Happy Birthday Sean Bean - April 17, 2021

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN BEAN

Looking Good at 62

Longevity in their career is not easy to achieve for an actor.  Bravo to Sean for having some of the best roles of his career in this stage of his life.  And to have the respect of his fellow actors and the respect of his fans for his achievements in his craft.

Feliz Cumple 

Snowpiercer - Sean Bean -2021

Happy Valentine's Day 2021 Richard Armitage and Sean Bean

 RETRO VALENTINE

Happy Valentine's Day 2021 to my two 

favorite actors

Richard Armitage and Sean Bean

They both continue to challenge me and surprise me with their work and their project choices.  I admire both of them for being their own person and following their own instincts in their careers, and not following someone's idea of what a "star" should be or should do.

In a career where some actors flash a big success for a brief time and are never seen again, both men have accomplished long and steady careers in a very fickle business.  There is much to admire in that and I do admire it very much.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day with those you love, Richard and Sean.  💗

Flashback: Sean Bean - Snowpiercer and Windprints

Sean Bean in Windprints (1989)

 

AND

from TentacleTenshi on Tumblr

Sean Bean in Snowpiercer (2021)

Happy Boxing Day - Happy Holidays 2020 Everyone

 

Happy Boxing Day December 26

Happy Holidays Everyone

Now as an American (US), we don't celebrate Boxing Day as they do in the UK and other places.

But I've always thought that we should. So for years I have celebrated the day on my own, in my own mind. 🤣

I used to say that in my life I lived in the US during the work day and then at night I lived in the UK in my mind, since I watch lots of British TV programs

Many in the US celebrate Kwanzaa (December 26 - January 1).  You can read about it at the link: 

https://www.almanac.com/content/when-is-kwanzaa

I became acquainted with Kwanzaa during my years as a weekend volunteer at the  museums.  If my volunteer weekend in late December happened to fall on Kwanzaa we would celebrate it with visitors, staff, and other volunteers. 

As a Cuban (Cuban-American) I grew up celebrating the holidays until January 6, Dia de Los Reyes Magos.

https://cuban-christmas.com/3kings.html

(Now, as a kid, I always received presents from both Santa Claus on December 25 and then the Three Kings on January 6)

This has been a solitary holiday season for many, myself included, because of COVID-19.  But we all know that it is the right thing to do, for our own health and the health of others.  

My two favorite actors favored us with unexpected gifts this Holiday Season

Photo by An Le

Richard Armitage with a lovely Audible Q&A. Below is a bit of the almost 30 minute interview:

Reading & listening purely for leisure is something we all deserve, even (perhaps especially) busy narrators like @RCArmitage. What are you indulging in this holiday break? pic.twitter.com/OEXycLDg67

— Audible (@audible_com) December 23, 2020

Sean Bean as Mr. Wilford surprised us with a familiar, yet unexpected, holiday poem:

 

Snuggle in and listen to Sean Bean read you the story of how Mr. Wilford will destroy Christmas and what's left of humanity.
'Twas The Train Before Christmas pic.twitter.com/c2SjjnVP89

— Snowpiercer on TNT (@SnowpiercerTV) December 24, 2020

Happy Holidays to Richard and Sean🎄

Sean Bean Looking Good as Mr. Wilford in Snowpiercer

 

Just released the new promo for Season 2 of Snowpiercer on TNT

https://youtu.be/6Jd7LKtQqP0

 Season Premiere January 25, 2021

Gives me time to catch up with Season 1.  I've only watched half of it.  But now I'm energized to watch the rest.  

I haven't watched the film - maybe I will as well

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - July Audiobook

Listening Books Challenge July Audiobook

An Audiobook About Sport

Sports would be my least favorite book genre.  

If not for this audiobook challenge I would most likely not read a book about sports.  I've watched movies about sports from time to time, but a book,  an audiobook, that's something different.

So to the rescue comes favorite actor Sean Bean.

Yes, OK, they are children's books, but that's about right for me and sports

One of my favorite Sean Bean narrated books, King Arthur an the Knights of the Round Table. is also categorized as a Junior Classic.

I would recommend the tales of King Arthur to young and those young at heart. Really an audiobook for the entire family. 

I've never listened to the two football books that Sean recorded, so now is the perfect time.

I did look for another sports audiobook Sean recorded (picture below), but couldn't find it anywhere, at least in the US.

In closing this post, my favorite Sean Bean sports ad:

Audiobook Challenge 2020 - May Book

https://berniegunther.com/thebooks/

The Audiobook Listening Challenge for May is 

An Audiobook Featuring a Murder

This month's challenge is perfect for me.  I would say 90% of the books I read/listen to have at least one murder.  

Finally my favorite genre, Mystery and Thrillers.

This gives me the opportunity to go back to a book series I started in 2017: The Bernie Gunther series of novels by Philip Kerr.

Berliner Bernie Gunther goes from World War I soldier, to homicide detective, to private detective, and from 1928 Berlin, through Hitler's victory, Nazi dictatorship, World War II, and through the late 50's.   

What would you do to survive, what compromises would you make, where would you draw the line?

This is a Historical Mystery Book series that weaves real life people and events with fictional characters and a fictional main murder mystery plot.

There were times when reading/listening to the books I would pause at a name and think surely this was a fictional character and event. Only to look up the name and find to my horror this was a real person (I can't even say they were human) and a true horrendous event.  


Not an easy series to read/listen to, but I highly recommend it for those that like mystery and history. 

I started by reading Berlin Noir, which has the first three Bernie Gunther novels in one volume. After reading this volume I started listening to the audiobooks.  I've now read/listened to ten (10) of the books that make up this series of fourteen (14) novels. I was trying to read the books chronologically rather then the order they were written, and then took what has been a long reading/listening break after Bernie reaches the mid-1950's.

I had Metropolis in my Audible library waiting to be in a Gunther mood again. Chronologically in Bernie's life it is the first of the books. But sadly it is also the last book, since Philip Kerr died shortly before it was published. 

John Lee narrates Metropolis and he's my favorite of the two narrators of the Bernie series. (The other is Paul Hecht.)

I discovered the book series thanks to Sean Bean.  In an interview some years ago Sean is asked, by Viggo Mortensen, what is his favorite book of the moment, and Sean says Berlin Noir by Philip Kerr.  So thank you Sean and Viggo. 

Tom Hanks is supposed to be developing a series based on the Bernie Gunther novels.  This has been going on for several years now according to all the Bernie blogs. The key of course is the casting of the right actor to play Bernie Gunther.  

Despite the fact that Tom Hanks, who I love by the way, is producing this series, I hope they select a European actor, or a UK actor, to play Bernie. 

_____

Note:  Bernie Gunther is not an enlightened male by any means.  He is a man of his time. There is a bit of "James Bond" in Bernie's relationships with women. But Kerr does have a few interesting and sympathetic female characters throughout the books. 

Happy Birthday Sean Bean! And Sharpe Reunion Podcast

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN BEAN

To celebrate Sean Bean's birthday today, April 17, 2020, I encourage all Bean fans to listen to the wonderful recent Sharpe reunion podcast interview (4/12/2020)with Sean and Jason Salkey. See below:

Sharpe love from Beano.

Happy 60th Birthday Sean Bean

Sean Bean at work as Ned Stark  - Game of Thrones Pilot Episode

Sean and I are of the same generation, and I say to him that 60 is now the new 40!! 

Happy Birthday Sean

Happy Valentine's Day 2019

Happy Valentine's Day to my two favorite actors, Richard Armitage and Sean Bean. I'm happy that 2019 has started with great projects ahead for the two of them.  Can't wait to see the results of their hard work later this year.

Sean Bean Wins BAFTA 2018 for Broken

I'm so very happy that Sean Bean won the BAFTA tonight for his wonderful and emotional performance in Broken.

Long overdue for Sean to be recognized for his work.

Congratulations Sean Bean!

April 17 - Happy Birthday Sean Bean

Photo Jamie Hughes Photograph

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SEAN BEAN 

Sean Bean is nominated for a BAFTA this year as Leading Actor for Broken.  

The BAFTA's will be held on Sunday, May 13, 2018.  Fingers crossed and sending good vibes for a a much deserved win for Sean.  

Below is a link to a great article 'How Sean Bean gets the life of a parish priest right in a new BBC show'

https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2018/04/12/how-sean-bean-gets-life-parish-priest-right-new-bbc-show

Sharpe the TV Series Starring Sean Bean Starts Today on WETA UK

The TV series that made Sean Bean a legend comes to Public Television starting tonight, February 15 at 10:00pm thanks to WETA UK.   

Based on the book series by Bernard Cornwell, Sharpe   follows the life of British soldier Richard Sharpe and the 95th Rifles during the Peninsular War (1807-1814). 

If you are in the Washington DC Metro Area and don't know WETA UK go to the link below on how to watch this fantastic PBS channel we have the good fortune to have access to in our viewing area:

https://weta.org/tv/uk/faq

If you are new to the Sharpe TV series and want to know a little more about it, I wrote a series of posts about the series episodes back in 2012.  But beware of spoilers and follow the posts in chronological order:

http://whiterosewritings.blogspot.com/search?q=Sharpe+Sundays&max-results=20&by-date=true

There was a time when I was very involved in the Sharpe fandom, and even with some of the people that worked on the Sharpe series.  Alas, those days are long gone, but I have good memories of those times.  (For the most part 😊).  For the memories:

http://www.reenactor.net/index.php?topic=1251.0

For Sean Bean fans in the DC area who know him from The Lord of the Rings, or Game of Thrones, or his wonderful series last year, Broken, but are not aware of the Sharpe series, this is a great opportunity to catch up.  

Sean Bean is Richard Sharpe, and always will be. 

So Happy for Him - Sean Bean in Broken

The world has suddenly discovered that Sean Bean is a great actor.  
I'm so very happy for him. Because you see, I've been a fan of Sean's since 1988. (I'll let you all do the math). And I've known for all these many years what a great actor he is.

I love Sean Bean. 

An article in The Guardian today brought me to tears:


(Beware of spoilers in the article)

A love letter to Sean Bean – the most heartbreakingly mesmerising of actors

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jun/14/sean-bean-mesmerising-actor-game-of-thrones-broken?CMP=share_btn_tw

"Bean’s Father Michael is quiet and conflicted, haunted by his past and battling a sadness that has seeped deep into his soul. He commands the screen, his pain flitting across that gaunt, ravaged face reminding us that some of the best actors say most when speaking least."

"There are few actors capable of bringing that weight to a role. Of allowing you to see how a person can be both good but heartbreakingly, perhaps fatally, flawed. Of convincing you that a man so betrayed by the Catholic church as a child might return to that church thanks to a faith deeper than those betrayals and, crucially, of making you believe in every aspect of his character’s life from the good-natured interventions into his parishioners’ lives to those moments when, terribly, he ignores them out of a desire to be off-duty for once, to put down the candle, to be alone."

__________________

I've written many "love letters" to Sean during the years. Not just on this blog, but other sites and blogs and fan forums. He doesn't know of course, but maybe he can feel the support and affection of all his fans in his heart. 

So for those just discovering this "heartbreakingly mesmerising" of actors, below my list of some of the best of Sean Bean. 


Stormy Monday (1988)

• (when I met Sean Bean)

Caravaggio (1986)

Windprints (1989)

The Field (1990)

My Kingdom for a Horse (1991)

Clarissa (1991)

Tom & Thomas (2002)

North Country (2005)

Far North (2007)

Red Riding (2009)

Black Death (2012)

So if you're newly discovering Sean, or just discovering Sean, check out some of the work I've listed above. 

Some are difficult to find, but worth the effort if you do. 

I didn't include the work that the world knows him for: Sharpe, Boromir, Trevelyan, Stark... but maybe watch those again too and you may discover new treasures there. Sometimes we think we know what we'll find, and we may discover we were wrong all along. 



  

Happy Birthday Sean Bean - April 2017

Happy Birthday dear Sean Bean

It has been a long time since I first saw you on screen. Some days I can't even remember the person I was then. Does that happen to you?

But one constant since then has been you, and I'm proud of you as a fan. Very happy about your long, successful, and often surprising, career that I've had the pleasure to follow.

Have a wonderful Birthday

Many new adventures to look forward to this year as a Sean Bean Fan:

 DRONE

BROKEN

THE FRANKENSTEIN CHRONICLES

SEASON 2

and maybe

old photo
Dark River

Still Sharpe 

Happy Valentine's Day 2017

Happy Valentine's Day Richard and Sean

Tactics and Strategy

My tactic is to look at you

To learn how you are

Love you as you are

My tactic is to talk to you

And listen to you

And construct with words

An indestructible bridge

My tactic is to stay in your memory,

I don't know how

Nor with what pretext

But stay within you

My tactic is to be honest

And know you are too

And that we don't sell each other illusions

So that between us there is no curtain or abyss

My strategy instead is

Deeper and simpler.

My strategy is that some day

I don't know how, nor with what pretext

That finally you need me.

by Mario Benedetti (translated by Chris Kraul)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone 

Jim Dine

 (Photos from Pinterest)