The interview below has been translated from the Japanese Flix site by Yukiko Nakahata.
A characteristic actor of “Patriot Games”, Sean Bean plays Boromir, a human being fellow of the hero Frodo. Boromir is the key character in the first story of “The Lord of the Rings”. First of all, I asked Sean what he thinks about the character Boromir.
Sean Bean: I think Boromir is a very interesting character. He is a very strong man, but as he was very anxious about the danger in his motherland, he gets weak inside his mind. As the journey goes on, he was obssessed with the idea, “if he had the ring,” which would enable him to rule the world. He has very complex feelings and it meant a lot for me to play him. I think there should be something you can feel sympathetic to Boromir, for every human being.
Interviewer: I wonder if there were any specific requests for acting from the director Peter Jackson while shooting the film .
SB: The most splendid thing about him is that he made us confident. He made us think in a way, “Peter chose us for these roles so we can do whatever we like and we think.” I think that is the most important thing to a performer, rather than being told to do this and that precisely.
Interviewer: Jackson is a New Zealander and prodigy who filmed splat-stick horror movies such as “Bad Taste” and “Brain Dead”. But his appearance was something different to Sean – he seemed an enjoyable man, like a Hobbit.
SB: I think I met him for the first time at Covent Garden in London, and he was really funny, he was exactly like a Hobbit! Round shape, hairy, fat man and his eyes were glittering. Then he asked me to read Boromir’s lines, the scene of Boromir about to steal the ring from Frodo. After that, there was no contact at all for six months and I was wondering what would happen, and then, finally, I got a phone call. I was very glad to know that I got the part.
Interviewer: When Sean received the first script and looked at the top page, there was a word “Jamboree” (i.e., an international mass meeting of Boy Scouts). He got confused and called his agent to ask if it was the real script for LOTR.
SB: At first I really couldn’t understand the meaning and wondered, Boy Scouts?? (laughter) Actually, the producers and film company didn’t want to make the project public and did it in secret as much as they could. So they put a word you wouldn’t understand, instead of the real title.
Interviewer: Sean played an IRA terrorist in “Patriot Games” and the leader of crime organization in “GoldenEye”. He was also the criminal who gets Michael Douglas into a corner in “Don’t Say A Word”. He plays many “bad guy” roles and gives the impression of being tough looking. But Sean, in front of me, seems stoic and sensitive rather than a “tough guy”. So I asked what he thinks about himself for my last question. He looked down and seemed at loss and said, “difficult question…” He was thinking for a while and then told me the answer as if he was speaking to himself.
SB: I always think I want to do things absolutely when I do them, even if it’s difficult. I want to definitely succeed. I feel strong in this way. So maybe I might have a very strong will.
