Bean said, "Yes, it’s quite a pleasant diversion for me. I’ve played a few bad guys, as you probably know, in my time. It was quite refreshing just to play someone who was a bit more sympathetic, a bit more sensitive, who felt comfortable at home – being the man at home, the stay at home husband but who wasn’t a wimp. Who was intelligent and courageous and supported his wife through all the s**t she was going through, really."
Sean Bean on His Attraction to "North Country:" "Something like this, this kind of script, I think everybody wants to do it because it’s such a prestigious piece of work. When you think about the actors that are involved, the director, and the script itself - the writer is a wonderful writer."
Bean isn't short on projects he can choose from and latched onto "North Country" because it was something different from the norm. "I mean, this one I really wanted to do it because of what it was, and the material, and just the sheer prestige and the potential in the film. You know you fight for things like that. That’s what I did. I fought for it and I got it."
"North Country" Tells a Story That's Both Compelling and Informative: "I think it’s great when you can combine those two elements. It’s not very often these days when you get that. It’s either very much entertainment – throw a lot of money at a film and animate it or do something like that and make a lot of money – or you just come out with something very dumbed down. I think this film, considering it was made by Warner Bros - a studio, I think it was a very courageous move by them to make almost an independent film, which is very poignant, very well-balanced, very moving, and a very brave decision to take."
Sean Bean on Working with Director Niki Caro: "She’s great on the set and off the set. She brings things out in you that you didn’t realize were there. She coaxes out the best in people. And, you know, she’s a wonderful woman to actually speak to and get on with. Very, very charming, but at the same time she’s got this quiet sort of authority. She knows exactly what she wants and she gets it out of people."
Bean couldn't easily put his finger on exactly what it was that director Caro was able to pull out of him. "Sometimes you can’t quite tell. Maybe it’s sensitivity or it’s a compassion or something I’ve not portrayed before. At the time you don’t actually realize it. But now, having seen the film, I can see what she was trying to get out of me, what she was aiming for. And that’s quite a pleasant surprise," explained Bean.
Playing Opposite Frances McDormand: "She was great. Frances is a very down-to-earth, very gritty, very loving woman. I thought we had a great partnership together. I thought we had a great chemistry. You know, if there’s anyone in the film who gave me support, it was her. She was a great leveler for me. She was a great foil. She was someone who really raised my game and who I enjoyed working with immensely."
Sean Bean Interview Video - Play the Video
