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An interview with Sean Bean, who plays Father Michael KerriganTell us about your characterFather Michael is the parish priest for the particular small town where Broken takes place. He’s embedded in the community amongst the people who live there, and he has an interesting relationship with many of the characters that you see across the series. He’s fighting an uphill battle with quite a few of them, as to them he represents an organisation - a religion - that has not really lived up to their or their loved ones' expectations in the past. This means some are reluctant to have anything to do with him and don’t believe in what he believes in. Then there are others who see him as a figure of respect and go to him for advice when they've no one else to turn to - it's a real mix.Father Michael therefore has to adapt to each character as he sees them. In a productive way, he understands that there’s a certain kind of negativity towards the priesthood and towards religion in general, so it’s not a simple job for him to find his way through this mini battlefield of how people regard him as a priest. He does his best to accommodate and approach them in a way that is very honest. It’s a community that has mixed feelings about religion these days, which I think is representative of our country as a whole.He's very well-meaning, and he’s also someone who is carrying a lot of sadness, grief and guilt - and very horrific memories of the past. How did you prepare for the role?Though I've had dealings with priests and churches before, I’d never really thought about playing a priest! I’ve been in church and seen priests in front of me, but when you’re actually up there, looking the other way and you’ve got the vestment on it’s quite a different story, let me tell you. I found it quite nerve-wracking the first time. I wanted to get everything right - I guess that’s the thing.We worked with a wonderful guy on Broken called Father Denis. He’s a very approachable man, very knowledgeable and he helped me through that process and making the character look authentic. It took me a little while to relax into the part. From what I gather, priests do get nervous. They never know which kind of audience they’re coming out to see - so like we see with Father Michael across the series, a priest has to adapt to the congregations. I won’t say it’s like first night in theatre, but I'm told it’s similar in terms of how nerve-wracking it is to begin with.What made you want to play him?Jimmy McGovern! I worked with Jimmy on The Accused and I had a wonderful time. It was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had, and when Jimmy came up with the idea of playing a priest I was very flattered that he should think of me to play the role. I just jumped at the chance.I met Jimmy about two years ago in London alongside [Executive Producer for LA Productions] Colin McKeown, and he was enthusiastically throwing out ideas - acting them out in front of me - and it was just fascinating to see what he had in his head. Describing this character who did some pretty bad things - that we don’t know about at the beginning of the series - before discovering something else and deciding to become a priest. That’s how it all began.Jimmy's scripts for the series started arriving two years later and I was just flabbergasted by them, because he had really thrown his heart and soul into it. The depth of the writing and the honesty and the bravery of what he was getting down on paper - he really went for it. So I wanted to play Father Michael because it’s such a terrific story.What stands out about Broken to you?Jimmy’s writing is so visceral, real and just straight from the heart. He can write dialogue that is how people speak. I think it's one of the reasons why a lot of actors want to work with him. He’s got a brilliant gift for flowing natural dialogue and he intersperses it with very dry, very funny lines. How he’s written six episodes I think is quite incredible. It involves so many characters who are all dealt with very deeply. There’s no padding. Each character has been heavily invested in by Jimmy and they’re there for a reason. They’re essential to the plot, to the script, to all our characters. How he’s managed to do that is incredible.His writing is very brave, with lots of twists and turns. When I read episode six I was just knocked out by it. I thought, how the hell has he managed to do this? Because I was wondering how it would end. He’s just a terrific writer who’s not afraid of portraying the truth, and of portraying life as we see it today.
After his Bafta-nominated turn as a transvestite in Jimmy McGovern’s Accused, Sean Bean is teaming up with the acclaimed writer again for another equally challenging role as a caring Catholic priest in BBC1’s blistering new six-part state-of-the-nation drama Broken. Here he reveal all…Tell us about Broken…“I play Father Michael Kerrigan, who is a good priest and has a radical and open vision for the church. As the title suggests, his parish is broken and it reflects what is happening in many UK cities, especially up north. The community doesn’t have a lot going for it, there are no jobs or money around; it has been downtrodden and decimated.”How does Father Michael try to help?“He is like a social worker and counsellor. This is his vocation and he is at his happiest talking to people, that is where his heart lies. But he is under pressure and feels frustrated that his hands are tied and he can’t go as far as he’d like to help them. It’s great playing someone who is trying to deal with people’s problems because usually the characters I play cause problems, which is why I always get killed off!”The first episode sees him attempt to comfort struggling mum Christina Fitzsimmons (Anna Friel) when she loses her job. What is their relationship like?“Everyone has their problems and Michael deals with them all in different ways to ease their pain. Christina does something that she shouldn’t, but Michael understands and puts a word in for her. He will be for there for anyone, his empathy is inexhaustible.” Do we see much of Father Michael’s private life?“Yes, the show’s title is doubly fitting because Father Michael is broken, too. Underneath all the vestments he is a man with his own demons and scarring memories that that he is trying to come to terms with. He has awful flashbacks about his family that strike at inopportune times. In solitary moments when his mask slips you see his loneliness and his hopelessness.”You are good friends with Adrian Dunbar who plays Father’s Michael’s mentor Father Peter Flaherty. What was it like to reunite with him?“I’ve known Adrian since I was about 21 when I was at drama school. We weren’t at the same school, but we always used to end up at the same parties and he was always singing his head off and he still does! I suggested him for the part and it was great because we worked really well together.”What research did you do?“A lovely man called Father Denis came on set a lot showing me the protocol. It was great to talk to him and other priests. I was surprised because I thought they would be solemn, but I enjoyed their company and we’d have a laugh and chat about football. I also saw the effort and energy that priests give, I didn’t realise how busy and selfless they were. I wouldn’t say I ever thought about the priesthood as a calling, I was more interested in football and pop music as a young man. But I now have a lot of respect for them and they put me on the front cover of a Jesuit magazine recently, so the priesthood must be pleased with what we have done too!”
Sean Bean's used to an audience of millions, but taking to the altar in Broken brought on a bout of nerves. He tells Gemma Dunn about perfecting his priestly part.Even Sean Bean can't deny his characters are killed off more than most.There was the time James Bond villain Alec Trevelyan fell to his death after being dropped from a great height in GoldenEye; the time Boromir was plagued with deadly arrows in The Lord Of The Rings; his untimely end impaled on an anchor as Patriot Games' Sean Miller; and Tadgh McCabe's 'death by cow' in Irish drama film The Field.That's not forgetting - spoiler alert - the shocking beheading of fan favourite Ned Stark in Game of Thrones."There's quite a lot of them," agrees Bean, chuckling at the furore that surrounds his catalogue of more than 20 fatalities. "Nearly all of them... they like to die!"In fact, so frequent is his demise on screen that 'concerned' fans launched a viral campaign with the hashtag #DontKillSeanBean after crime drama Legends was shelved in 2015, leaving the fate of his character, FBI agent Martin Odum, unknown.They'll be pleased, then, the actor's latest guise shows no signs of coming to a sticky end. Thus far.Bean, born Shaun Mark Bean, will star as Father Michael Kerrigan, a Catholic priest presiding over an urban parish in northern England, in Jimmy McGovern's new six-part BBC drama Broken.Modern, maverick and reassuringly flawed, Kerrigan - plagued by his own secret struggles - is a man who must be confidante, counsellor and confessor to a community struggling to reconcile its beliefs with the realities of daily life in contemporary Britain.Having worked with McGovern previously on TV hit The Accused, the Sheffield-born star, 58, was instantly sold."Jimmy has quite radical ideas. He's brave. He's a courageous storyteller, and what he wanted to represent I found very exciting," says Bean in his distinctive Yorkshire tones."We had a history together already and it sounded like a very interesting project."I guess from playing a transvestite [Bean won an Emmy for his portrayal of a teacher with a transvestite alter ego in the Tracie's Story episode of The Accused] and then being asked to play a Catholic priest is quite a range."But having never portrayed a man of the cloth before, the religious role required preparation."I've been in church and seen priests in front of me, but when you're actually up there, looking the other way, and you've got the vestment on, it's quite a different story, let me tell you," Bean says. "I found it quite nerve-wracking the first time. I wanted to get everything right."To do that, he turned to Father Denis, an experienced priest and consultant on the series."He's a very approachable man, very knowledgeable, and he helped me through that process and making the character look authentic," Bean explains."I wanted to ask, 'What do you do when you're on your own? Where do you go? Where do you buy your food? Who can you talk to? What can you discuss?'"[But] it's more a story about a man trying to draw people in. As the title suggests, it's a community that's broken. It's the state of the nation, it's what's happening in many cities, especially up north."It's important to show this - the truth of joblessness, poverty, unemployment and gambling - on national TV, too."It's more representative of our country than Downton Abbey.This deals with the vast majority of people at this moment in time, and I do think that's important to get across. It's brave of people to put that together like Jimmy and the BBC."Far from his typical action scenes, Bean - today swapping clerical garb for a casual blazer and jeans combo, matched with long hair - knew he'd have to keep to a certain pace."I was always dealing with someone with problems - and I wasn't causing problems, I was trying to help people," says Bean, who also served as an executive producer on Broken. "In a lot of things, I'm always causing problems - until I get killed."This is the other way round, so it's coming to it from a different mindset. I've found that priests are very selfless people."He co-produced the series, too. "I wanted to have an input, so I could contribute towards certain things," the Rada graduate explains. "But I don't like to be too heavily involved; I don't want to know everything because I like the mystery of just being presented with something and then playing it."I don't want to analyse anything too much or it just fizzles away, disappears and there's nothing there. But it's knowing where the project is going and how it develops - that's the benefit of being a producer."Next up, Bean - who lives in London with his fiancee Ashley Moore (he has been married and divorced four times and has three daughters, two from his second wife, one from his third) - will be reprising the role of John Marlott in season two of ITV's The Frankenstein Chronicles."It's set in 1824-25, so it fits in nicely, chronologically and historically, after Sharpe," he says, referring to the Napoleonic TV drama that brought him mainstream success."I like to do television and film," he says. "I did a film called Dark River with the director Clio Barnard, and I think that's probably coming out this year. I like an interesting balance."Can we expect a run of characters who make it to the closing credits, then?"I've stayed alive quite a bit in the last few years," he says with a grin, reluctant to give away too much. "It's great, it's quite refreshing."
Sean Bean has said his role as a Catholic priest in an upcoming television drama series opened his eyes to the UK's religious communities.The English actor stars as Father Michael Kerrigan in the new six-part drama which airs for the first time on Tuesday evening (23rd May).He said: "It's certainly given me more of an insight, whether we go to church or not. I think it's something that you take as you find it and if it helps you, then that's a good thing."
Sean Bean has died on screen an eye-watering 25 times. He has been flung from a satellite dish in Goldeneye, bombarded with arrows in The Lord of the Rings and beheaded in Game of Thrones.He has perished so many times that his appearance in a drama is invariably a walking spoiler alert. His screen deaths have led to the creation of a website - dontkillseanbean.com – while a compilation of his most memorable demises has clocked up over two million viewers on YouTube.So the actor says he was delighted to be offered his latest role as Father Michael Kerrigan, a compassionate priest who most definitely isn't under threat of a cruel and unusual death. Rather, he cares for a fractured, impoverished community in Broken, BBC1’s potent new six-part drama. Chatting to The Independent in the Queen Vic meeting room at BBC New Broadcasting House – could the venue be any more W1A? – the 58-year-old actor is far gentler than the fierce warrior roles with which has been most strongly identified. Sporting a patterned green scarf over a purple shirt, he is wearing his hair and stubble long. Sweet and softly spoken, Bean is very far from mean.The actor, who apparently receives lots of fan mail intended for Rowan Atkinson’s creation, Mr Bean, begins by laughing about how Broken is a welcome change from his usual habit of coming to a sticky end on screen. “Father Michael is always dealing with someone else’s problems.“In a lot of films, I’m always causing the problems and getting killed. This is the other way round. It’s not disappointing – it’s quite refreshing!”In addition, Bean possesses a perhaps unexpected sense of lightness. For instance, he says that he has won over the audience that he feared might be his harshest critics: the priesthood. He jokes that, "The priests I have spoken to have been very keen on Broken. I was on the cover of a recent issue of Jesuits' Week. So they must be quite pleased with what I've done!"They are not the only people who will be impressed by Bean's performance. He is tremendously moving as Father Michael, a character still haunted by his deeply troubled past. Previously so often used to portray war-weary fighters, Bean's craggy features here are invested with a rare humanity and vulnerability. In an echo of what US President Bill Clinton used to say, the actor’s face seems to proclaim: “I can feel your pain.”That is certainly one reason why McGovern was so eager to cast the actor as Father Michael. The writer previously worked with Bean on an acclaimed episode of Accused, for which the actor won an International Emmy Award for his performance as a cross-dressing teacher.McGovern asserts that, “Sean Bean is a great actor. Who was the movie mogul who said the Grand Canyon was a crock of sh*t compared to Steve McQueen’s face? It’s the same with Sean Bean.”The writer proceeds to reveal that Bean was initially concerned that Father Michael might be seen as too inactive. “I went to see Sean in the process of getting him onboard. He was worried that the character was passive. I said it’s not passivity. To hear a confession is not passive – you take the concern of the penitent. They go out lighter; you go out heavier.”The actor, who was also starred in Sharpe, Troy, Patriot Games and The Martian, was quickly convinced. He says he is delighted to be reunited with the highly-regarded writer of Cracker, Hillsborough and The Street. “Jimmy and I have a great history together. I’m going from playing a transvestite to a Catholic priest. I don’t quite know what that says!”Bean thinks that this drama – and its title – will resonate with viewers. “It’s about this priest trying to draw people in. It’s about a community that is broken. "But it’s also about the state of the nation. This is what’s happening in cities across the country. So Broken is a fitting title for those communities – and also from my character.”The actor passionately believes it is vital we tell the stories of those marginalised people who otherwise have no voice in society. “Broken is a bit more representative of our country than Downton Abbey. That’s a good show, but it only represents one part of society in the past. This deals with the vast majority of people today. It is very important to get that across. It’s brave of Jimmy to present that.“It is crucial to show that because it’s happening right now. In many communities, people can’t get jobs anymore. That started with the rise of cruelty in society and Mrs Thatcher destroying the mining, shipping and steel industries. Now that legacy is apparent in widespread unemployment and drug taking. There is no sense of community any longer. I think that’s what Broken deals with.”The drama also emphasises the restrictions that Father Michael is operating under. “He feels very frustrated,” Bean confirms. “His hands are tied. His community is largely jobless and poverty stricken, but he can’t do very much about it. There is a frustration within him. He doubts what he’s doing at times and thinks, ‘Is this making any sense?’ He questions himself – which is a good thing.“In Broken, Jimmy is saying, ‘If I were a priest, this is what I’d do.’ He’s very radical in what he suggests the Catholic Church might do to make it a much more approachable place for the community rather than something strict and inaccessible.”Bean says he was helped a great deal every day on set by Father Dennis, a real-life priest acting as an adviser. The actor comments that, "I have found the people associated with the Church very helpful. "They provide a real anchor for the community. Without trying to push things down people's throats, they're counsellors, an ear to listen to people's problems. More than anything else, they want to help."McGovern, 67, chimes in that it was his intention to bring centre-stage a section of society that is usually confined to the wings. “In England, there’s a code of conduct, and if you don’t understand it, you don’t fit in. There’s a big debate about accessibility and diversity, but people ignore the fact that working-class people, black or white, just do not fit in.”The writer, who has always demonstrated great compassion in his work, continues that his scripts merely reflect his own background. “I came from a big working-class family. I was Catholic, the fifth of nine children."We were skint, broke. You need to be aware of the financial consequences of characters’ actions. We ignore this far too much. An example: How a woman, after a doomed relationship, throws her ring into a lake. Grow up. She would sell it. It’s ridiculous.”McGovern goes on to lament the fact that the welfare state has been so eroded. “I can understand why and how it’s happened, because it’s been abused. But for people who really need it, it’s a shame that it’s gone in our country. It was always there when I was a young man with a young family who was skint. It kept me alive. I just don’t see why it’s not there now.”Before we part, we return to the subject of Bean's screen deaths. Which of his many memorable characters would he like to see brought back from the dead?He cracks a smile. “I’d like to see Ned Stark, the character I played in Game of Thrones, resurrected. They brought Jon Snow back, so couldn’t they bring Ned Stark back, too? "You should tell the producers that!”'Broken' begins at 9pm on BBC1 on Tuesday 23 May
Of all the roles you might expect to find Sean Bean playing, that of a Catholic priest is probably not high on the list. This, after all, is an actor best known for playing fighters and rebels, men of action who shoot first and ask questions later. “I did struggle at first,” admits Bean of his part as Father Michael Kerrigan in BBC One’s new drama, the Jimmy McGovern-scripted Broken, which follows the parish priest of a deprived community in the North West of England as he tries and, frequently fails, to alleviate his parishioners’ problems from debt problems to health issues to crises of faith.“He listens a lot but he can only go so far as a priest in his position without overstepping the mark and doing something illegal. I guess I’m used to playing parts where the characters, if they do want to do something, then they just do it. Although by doing that they do usually end up getting killed…...
We’ve seen him dressed as a woman. We’ve seen him fight in the Napoleonic Wars. We’ve seen him die – a lot. But now, we get to see a whole new Sean Bean. Ahead of the launch of this powerful new series, we sit down with Mr Bean himself to find out about life as a man of the cloth…So, Sean, what hooked you about the show?I talked to Jimmy [McGovern] about it a couple of years ago. He’s a brave storyteller, with radical ideas. His writing is just amazing – it feels so good to say his words.Tell us about your character, Father Kerrigan…He went the wrong way in life and then he finally found his faith again. Broken is a fitting title for the character I play. He has been broken in the past. He suffers at the moment of the consecration with awful flashbacks that disturb his mind at that crucial point.What kind of flashbacks?He has flashbacks to experiences of his mother and how she treated his father, and how he used to treat women. He’s very radical in what he suggests and his vision for the Catholic Church. It should be much more accessible in the community.What TV do you like to watch?There’s so much good television at the moment. I love Line Of Duty, Breaking Bad and The Returned.Tuesdays, 9pm, BBC One (CH 101) and BBC One HD (CH 108). Also available for 30 days in Catch Up > Channels > BBC iPlayer
HE’S an action star, he looks like he could handle himself in a fight and he has a way with a dry one-liner. But you don’t often hear Sean Bean’s name crop up in the roll call of great British actors. But hit BBC1 drama Broken is changing all that.As troubled priest Father Michael Kerrigan in Jimmy McGovern’s forensic examination of austerity Britain, Bean must surely be headed towards a Bafta for his nuanced and heart-rending portrayal of a man caught up in the shattered lives of his flock while battling his own demons from the past. He brings an understated intensity to a part that reveals an actor of rare sensitivity.Not that the man himself has any time for such flattery. He’s much more interested in flagging up the issues raised by a show that looks at two levels of being broken — the theme works both on a personal and wider societal level. For though Father Michael is a fixer for his community, his own life is riven with uncertainty and guilt.‘He’s first and foremost a man, a man with the same kinds of issues and fallibilities that we all have,’ says Bean when we meet at the BBC in a room squirrelled away behind an EastEnders-themed café.What Bean, at the peak of his career at 58, is relishing is the way that, without hammering home the point, Broken has caught the zeitgeist of a nation that seems to be split down the middle. Screening it during the tumultuous times before and after the general election is purely coincidental but the issues in Broken highlight schisms in the country.‘I don’t want to get too political,’ he says, ‘but there are a lot of things happening in the country that don’t get talked about enough. Things aren’t good for a lot of people, there are a lot of people in poverty and there’s nothing being done about it. No one [in government] gives a s*** about social care and, as far as I’m concerned, that’s really important…’For the most part quietly spoken, Bean checks himself, wary of launching into a full-on rant. He’s also keen not to make Broken out to be a political misery fest. Despite the issues tackled – failures of mental healthcare, police cover-ups, benefits bureaucracy – what shines through is an underlying faith in humanity. Because even in the darkest times, there’s always hope. As a lifelong Sheffield United supporter, Bean knows that better than most. His eyes brighten when talk turns to football and renewed rivalries with Steel City foes Wednesday. Hopes for next season?‘Mid-table, I reckon,’ he says. ‘No, scratch that, we’ll be pushing for the playoffs. You’ve got to dream, haven’t you?’Sean Bean – great actor but well and truly grounded.Broken is on BBC1 on Tuesdays at 9pm
