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.
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.
![Sean Bean, pictured here in 2005, was filming a fight scene for the 1992 film when Harrison Ford accidentally caught him with a boat hook. He needed eight stitches and was left with a lasting scar above his eye, which was deliberately stressed by make-up artists for the TV series Sharpe and became part of the character's back story.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/22/12/52/onecms_d7715eec-d7f1-438c-9265-04bcd0a86345.jpg.jpg?trim=0,0,0,101&width=800)
5. He suffered a nasty injury while making Patriot Games
Sean Bean, pictured here in 2005, was filming a fight scene for the 1992 film when Harrison Ford accidentally caught him with a boat hook. He needed eight stitches and was left with a lasting scar above his eye, which was deliberately stressed by make-up artists for the TV series Sharpe and became part of the character's back story. Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
![Sean Bean left Brook Comprehensive School with just two O-levels in English and art but he later received honorary degrees from Sheffield Hallam University, in 1997, and the University of Sheffield, in 2007.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/22/12/52/onecms_ca8e6820-bbfe-4e5a-8393-572d6eae4c79.JPG.jpg?trim=0,288,0,0&width=800)
6. He has honorary degrees from both Sheffield universities
Sean Bean left Brook Comprehensive School with just two O-levels in English and art but he later received honorary degrees from Sheffield Hallam University, in 1997, and the University of Sheffield, in 2007. Photo: Dean Atkins
![Sean Bean, pictured here at Bramall Lane in 2000, is famously a life-long Blades fan and used to dream of representing the club. A bad accident put paid to those hopes, however, when he smashed a glass door following an argument and sustained a nasty gash to his leg. He did eventually get to live out his boyhood dream, to an extent, when he starred in the cult 1996 film When Saturday Comes.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/22/12/13/onecms_f88cb880-673b-4c5d-b76f-b2ab0ff529cf.jpg.jpg?trim=0,0,0,74&width=800)
7. A childhood injury ended his dream of playing for Sheffield United
Sean Bean, pictured here at Bramall Lane in 2000, is famously a life-long Blades fan and used to dream of representing the club. A bad accident put paid to those hopes, however, when he smashed a glass door following an argument and sustained a nasty gash to his leg. He did eventually get to live out his boyhood dream, to an extent, when he starred in the cult 1996 film When Saturday Comes. Photo: Sheffield Newspapers
![As a boy, Sean Bean, pictured here in 2002, said he wanted to be an astronaut. "I definitely didn't want to be an actor," he once said. He is just a few years older than fellow Sheffield legend Helen Sharman, who in 1991 became the first Briton in space.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/05/22/12/54/onecms_a1b0b80b-3ab5-4433-a83c-640529ace77d.jpg.jpg?trim=0,121,0,0&width=800)
8. Sheffield United director and film star Sean Bean pictured cutting the ribbon at the opening of the new Sheffield FM Academy at Sheffield United on Shirecliffe Road, August 30, 2002
As a boy, Sean Bean, pictured here in 2002, said he wanted to be an astronaut. "I definitely didn't want to be an actor," he once said. He is just a few years older than fellow Sheffield legend Helen Sharman, who in 1991 became the first Briton in space. Photo: Sheffield Newspapers