Sean Bean highlights the film’s supporting cast alongside Julie Christie, Suffron Burrows and Rose Byrne in this historical action epic directed by Wolfgang Petersen. He plays Odysseus:

I was doing a play in the West End (of London), so I didn’t have a great deal of time to prepare. I did a little bit of training in London, and once we got to Malta we had all these facilities that the production company provided, trainers and everything. They wanted everybody to look good because we were all supposed to be playing Greek warriors. Then I did a lot of preparation with Simon Crane, the stunt coordinator (and 2nd unit director).

In this crime-thriller directed by Gary Fleder, Bean plays Koster, a criminal who snatches the daughter of a doctor to force him to break through to a post traumatic stress disorder suffering young woman who knows a secret. Co-starring Brittany Murphy, Guy Torry, Jeniffer Esposito.

Yeah. I thought it was a different look, a different image, different character. Very different (from Lord of the Rings), interesting. I just found it very interesting when I first read it. It was a quite complex read at first because there are so many descriptions about agnates and clones and stuff like that but it comes up off the page very well into film I think. I just thought he was a very influential character. He’s right in the middle of this whole complex. It’s his complex, his world, his manufacturing plant for these products and he believes what he’s doing is for the good of humanity. He’s a scientist. He pushes the boundaries and he can do that because he’s allowed to go as far as he can. He’s also got a Godlike factor in him, playing God. He’s actually creating life.

Terry Winsor directs Bean in this crime drama. Bean plays Locke, a gangster freshly released from prison who is encouraged by his wife to get involved in a vicious battle for control of the lucrative Essex drugs market. However, his plans are wrecked when he is sold a batch of dodgy merchandise by one of his rivals, and it is left to the wife to realize her ambitions herself. Co-starring Alex Kingston, Tom Wilkinson, Larry Lamb and Holly Davidson.

I want to keep as broad a range in my work as possible. And also I don’t want to miss out on opportunities like this. It was an excellent script and I wanted to do it. I had worked with Jeff and Terry before (on Fools Gold) and we got on really well together.

In this medieval action-drama Bean plays Ulric a fearsome knight that is charged by the church to investigate rumors of the village where the plague that has attacked he city cannot reach and it’s leader who brings the dead back to life.  Directed by Christopher Smith. Co-starring Eddie Redmayne, John lynch, Kimberley Knixon and Carice Van Houten. About the intensity of filming his character:

Some scenes, yeah. There were occasions when we were all in the water, at the end where they had taken us prisoner, where it was quite intense, I mean, Ulric was a very intense character, very devout and very religious and had total belief in that and was unshakeable and I found it quite an interesting character.

In this horror-thriller directed by Dave Mayers, Bean plays Ryder, a mysterious Hitchhiker who ambushes a couple on a road trip. They bravely fight back but he continues to shadow them. Co-starring Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton, Kyle Davis and Skip O’brien. About Hitchhikers:

Well, I suppose it’s the charitable thing to do. But there’s always somebody else coming up behind, so I’m sure they always get there (laughs). A lot of kids go off hitchhiking in Europe during their gap year. I suppose it’s a relatively safe thing to do. I don’t know if I’d let my kids do it, though. Actually, I know I would mind. I wouldn’t tell them to get in a car with anybody. I just think it’s a weird thing to do, to get into a stranger’s car.

In this war drama series directed by Tom Clegg Bean plays Sharpe a British Sergeant who saves the life of Arthur in A peninsular war in the age of Napoleon. He is promoted to lieutenant and in charge of a company of Rifles that don’t respect him to carry out a vital and dangerous mission. Co-starring Brian Cox, David Troughton, Assumpta Serna and John Tams. About his character:

It happened in Sharpe’s time, a couple of hundred years ago, when kids were sent off to foreign lands and told to fight, and it happens for real now, too. It’s heartbreaking to re-enact all that, and I couldn’t wait to walk away because I could feel my emotions getting the better of me.

In this TV series produced by Howard Gordon, Bean plays Odum an under cover agent working for The FBI’s Deep Cover Operations division who struggles with his real identity outside of his legends. Co-starring Ali Larter, Rob Mayes, Steve Harris. About being fan of this series genre type:

Yeah, yeah. It’s that kind of deception, that kind of bluffing, that is particularly interesting. And I get a chance to play multiple personas, multiple characters, and that’s a challenge. I always like to do something different, something unusual, stray off the path a bit. That’s what I (find) kind of exciting. So this isn’t your usual cop drama. It’s based in the FBI, and it has that kind of environment, but there’s a lot of psychological stuff going on there, especially with Martin Odum and the characters that he takes on as his legends (Lincoln Dittman and Dante Orbach).

Bean plays Howe in this movie directed by Jon Turtletaub. It is about a third generation treasure hunter (Nicholas Cage) who has been searching for a treasure all his life. He goes across continents seeking for this one thing that no one knows exists. He finally finds a map hidden at the back of the declaration of independence but when he thinks he has found the final clue,this turns out to be just the beginning. Co starring: Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel. About why he liked to do this part:

I really enjoyed reading the script and I felt that my character had humanity and charm. He is not that different from Nic’s character in fact the scene where he is forced to kill you can see in his eyes that he doesn’t want to but the situation falls out of his control. Also the prospect of working with Jon, Jerry and Nicolas appealed to me.