Sean Bean grew up on a council estate in Handsworth, Sheffield, before going on to became one of Britain’s most successful actors.
The 65-year-old has appeared in countless films and TV shows, including Sharpe and Game of Thrones on the small screen and Lord of the Rings and GoldenEye on the big screen.
His latest project is Shardlake, a four-part Disney+ series based on the historical mystery novels by C. J. Sansom set during the reign of King Henry VIII, in which he plays Thomas Cromwell.
You may already know his dad Brian was a steel plater with his own business, while his mum, Rita, was a secretary.
You may also be aware he’s been married five times, has three children and lives with his wife Ashley Moore in Somerset.
And you probably know he’s a huge Sheffield United fan, has a propensity for uttering the word b****** on screen and a reputation for playing characters who meet a grisly end.
But below are some facts you may not know about the actor, from his boyhood dream to the neighbour who helped inspire one of his biggest passions in life.
1. He's a keen gardener
Sean Bean, pictured here at Handsworth Medical Centre in October 2005, is passionate about gardening. He has told how his love of nature dates back to his childhood, when he says his next door neighbour, Ron Howard, 'taught me a lot about natural history and ornithology and plants'. "I still have some of his plants that I'm growing in my garden," he once said in an interview. Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
2. He was once stabbed outside a pub
Sean Bean, pictured here outside Sheffield Town Hall, where he unveiled his legends plaque in 2010, was reportedly stabbed in the arm with a piece of glass outside a pub in London in 2011. He was apparently attacked after standing up for a friend who had been the subject of a sexist remark. He was not seriously injured and reportedly carried on drinking at the pub after the attack. Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
3. He once owned a kestrel
Sean Bean, pictured here with youngsters at the Wybourn Young People's Resource Centre in February 1998, used to have a kestrel. The actor, who is a big fan of the 1969 film Kes, which he has watched dozens of times, one said in an interview: "I used to have a kestrel. I had a license for it... it wasn't a sort of fad with me, it wasn't a passing craze. I was fascinated by wildlife when I was younger...and natural history...and it's something I still am interested in." Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
4. He studying welding after leaving school
After leaving school, Sean Bean, pictured here at the Handsworth Fun Day in August 2004, started working at his dad Brian's fabrication company while studying welding one day a week at Rotherham College of Arts and Technology. It was only after stumbling across a drama class that his passion for acting was ignited and he won a scholarship to RADA. Photo: Sheffield Newspapers