Вызов Шарпа. Интервью с Шоном Бином 2
What made you come back to Sharpe after all these years?
It’s always been something that has been with me because it made such an impact on my life and my career.
When we finished Sharpe’s Waterloo, it was the end of that era and I think that we all felt that we had gone as far as we could to make sense at the time. It seemed a natural conclusion to round it off there. But I think we always thought that there was a lot of life still there and a lot of potential and it was a matter of when and how we would present that.
So when we started talking about it again, immediately I felt very excited – I had a gut feeling that it was right and it was something still within me.
Was it difficult getting back into the saddle, as it were?
Me and Toby did quite a bit of sword work before we went out to India but I’ve done quite a bit over the years what with Lord of The Rings and stuff so it’s something that I’ve kept in with.
I hadn’t really done any horse riding. I did a bit on Troy but only really trotted down and then got off and I jumped out of a wooden horse. I suppose I did a bit on Lord of The Rings but that was only a trot, so the last time I did any was about ten years ago.
I don’t know if you ride, but you don’t tend to forget it and I really enjoyed it.
I think you always think that when you’ve played a character for a few years you can just drop back into it, but it took me a few days to acclimatise.
Did you ever worry about being type-cast as Sharpe?
I think people saw me as Sharpe because it was successful and good. I think there was an element of type-casting because people weren’t offering me stuff that wasn’t about soldiers. So I spent quite a bit of time off – I did bits and pieces – but it wasn’t for a bout a year that I started working properly.
After Lord of the Rings I went to America. I think I had to get away from England really. That sometimes happens with actors over here – not many people know who you are but they give you a chance. Over here, you get people doing things like Four Wedding and a Funeral and that sort of stuff, and they say ‘we’re not seeing Sean Bean – he played Sharpe’. So you get that kind of snobbish attitude.
Did the old costume still fit?
Yeah. The one that I had originally I kept in my wardrobe – along with the sword – and I wore it a couple of times. But the boots still fit and everything so I could have literally gone out of my house and turned up in India and started work. I don’t usually go around dressed like that.
It’s a good feeling putting the uniform on and getting the sword. We had a really good time out there – socially as well as working. India is a fantastic place to be – it was magical.
How long were you out in India for?
I don’t know – fifty or sixty days? But we worked hard – six days a week. We had such a great cast and crew that we enjoyed ourselves when we finished work as well.
Did you get a dodgy belly while you were out there?
No, they do good curries out there – we ate a lot of curry! And I like curries; I just don’t like them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think I ended up getting chicken and chips by special order.
But they looked after us very well and I would love to go back there again. But there were a lot of curries.
Is it hard being away from your family while you’re working?
Yeah, it can be. It’s always difficult being away from family for a long period of time. But they’ve got quite used to it now because I’ve been doing it ever since they were little.
When we started doing Sharpe I’d go over to the Crimea in August when it was nice and sunny and then wouldn’t see them until Christmas Eve. That was pretty tough. But it does balance itself off – I go away for a few months and am then around for a while.
Have your daughters shown any interest in acting?
A little bit. My middle daughter has done a lot of work with a theatre company. I think she’s got a certain level on interest. The eldest one is interested in music and the youngest one is just…young.
How would you feel if they did go into acting? Would you be nervous?
Not really. I think it’s quite a good thing to go into. I think the people in it are good and they care about what they do and care about each other.
The disappointments aren’t good and the let-downs aren’t good, but that just depends on how hard you take it. I think generally there’s a lot to be gained from it.
What kind of characters do you like to play best?
I don’t mind, really. I like playing villains – I find them very rewarding and you can push the boundaries a bit and get away with a lot of stuff.
But it’s good to play the opposite of that. When I did North Country it was a good diversion for me and it was very refreshing to play someone with more compassion. But he was still quite a hard guy!
Is that what you’re like in real life?
A hard guy? Not really. I can be I suppose, but I’ve got a soft underbelly. I’m fiercely loyal to the things I believe in if that equates to being hard. But I’m not the sort of person who goes around thumping people by any means…unless they’re Leeds United fans!!
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