper when I was at home, and banged on this glass door, and one day I banged straight through it and nearly took my leg off. I still remember the pattern of the blood on the carpet. My mom used to have to take me around in a pram for about six months, and I couldn’t walk. And it just missed a main artery, apparently. I was very lucky. I can still remember it now, and that was 51 years ago.


That was your left leg?

Yeah, I have a big scar down here. [points to above the knee] The scar looks like a shark bite. That’s what I tell people! “I was in Australia…” [laughs]

recent comments in interviews about Jon Snow not actually being Ned Stark’s bastard son have people buzzing that you have confirmed the "R+L=J" fan theory, which suggests that Jon is in fact the son of Ned’s sister Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen. Do you have inside information?

I didn’t, no. I think Ned knows, but I don’t! I always treated him, and especially my wife Catelyn, by her reactions, whenever Jon Snow is around, she’s kind of frosty, kind of cold towards him, but she thinks it’s because I had a son with someone else, that I was unfaithful. And I guess that’s what everybody believed. But now there’s this other theory, and I think it’s probably a very good one, that he’s really not Ned’s son. I don’t know. Have they said? 


The books haven’t said anything definitive yet, but there are still two more to go.

It’s very clever. I mean, [George R.R. Martin] keeps coming up with these things that keep people in the dark, and then it’s subsequently revealed. And I think that’s part of his success.


Do you still watch Thrones?

I do. I haven’t watched every episode but I do like to dip in and keep in touch. It’s one of those things where you’re traveling, and—one day I want to get the box set and catch up and see what’s going on. It’s funny because you see them now and they’re all growing up, like Bran and Arya. Because it’s been four or five years now, and they’re growing into woman and men! And seeing how they’ve adapted to their parts, and how the directors have adapted to them growing up. It’s fascinating.


Any word yet on whether they’ll want you for Season 5, if they delve into the flashback sequences that are coming up in the book?


Still nothing! I’d like to! You could weave it in, and it’s very believable. Because he was a good presence, he was a moral compass. He was a man with a straight, moral principle. He was the only one who was keeping them together. I think that’s why people miss him.


How hard was it to keep Ned’s death under wraps? Of course it had happened in the book, but most shows find a way to keep their leads around.

I’m very good at keeping a secret. Personally, I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t make any sneaky phone calls, not even to my family!


So what was their reaction?

They were shocked. “Sean, you should have told us!” and “Why did you do that?” Hey, I didn’t do it, it’s not my fault! But it was good that it was kept under wraps, because it made it so much more shocking.


Right until the end, viewers kept assuming you’d somehow get out of it, and then you didn’t.

I love things like that. And if you can kill Ned Stark, then you can kill anyone.


Same with Lord of the Rings. If one of the nine members of the Fellowship can go, then any of them can, except probably Frodo. That’s another reason those deaths are so memorable, because they’re so surprising.

Yeah, absolutely. Both of them were very good men as well. Boromir was a good man apart from his obsession with the ring.  But he was a very good man, and you forgive him for his obsession by his death, and his redemption…And when you talk about things like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, it takes me back. And now I’m reminiscing. They were very fond memories.

Yet both of them are still ongoing. Game of Thrones will return next year, and Peter Jackson is still making films about Middle-Earth. So everywhere you turn, you’re still reminded of them.

Yeah. They’re good ones, aren’t they? They’ve made a big impact. And they’re long-lasting, quality productions that I’m really proud to have been involved in. I’m very lucky.
 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/11/life-after-deaths-sean-bean-on-game-of-thrones-paternity-and-legends.html

[patch]

Sean Bean Regains His Head in Legends

His latest role in the TNT series Legends (Wednesdays 9/8c) is something of a change of pace for the 55-year-old British actor: It’s set in the contemporary real world, and he’s not likely to kick the bucket any time soon. But the part is at least as challenging as any he’s played before. As deep cover FBI agent Martin Odum, he adopts a myriad of personas—to the point where he can’t discern which identities are real and which are in his imagination. We asked him about that, Thrones and playing a human-bee hybrid in Jupiter Ascending. No really.

Were you looking for a TV series?
Not really. After Game of Thrones, I had a bit of a break. I did one role where I played a transvestite, in a [British] series called The Accused. I was a schoolteacher in the daytime and then at night I went out dressed to the nines as a woman—high heels, stockings, blonde wig—and that was a hell of a challenge to play. But it was thoroughly enjoyable, a very thrilling part to do and I think I carried it off. I got a lot of plaudits for it.

 What attracted you to this role in Legends?
One of the attractions was playing multiple characters, which I have never done before. Also, I wanted to work with [producer] Howard Gordon because of his track record and pedigree. And what a great cast–people around me who are wonderful actors, very supportive, and the storylines were fascinating. I just thought it was interesting to follow these characters that went undercover and to kind of see what the psychological consequences were by doing that, having to totally believe that you were someone else, imagine yourself in another character, and still try and lead a normal life with a wife and child. I think that deals with a very serious psychological dilemma that these guys or girls face when they go undercover.

Did you do any preparation or training for it?
Yeah, I try and keep myself relatively fit and the job itself requires a lot of running around and quite a lot of physical activity. I trained with guns and stuff like that. I’m a great believer in being prepared for a part before you take it on. It’s crucial to the credibility of the character.

You’ve got some films coming up, including Jupiter Ascending and Any Day. Details?
In Jupiter Ascending I play a character called Stinger and he’s half bee/half human. There’s a lot of hybrid civilizations in this universe, which the Wachowski brothers have created. I help Channing Tatum—I’m his mentor. We were flying around in space rockets and shooting these ray guns, and it was just great fun to work with the Wachowski brothers. I just thought they were absolutely fascinating, incredibly talented people that were trying to do something unique, something different. Any Day was a low budget film shot in L.A. I play an ex-boxer who comes out of prison after a long stretch for knocking someone out and they die, and I try and rebuild my life. It’s got Eva Longoria in it. It’s very down-to-earth, kind of gritty.

What’s on your professional to-do list?
I don’t know. I’ve never really had a grand plan. I just enjoy the kind of surprise and the opportunities that come along and just seeing which different parts may come up next. I haven’t got a particular character that I’d like to play. But I’d love to work with Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese.

 

http://www.mademan.com/sean-bean-regains-head-legends/

[lasue]

Thank you Patch !! It's so wonderful of you to keep us all up-to-date on Sean and LEGENDS. I really appreciate
all your hard work and time what you put into these posts. Thank you again.

[patch]

Sean Bean takes on multiple personalities for TNT’s new ‘Legends’

The publicist is walking around in a black T-shirt that reads in white letters: “#DontKillSeanBean.”

“I don’t know what to make of that,” laughs the subject of the shirt as he sits on the patio of a West Hollywood hotel.

In case you don’t know, the British actor’s character was killed rather unexpectedly and gruesomely at the end of season one of “Game of Thrones,” which now, after four seasons, is one of the biggest shows on television.

It wasn’t the first time he was eliminated from a major franchise. At the end of the first “Lord of the Rings” film, his character met an untimely demise. While the rest of the band went on for two more movies, there were no sequels for Bean.



Now, the 55-year-old actor — who was a villain in the James Bond film “GoldenEye,” received a real scar from Harrison Ford and played a variety of dashing heroes in his career — is in “Legends,” beginning Wednesday on TNT. Bean plays a deep undercover FBI agent named Martin Odum. However, he seems to suffer from a multiple personality disorder, something that works well in creating his disguises but is toxic as it seeps into his personal life.

With an ex-wife and son living in the San Fernando Valley, Odum’s life, at best, is messy. He’s always off pretending to be someone else, but then he begins to doubt that even that is real.



When viewers first meet Odum, he is pretending to be Lincoln Dittman, a disaffected American who is part of a militia group intent on creating a terrorist act in the U.S. He stutters and also feels victimized, a far cry from most of the assertive action roles Bean is known for.

“It’s a quite interesting guy to start off the series,” says Bean, “because it’s hard to tell where it’s going.” By the second episode, the actor is becoming his third character, Dante Orbach, a flashy arms dealer. There are at least two more to come.



“What’s exciting about the characters are that they all have their separate lives set up; so Martin totally lives the life of these guys,” says Bean, who was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Co. after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. However, the last time he was on stage was in 2002, when he played the title role in “Macbeth” in London’s West End.

“ ‘Legends’ was a bit like drama school,” the actor says. “Going back to the trailer and changing from one character to the other was like the old days. Sometimes, though, it was such a quick turnaround that I had to really focus on who I was playing.”

“Legends” is based on the novel of the same name by master spy writer Robert Littell. It co-stars Ali Larter (“Heroes”) as Odum’s team leader, who doesn’t trust him because she thinks he’s unstable. Bean calls the filming of the 10 episodes in Los Angeles — one every eight days — intense.

The actor says that since he came to L.A. by himself to make “Legends,” most days he worked on the series and went back to where he was staying, thought about the characters, watched a little television, went to sleep and then did it again.



“I think if anybody had been around me I wouldn’t have been much fun,” Bean says, his Yorkshire accent evident. “I didn’t go to the cinema or out to dinner.”

Other the other hand, it gave him leeway in the way he created the character. “With all its different layers, it was fascinating to see it all come together.”

Obviously, “Legends” isn’t Bean’s first foray into television. Over a 15-year period he played Richard Sharpe, a heroic fictional British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, in a sporadic series of English TV movies based on novels by Bernard Cornwell. (They played on PBS and cable in America.) His other big television series was “Thrones,” and even if the audience didn’t know his character Lord Eddard Stark was going to die, Bean did.



He says people would come up to him and ask why he got his head chopped off and he would respond, “Don’t blame me, blame George R.R. Martin,” the author of the series.

“I think people generally liked the guy. Ned Stark was one of the only moral compasses in it. So when they beheaded him there were no sort of moral boundaries,” says the actor, who adds he’s flattered people still ask him about the role.

As we talk, I search for the small scar Harrison Ford gave him over his eye during filming of “Patriot Games,” in which he was the bad guy. He shows me. “It was an accident with a slippery boat and he hit me in the head with a boat hook,” he smiles. “I call it a designer scar.”



Bean will play at least two of the other characters on “Legends,” a redneck cowboy and a flamboyant English journalist. “I’ve got his socks on now,” the actor says, pointing to his colorful pair.

“Building a character is not about costumes,” says Bean, who watched different sorts of documentaries and television shows to prepare for his roles in “Legends,” including TV evangelists for the Texas cowboy. “You get them in your head, the way they talk, their idiosyncrasies.”

It’s noted that his character on the show, Martin Odum, does something similar to that when getting ready to go undercover. “That’s kind of like me. As an actor, we’re always observing and using that for the craft.”

 

http://www.tehladailynews.com/2014/08/11/sean-bean-takes-on-multiple-personalities-for-tnts-new-legends/

[patch]

On the Set: Sean Bean Finds New Life on TNT's Legends

  "Fire in the hole!" production assistants yell as three black SUVs come charging down a Stevenson Ranch, California, canyon. Suddenly, a half-dozen explosive charges ignite around the cars, sending them skidding up to a safe house, where a gun battle between FBI agents and vigilantes ensues. A hooded man sprints out of the shack to free two FBI captives from one of the vehicles and rushes them to an awaiting helicopter.

"So far, there's been a great deal of action," says Sean Bean, the smiling star of the new thriller Legends, as he removes his black hood after coming down from the helicopter. "In terms of having fun and doing unusual things on a Monday morning, it's good!"

Today, Bean is taking on the persona of smooth-talking arms dealer Dante Auerbach. Tomorrow, he'll be Len Barlow, a larger-than-life Texan. "For an actor, it's a dream part because you're constantly re-creating yourself in the same show," he says. "It's quite demanding in terms of accents and mannerisms."

Martin will also find himself at odds with his FBI team, headed by Crystal McGuire (Heroes' Ali Larter), who runs point on all field operatives. "It's oftentimes a contentious relationship because Martin is such a lone wolf by virtue of his job," Wilcox says. "He doesn't play well with others."

Bean's character may be facing an identity crisis, but the Game of Thrones alum (infamously executed in Season 1) insists that, despite his long history of perishing on screen, he won't be losing his Legends status any time soon: "The producers promised me that wouldn't happen!"
 

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sean-Bean-Legends-1085497.aspx?rss=breakingnews&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed


Meet Sean Bean’s Multiple Legends Identities — But Which One Is Real?

"This guy ... has a kind of personality disorder, to put it mildly," Bean tells TVGuide.com. "He's a very driven man who creates characters and people from his past experiences. He's very good at it and he totally immerses himself, to a point where he kind of pays quite a big price psychologically

 "Playing someone who doesn't know who they are playing various other characters, for me as an actor, it's a wonderful opportunity to try and get inside someone's head and try and invent something very interesting," the Game of Thrones alum says. "[When] meeting people ... I try and absorb things like a sponge, because they might be used at a later date. That's what I do as an actor to try and build up a character. And that's very similar to what Martin Odum does. So there's kind of that parallel, which I find fascinating."

 "He lives a very solitary existence," Bean says. "He's a bit of a lone wolf. ... He doesn't want to be Martin sometimes, and he finds it a relief to go into character and to get under the legends' skins. He feels happier there. He feels more alive and more himself in his legends than he does in real life. Maybe that's because he's got more control over his legends. He can point them in the direction he wants to go in, where his [real] life is in turmoil."

In meeting with real-life undercover agents, Bean said he was taken aback by tales of "the psychological toll [the career] takes upon an individual." (Although, as he points out with a laugh, "I'm just playing an actor playing these guys. I'm not going to get a bullet in the back of my head. So I'm sure they've got to be a lot more convincing than I am.") Legends raises the question: at what point, if ever, does an individual agent's mental well-being outweigh the need to maintain national security?

With Bean having famously been the victim of several on-screen deaths, the actor says he welcomed the opportunity to bring so many characters to life. "I was very happy to be invited to participate in creating these characters," he tells TVGuide.com. "I just tried to, more than anything else, get inside their heads first and work from the inside out. The costume and the physical attributes always came later. But I think I managed to kind of create subtle distinctions without making them comical. It's more of a psychological switch than anything else."

"It's just such a joy to be able to go into work every day and say, 'Who's going to turn up today?'" Bean adds. "It's a real dream of a part."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sean-Bean-Legends-TNT-Ali-Larter-Premiere-1085527.aspx?rss=breakingnews&partnerid=imdb&profileid=01


Sean Bean Admits That "Orphan Black" Star Tatiana Maslany Influenced His Role in "Legends"

Speaking with Complex, Bean explains that a deep dive into the show's source material, author Robert Littell's original novel Legends: A Novel of Dissimulation, helped him tap into his various characters. However, that wasn't his only influence. The other? Another television shapeshifter: Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany.

"I've been watching that on BBC America as I was going along in the U.S. the last four months," says Bean. "That’s a similar kind of idea isn’t it? I like it! [Tatiana Maslany] is brilliant. She's excellent. I’m sure that kind of penetrated my psyche and I took something from that, but that’s a good thing because it's an excellent piece of work, that Orphan Black."
 

http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/08/sean-bean-orphan-black-tatiana-maslany-legends-dont-kill-sean-bean?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

[patch]

This time, Sean Bean's character will live — at least for now

"I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out," Bean said while relaxing in a West Hollywood hotel suite during a recent promotional tour. "It offered an opportunity to play as many as three characters in one day."
"Martin is really happier when he's playing someone else. You can see it in his eyes. But when he's just himself, he's not sure where he's going. He lacks direction. However, the 'legend' knows exactly where he's going. So Martin has a strange addiction. He wants to jump back into the 'legend' as soon as he can."

Bean talked with undercover agents and watched documentaries about undercover work for research: "It's really fascinating: The people who do this kind of work can find their loyalties split, and they have to decide what side they're on.

"Playing someone who is going through that was hard and difficult. Sometimes I felt, 'Where am I going here?' Then I would just throw caution to the wind. It was quite scary, but I'm glad I did, because I went out on a limb."

Executive producer David Wilcox said the breakneck production schedule was a bit daunting for Bean.
"Sean is used to having a fair amount of time to sit and work with the material," Wilcox said. "Our schedule was intense, so it took him a bit out of his comfort zone. But he adapted quite well. We built the character together."

"Legends" also marks a milestone for Bean: his first lead in an American-made TV series
 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-legends-sean-benn-20140813-story.html


Sean Bean on ‘Legends’ & ‘Game of Thrones’

CraveOnline: Did you ever regret taking the role of Ned Stark, only because you couldn’t stay with “Game of Thrones” for the long term?

Sean Bean: No, I knew before we started filming that Ned was going to get the chop. I was aware of the books. I wasn’t aware of the books originally, but I met with the director and producers in London and they told me, “One thing you should probably know is that you’re going to get your head chopped off.” I said, “Okay. So it’ll just be the first season. Sure, I’ll do it.” It was a great opportunity for me and he was a wonderful character to play. I thought one season’s good enough for me.

How quickly after “Game of Thrones” were you looking for another show to do?

Oh, I’m always looking. If something comes up, it’s original, unique, but I had a bit of a rest after that. I can’t remember what I did after “Game of Thrones.” I did a role where I played a transvestite in a series called “Accused.” My story was Tracie’s story. Tracie was my alter ego. I was a schoolteacher in the daytime and at night I went out as Tracie dressed up to the nines as a woman in high heels, blonde hair, blonde wig. I did that in Manchester, a writer called Jimmy McGovern. That was a hell of a challenge to play, but it was thoroughly enjoyable, a very thrilling part to do and I think I carried it off. I got a lot of plaudits for it.

How many legends do you know about so far?

Well, I’ve played one, two, three, I think four. I don’t know about them anymore. Ask the writer. He comes up with them. But I’ve read the book and we’ve played a couple of legends from the book. That’s pretty good.

When did you discover how much fun it was to try to be somebody else?

You think, am I going to be able to make that leap of faith? It’s sometimes a bit scary, especially in front of people. But you try something out that’s very new and you don’t know what it’s like. You don’t get a prototype of the character. You’re just there as the character on day one. I just feel myself into it and it was fascinating. I wouldn’t say it was hard work, but you have to put a lot of time in and you have to be on your own.

I think that’s the other thing. It’s a kind of solitary existence in many ways because in order to process and develop a real character, there’s a lot of preparation, a lot of time on your own, a lot of imagination and pretending, looking in the mirror sometimes, pulling faces. I think that’s how it comes together. I can’t explain it sometimes. I think we all sit on our own sometimes, imagine what we could be and if I’d done that and if I’d done that, what would I have done then, and actually take it a step further than that. Fortunately I can go home after this.

What’s the longest you ever stayed in character?

I guess not that long. When a shot ends, but he’s still underneath. There’s still that undercurrent so you kind of pick it up whenever you want. I can’t really go around in character.

Is it helpful that Martin’s base accent is close to your own?

I guess so, yes. It’s just finding the right notes to do an accent. I played a character called Len Barlow in one of the episodes. He’s from Texas and that was kind of a bit easier to learn than a regular American accent because it’s got so many extremities, so many words that you remember, very kind of idiosyncratic. I usually work with a voice coach for a few weeks before we start just to get that tonality, register of your voice.

Is there something about TV right now that speaks to your as an actor more than it would have before?

I think there is, yes. Yes, that’s a very good point. I think it’s intelligent. The characterization and stories are much more interesting. I think that’s possible now because actors, there used to be a kind of taboo about “Are you a TV actor? Are you a film actor?” Now, it’s great, those lines don’t exist anymore and you’re getting good people like Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, various others, going into good quality television. I think that’s attractive. They’re doing better quality television than they are features these days and I think that’s why people want to be involved.

And you can also tell a story over a period of 10 episodes. You don’t have to get it in there in two hours, two and a half hours. You have a chance to develop that character and his experience. I think it’s to do with the quality of the writing. Great writers that are around now in television, and then the producers. Howard Gordon is wonderful and you think, “Wow, this is good stuff.” And I think people appreciate it. I think audiences appreciate it. They go, “Wow, we’re not just watching the same old stuff now. We’ve got good actors coming in to play interesting parts with unpredictable endings.” Not everything’s tied up and wrapped up at the end. It’s not as predictable. “Game of Thrones,” I was a good guy and I got my head chopped off. Anybody can die at any time which is a good thing.

Wasn’t Britain ahead of the game this way? British actors didn’t seem to distinguish between film and TV?

No, they didn’t. Possibly. A lot of the stuff I did when I was younger in my career was on television, especially for the BBC. They were very good quality dramas. They were just one offs, hour longs, but that’s how you learn your craft, by doing that. This job, BBC, it seems like America is kind of adopting that challenging kind of thought provoking television that we were once involved with 20 years ago. We’re still making great productions but I think the Americans are really going through [a renaissance]. “Breaking Bad,” “Walking Dead,” there are so many wonderful productions and performances that everybody wants to be in it and that’s the way it should be, because it gets out to people who maybe don’t go to the cinema too much. It comes right through your living room.

You still go back and forth between indie movies and big studio movies too.

Yes, I do like to go back and forth because it’s very intense when you do a low budget, independent film but it’s also sometimes the most fun. You get to know everybody, you’re working fast, there’s a lot of energy. You’re hanging around for a period of time and it’s fantastic when you see the end product. So I like going backwards and forward to independent film and maybe a studio film if possible.

What do you think of these #DontKillSeanBean shirts and all the interest people have in your cinema and TV deaths?

Quite bizarre. I guess, well, I’ve died quite a few times, actually, and I’ve died a lot of different deaths. Maybe it’s the quality of my death they’re fascinated by. I’m still here anyway.

Do you have a favorite death so far?

I liked Lord of the Rings, that death. I was quite happy. Big death.
 

http://www.craveonline.com/tv/interviews/743137-sean-bean-legends-game-thrones

[Amber]

Can someone tell me if the competition between channels is so strong in the U.S. that no-one ever mentions a show on a different network? 

We only get a limited amount of entertainment shows from the U.S. and it's as though "Legends" doesn't exist.  We get "E! News" but for that show just read 'all you didn't know want to know about the least worthwhile, most annoying family on the planet' with not one show ever without them being discussed ad nauseum - but our other snippets of American show-biz. shows haven't mentioned it either.

The only mention was Sean being in it when he did the WW1 poetry album with the PM but nothing more was said apart from that he was in this new show "Legends" and that was that.  I get it that Robin Williams died that week but still ...

Oh and why does Ali Larter think that it is her show?  I always cringe when we get 'former model' on anything, yup, beauty is a fantastic commodity but you still have to have the talent to back it up.  You can be stunning and have more publicity that anyone else in the entire world - ever - but that doesn't mean we will seeing Kim Kardashian getting an Oscar any time soon does it, you still need the talent, and from what I remember, wasn't Ms. Larter criticised for her inability to act back as far as "Heroes"?  From what I've read and seen of "Legends", hello, Sean is the star, so why does she keep saying "my show", and why did she get to do the interview "Conan" and Jimmy Fallon - geez, we get so little here and we got her instead of him - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[patch]

A-Lister gives Sean Bean a 'designer scar'

The guy who is always dying on TV is the happiest man on the planet.

To clarify, actor Sean Bean spent so much time smiling and laughing during our interview that we all wanted to put him in our pocket and take him home. It's obvious that he is high on life, now amidst the first season of his brand new show on TNT called "Legends."

 

Here are highlights from our chat. (The uncut VIDEO version is in the section on the right).


ALLISON WALKER: You perfected the technique of death, which kind of worries me.


SEAN BEAN: It worries me a bit, too [laughing]. A little bit too much, this! Yea, I've kinda explored all avenues in that regard - that death quarter.

AW: Have you seen that death compilation that some uber-fan put on You Tube?

SB: Yes, I did. I saw it a few months ago now. I knew it was around for a little while, and I thought, 'Naw, what this death scene [thing].' But I didn't expect it to be so big. My kids said you should watch it and they showed me. It was fascinating ... It spans, like, 30 years of my career.

AW: You now star now as an undercover agent in one heck of an identity crisis in TNT's "Legends." So Sean, what's your deal with you transforming yourself into a completely different person?


SB: That's his job. He's very good at his job. He's a very driven man. He throws caution to the wind and hurls himself into these creations, these characters - these "legends" - as they're called. In order to achieve his aims and track down these criminals from various organizations and for that he has to be very convincing.

AW: It's funny because we saw you as a cross-dressing teacher in "Accused." Was that more fun to play or becoming, say, a Chicago cop or a Serbian extremist like in "Legends?"

SB: "[In "Accused"] I guess that was a bigger leap for me than probably the characters I play in "Legends" because that was a challenging role. Once I got it, I was fine. But it was just getting in there, I think, more mentally, more than anything else, getting into character. I finally got it one day and thought, 'Thank God for that.'


AW: I have to talk about" Game of Thrones." (SPOILER ALERT if you're catching up and still aren't done with season 1.) A lot of what's happening now is obviously based on your character, but when you died in the first season - dude, you should be getting paid for the last three seasons. Right?!


SB: I wish [laughing]. That'd be nice. I guess I knew that I wasn't going to make it beyond the first season. It was such a great part and I met with the producers and the writers and directors and they were a great bunch, as you can see from its longevity.

AW: I'm looking closely at your handsome face right now and I understand Harrison Ford did something to you? Did he bang you up?


SB: Yes he did. That bugger [laughing]. He actually accidentally hit me with a hook due to the filming of a final scene where I died - again. ANd it caught me above the eye and I have quite a few stitches in it. But it's a good one. It's in the right place. Kind of a designer scar.

 

http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2014/9/12/a_lister_gives_sean_.html?cid=rss


VIDEO
http://www.mynews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/video.html?clip=http://static.cfnews13.com/newsvideo/cfn/AWSEANBEANINTV.f4v&vtitle=Sean%20Bean%20interview

[patch]

INTERVIEW: SEAN BEAN

Sean Bean speaks about his role as Martin Odum on TNT’s “LEGENDS”

  Talking with Sean Bean in person for the first time is rather surprising. First of all, there’s no intense, imposing persona that accompanies most of his screen roles, whether heroes like Ned Stark in GAME OF THRONES and Richard Sharpe in the numerous BBC SHARPE’S miniseries, ambiguous characters like Boromir in LORD OF THE RINGS, crazy leaders like Ulrich in BLACK DEATH or absolute villains like John Ryder in THE HITCHER and Ian Howe in NATIONAL TREASURE.

Instead, Sean Bean comes across as affable and unassuming. Also, no matter what projects he’s in, he rarely uses his real speaking voice, which pegs him squarely as a native Yorkshireman.

Sean Bean is at the Television Critics Association Q&A session for LEGENDS, the new TNT series based on the novel by Robert Littell. Sean Bean stars as Martin Odum, an FBI agent who is brilliant at assuming long-term undercover identities, also known as “legends.”

LEGENDS is executive-produced by Howard Gordon (HOMELAND, 24), with another executive producer, David Wilcox, taking on show runner duties. Sean Bean is so impressed with Wilcox’s work that, after the Q&A session and after the small group of journalists asking Sean Bean follow-up questions has dispersed, the actor turns back and hurries over to a reporter to make sure he’s heard on this topic, “to just special mention for David Wilcox, because he’s the one who’s been putting these things together. He’s got a wonderful imagination. He’s displayed that in the scripts. I’d like to just say thanks to David, really.”

 As to the kinds of details Sean Bean brings to the character, the actor says of Martin, “By playing goofy and playing a bit dumb, he’s actually getting right to the core of this organization. He’s ripping it apart. So there is a purpose behind acting that way. But I started off in it [with] a kind of makeup of what I thought would compliment that. It’s up to you to say things like, wear my hair like this, have my shirt to one side, I’m going to wear these glasses. It’s up to you to actually say little things that make up a character that’s credible, and I had a lot of fun. Then I went into another character who was totally different, very smooth, suave, sophisticated man, kind of a steely character, and I was totally different. I thoroughly enjoyed that because I drove big nice cars and wore Gucci costumes and went with a lot of women.”

The actor is enthusiastic about the state of television in both the U.S. and in Britain. “A lot of the stuff when I was younger, my career in British television, especially for the BBC, and they were very good dramas, maybe just one-offs, an hour long, but that’s how you learn your craft, by doing that, this job, BBC, a production here or there. It seems like America is kind of adopting that challenging kind of thought-provoking television that we were once involved with twenty years ago. And we’re still making great productions, but I think the Americans are really going for it, with BREAKING BAD and WALKING DEAD. I mean, there are so many wonderful productions and performances that everybody wants to be in it. And that’s the way it should be, because it gets out to people who don’t go out to the cinema too much. It comes right into your living room.”

Martin going deep into the legend of Leon Dittmann isn’t actually the first time Sean Bean has played a relatively timid character. Back in 1990, he costarred in an independent Irish drama, THE FIELD, which the actor recalls with pleasure. “I played Richard Harris’ son Tadgh McCabe. Bull McCabe was a very dominant father, crushing the spirit out of the boy. Not intentionally, but he was such a strong guy. And the son was kind of mentally behind, because of his father’s dominance and such high expectations that his father put before him. And that was quite interesting to play, a young man who was very introverted and he was afraid of speaking his mind, and when he did express himself, it was in aggression and hostility. And there was a great guilt behind that afterwards. So that was quite a complex, interesting character in THE FIELD. That was a great film, I thought.”
Sean Bean can see some parallels between Dittmann and Tadgh, though he points out there are differences as well. “I would imagine Dittman – there was a side of introvert. But then very similarly, extrovert, so they think he’s a bit of a fool. One of the Caesars, Claudius, he made everybody around him think he was a fool, and he actually was very clever and he got rid of all his enemies and he became emperor. So by behaving like a goofy guy, a goofy senator, he became part of the Roman Empire.”

Although Martin Odum’s speaking voice is not exactly Bean’s real voice, it is closer than those he adopts for the legends. Is it helpful that Martin at least sounds like he’s from the U.K.?

“I guess so, yes,” Sean Bean replies. “I mean, it’s just finding the right notes to do an accent. I played a character called Len Barlow in one of the episodes. He’s from Texas. And that was a bit easier to learn than just a regular American accent, just because there are so many extremities,” he laughs, and so many words that you remember. It’s very kind of idiosyncratic. But I use a voice coach for a few weeks before we start, just to get the tonality and the register.”

Having worked with so many luminaries, are there any directors Sean Bean would especially like to wok for? “I’d love to work with Ridley Scott or Martin Scorsese.”

Does Sean Bean know overall what he hopes is ahead for him? He says no, and adds that he’s fine with this. “I’ve never really had some grand plan. I’ve just enjoyed the surprise and the opportunities that have come along, just seeing which different parts come next.”
 

http://buzzymag.com/sean-bean-interview/