Happy Sad Confused - Sean Bean

Episode Date: October 2, 2025

Sean Bean is finally ready to talk. In a VERY rare extended career conversation, he talks everything from LORD OF THE RINGS and GAME OF THRONES to that time Harrison Ford permanently scarred him on the set of his first big Hollywood production. Sean is currently starring opposite Daniel Day-Lewis(!) in ANENMONE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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including Rachel Maddow Ketouru Isaku and Kieran Desai the Toronto International Festival of Authors October 29th to November 2nd details and tickets at festival Festivalofauthors.ca. Do you get more, one does not simply walk into Mordor or more winter is coming? What do you get? Probably winter is coming,

especially this time, yeah. It's appropriate. When it gets to October, November, yeah. Right. And some people say it, they don't realize they're saying it, and they don't realize they're saying it. And they go, oh, it's like that thing, you know.

Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Hey, guys, it's Josh. Welcome to another edition of Happy Say I Confused. Today's main event is Sean Bean. You've known for War of the Rings and Game of Thrones and so many other films, James Bond, etc. And now starring opposite the great Daniel Day Lewis in anemone.

This is a very rare, exciting conversation with one of our greats. Thanks, guys, as always, for checking out Happy Say I Confused. As I said, Sean Bean, rare opportunity. This guy does not do this kind of thing. If you look it up, I think this might be a second podcast he's ever done, certainly one of a very, very few. So honored that he chose to go deep on his career with me today. He was fantastic. So enjoy that coming up very soon.

Before we get to all that, as always, check out our Patreon because there are a lot of cool things cooking in the Happy Say I Confused the Universe, including live events. Patreon.com slash happy, say it confused for early access and discount codes. So get a little of this stuff. Very soon, less than two weeks away, week and a half away, I think. New York Comic-Con starts. And I will be very busy. We're doing a 10th anniversary reunion of Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail, the creator, and of course, Rami Malik and Christian Slater.

That's going to be awesome. I'm doing a Star Trek universe panel with the Starfleet Academy folks and Strange New Worlds. I'm doing a Matrix panel with Lawrence Fishburn and Joe Pantleiano, an X-Men panel with Elliot Page, Nick Holt and James McAvoy. Guys, come on. Oh, Sigourty Weaver. How about that? Alien. So lots of opportunities to see me at New York Comic-Con. Come on out. If you haven't got on your tickets already, please do so. Also coming up a couple of live events at 92nd Street Y, including Aziz Ansari, October 14th. We're showing Good Fortune, his new film. It's fantastic. Keanu Reeves, Kiki Palmer, Seth Rogen, and Aziz. And then October 22nd, nobody wants this. People love that show. I love that show. The whole cast is coming on out at 9th 2nd Streetwide.

That's going to be a packed house. That could sell out, actually. So make sure you get your tickets soon for that one. It'll be a big fun night. Oh, here's another fun thing. If you haven't checked out my social media lately, maybe you miss this. I was immortalized by our good buddy, Sam Hewin. in the Cocktail Diaries.

If you're watching some video, you see I'm showing the new book. The Cocktail Diaries, a spirited adventure by the one and only Sam Hewin. I did not know this was going to happen. I will say Sam gave me a heads up a month or two ago, said, you know, you may be mentioned in the book. So sure enough, I got my copy, Morning Glory Fizz, a whole fun anecdote about me making this drink at a live. event with Sam. So that's fun. I'm immortalized forever in a book, in a book by one of our

greats. So that was a distinct and unusual honor that I'm really thrilled to share with all of you guys. And we do have some things cooking with Sam. I promise. He's busy on stage right now playing Macbeth. I can say it. He can't say it, but I can say Macbeth. So he's a little busy, but we are going to catch up soon. There are plans being made. So look out for that. Okay. We're going to get to the main event. Here's a little context. Sean Bean. Like I said, doesn't do a lot of this. So really thrilled he chose to trust me with this kind of conversation. He's starring an anemone. This is the new film that brings us back. One of our great actors, Daniel Day Lewis. That's right. The retirement is over. He has

co-written the script with Ronan Day Lewis, his son. Yes. who directed the film definitely a family affair it is in many respects kind of a two-hander there are a few other characters but the bulk of the film is daniel de louis and sean bean as estranged brothers daniel de luis's character has kind of like gone off the reservation and um sean bean's character jem goes off to kind of bring him back because his uh his son needs him so uh it's a great piece of work from Sean, from Daniel Day-Lewis, from Ronan, who has launched an exciting new film career with this, and it gave me a chance to catch up with Sean about his beginnings, Rada, Golden Eye, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, some of his dramatic work, playing villains,

the memes, a little bit of everything. He was a very good nature, a good sport, and just a lovely guy to chat with. So I'm so thrilled this came about. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. And without any further ado, oh, by the way, anemone is out in theaters, I believe, this Friday. I assume it's relatively limited, but check your local listings as they say and put it on your list. Anemone is the film. Okay, without any further ado, please enjoy me and Sean Bean. Mr. Sean Bean. You're ready. Yes. Yeah. Thank you for doing this, man. I really appreciate it. Yeah. Look, a lot is made about Daniel Day Lewis being the guy at doesn't do a lot of press yeah honored Sean yeah I don't know I didn't digging I

haven't seen much of this what with me talking to people yeah yeah don't call long form conversation so I appreciate no yeah no I haven't really you know yeah no so it's good I'm glad to be well congratulations it's for a good cause anemone is the film yeah you know you've had a lot of like big moments in a career but this is this has got to still be one of those moments like yeah that text that phone call it's a it's a day yeah can you give me a sense of how this one came about? Yeah, it kind of came out of the blue. And I'd met Daniel before, it must have been in about 1985. And I went up for an interview, an audition with him in the West End in London, the last of the Mexicans. And I remember just acting alongside him

with the script, you know, and he was doing his lines. I was doing mine. He said, oh, thank you, It was really nice to meet him then. He was such a gentleman, so welcoming and generous when we're just doing that, even that little bit of audition piece. And then I didn't get a part. Helbert Rice for decades, but then...

Yeah, but, you know, that was all right. And then I did a... I worked with a director called Jimmy McGovern, who's a fantastic director, who he has a particular style. It's about working class, people. It's about the trials and tribulations. They're very poignant and beautiful stories. And he kind of kicked my career off a little bit and, you know, probably about 15 years

ago now where he offered me a part where I played a transvestite, transgender character, which was quite a challenge. I remember at the time, it was a hell of a challenge and I think I pulled it off. You know, it was one of the most enjoyable parts I've ever done. done and by doing that I found a relationship with Jimmy and and we've worked together ever since and you know he cast me in a thing called Broke and I did and and then the last thing he cast me in a project called Time about Stephen Graham and Stephen Graham yeah and and and Daniel rang rang me and kind of out of the blue my agent says oh Daniel we wonder if you could have your number Danny Dale oh he's

What if you said no? No, I think I'm good. What could he possibly offer me? I know. And anyway, he just rang up and he told me how much he loved time and how he'd followed various of, you know, roles I played in my career. And I never expected that, you know, at all.

It was totally out of the blow and I'm very flattered by that, you know. I can't think of a more flattering phone call to get, frankly. Yeah, I know. It was incredible. And I couldn't believe it. Oh, thanks, you know. It's not much you can say, really.

And I think this evolved this because of those, because he'd see me in those projects and because we'd have that conversation before, I think he wanted me to play the part of his brother in Eminet. And that call came out of the blow. I was just laid, you know, in the bed watching, I think it was EastEnders. It's a popular sitcom around in England.

What came out of the book for everybody, frankly? I mean, it's like, I mean, we didn't, yeah, the world thought Daniel Day was done. And then these cassette photos come out. I mean, it sounds like you guys were probably trying to shoot this a little bit in secret. Like it's a small, relatively small production. And then the world finds out not only, yeah, that Daniel was in it, Daniel was co-written it. Yes, his son is, I mean, relatively young man directing this, co-writing this. 20, I think.

Talk to me a little bit about, I mean, I heard you guys talk at the, I guess it was a press conference yesterday, but it's a very unique circumstance. I mean, first of all, very rare to work in this kind of proximity, this one-on-one manner with Samantha Morton and Daniel Day-Lewis, but also in this like familial setting. Yeah, yeah. A very intimate story and an intimate circumstance, I would imagine. Very intimate, very close kind of knit kind of drama.

And the fact that his son was directing it and, I mean, I can see one. there is an attraction for Daniel because it is his son and I guess he wanted to introduce him to that world that I mean Ron is already familiar with that world because of his father and his mother and and being you know in the midst of people from an artistic background and a film background but what he brought to was an incredible visual style which I I was just knocked out by, I only saw it the other day, I think it was on Tuesday, and I was, apart from the,

the emotional, you know, gritty, raw, emotional drama between all the characters, especially between the two brothers, there was this wonderful, magical kind of visual aspect to it, which was surreal and beautiful and poignant, and it kind of juxtaposed, with the heavy kitchen sink drama. Well, it makes it cinema, right? I mean, I love plays.

You obviously have a lot of history and theatre, but this is a movie. This is something to experience. There was hope. It kind of gave you a sense of hope that in the midst of all this mud and this rain and these two characters, these two men who had been,

who'd suffered trauma and tragedy, that you saw this kind of, you saw this light, this ray of hope in that in that visual aspect and I loved all that I love the fish the trout that you know the big trout floating past and his reaction Danny's reaction to that and thinking about going back and and it just made complete sense it wasn't something where he thought you know I'm just you see a big trout big dead trout floating past we're going to go see me son yeah yeah it were uh how magically it was it was done as

seamlessly. But yeah, and that's how it all evolved. And, you know, it was such fantastic to be working with him and playing his brother, two brothers that were at loggerheads. And they had to go through all these conflicts in order to come to some understanding. And there's so much spoken and so much unspoken. There's so much history there. This is, you know, Tanuarez, this character has essentially, you know, run away from society for a couple decades. And you go out and, you know, kind of trying to. And you didn't know whether that was his reality, you know, the visual things. and those images. You didn't know whether that was him or he probably,

as Ray, he probably doesn't know the difference between what he's dreaming and what he's hallucinator of visualizing and his everyday life. That's how bad he's been affected by things, yeah. So talk to me a little bit about, I mean, I'm sure he's been asked a lot about, about Danube, because there's such a mystique about him.

He's one of these, like, kind of one-hand actors that we just don't really, so much has been mythologized a little bit about his process. etc. I don't know, did you find his working opposite him in close proximity wholly different than you've experienced with other actors? Is it a much different kind of immersive experience or not? Yeah, yes, it is. It's a different experience working with Daniel and, as opposed to other rights. I mean, we all have our techniques or, I don't know if we can call them techniques. It's not something you really

learn. You learn what's best for you and how to approach a thing. Nobody can and tell you how to do it or recommend how to do it. You find your own way. Because I went to drama school and that was great and I learned a hell of a lot at drama school but in the end you're on your own and that's it and you invent your own kind of approach. You think what's best for me?

How can I make this guy? I want to convince the audience that I am this person and I have my own approach. It's slightly haphazard and it changes for every role I play. I don't have any particular method that I use, whereas Daniel seems to have, you know, very kind of settled, but very strong views of a strong technique, only known to himself, of course, you know, and that's good, because, and it's very focused, and as you would imagine, I mean, there's a lot of being said, him, he's a method and he is.

And I think that's, you know, we all know that. But it's an interest in to be working alongside him and see how he paces and times are seen, especially those two big monologues that were very epic kind of monologues, you know, dealing with all sorts of trauma and psychological issues that he suffered all these. And to see how he paced that over, you know, 10 minutes or something, you know, with 12 pages of dialogue, you know, in one go.

And to bring up the highs and the laws, then he brings it back to a silence, then he has an outburst, then he's laughing hysterically. And then to see that, because I didn't have many, many lines in that, I only had about three lines. So I was just sat there all afternoon.

Acting is reacting. But watching it, it's still, yeah. You got the best seat in the house. Yeah. And that's him, and he's very, I mean, he's totally engrossed in his part. And also the film around him, you know, He's not a selfish actor.

I think he brings everyone in. But, you know, first and foremost, it's what he, his belief is conviction that he's so admirable. Well, he talks about it in the same way you do, which is, like, that's just the only way he knows how to do it. And it's not for everybody, but, like, he doesn't, he can't sell himself on it any other way. So, like, what's good for him isn't necessarily good for everybody.

Yeah. It's what it is what it is. I mean, I love, you know, I, you know, it's like, You can't think of anything else, you know, it's like if you play a musical instrument, you can't be, if you're a piano or whatever, and you're totally engrossed in that piece of music. You can't be thinking about anything.

That's all it is that, that just a channel. And that's what happens when you're acting. It depends how quickly you snap out of it. I'm pretty good, you know, with snapping out of things. I don't like to carry it around with me. I like to go on some fishing chips. Yeah, we'll self-preservation. Some of light on telly and police interrogations

and stuff like that. But I can get back into it, you know. But we're all on different levels. We all have our approaches. And none of them, what you should do or what you shouldn't do. It's up to you, you know, have you? From the darkest corners of our imagination comes a game show that's more ridiculous than terrifying.

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You want to talk about Sean Bean because your career is remarkable. men. I mean, like, you know, we've already alluded a little bit. I mean, you talked about the recent role, relatively recent roles that I think both of those earned you Bafters, by the way. And like, I mean, you've had, you've lived a bunch of different lives as an actor. I mean, someone could walk down the street and short reference or the Rings or Game of Thrones or they might reference, you know, these character dramas. That must be such a source of pride for you. You've been doing this a minute. And, you know, it's easy to get typecast. It's easy to go down one lane and somehow through luck perseverance or whatever here you sit today yeah pretty extraordinary

yes oh good thank you yeah i mean it is you know i'm glad that i've been able to diversify and play different roles that um contrast with each other and there was a point where i was playing a lot of bad guys and now we're playing them very well you know i must have me this was the alrickman's I'm like, you talked about this. Yeah. You know, I did, well, there's quite a few roles I played. But, and the better you play the roles, the more convincing you are in those bad guys,

the more they want to catch you as bad guy. You can't play, you know, we don't want him for the elite guy with it's romantic and when he's making jokes and stuff. He's just wanting to kill people and torture them and stuff like that. He's so good at. Yeah. He's going to deny him that. He's going to die at the end, yeah.

Of course. It's the bingo card, unfortunately, yeah. And you can get into that, you know, and then there came a point where I wasn't really getting much else. And then the series called Sharp came along where I played a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars and that changed things around. But then after that, I'd played that character for so long that I didn't have much. There's a bit, a lot of lulls, you know, in my career where I thought, I can't wonder what's going to happen next. I was just sat around not doing anything. Is that right?

For quite some time, yeah. Were there times you thought about giving up? Like the, it might not be? No, I thought that at all. I had not faith in myself. I've got faith in myself, you know, you've got to do, you know. Actors, we're all a little bit paranoid on occasions. We're all a bit insecure, but one thing that does keep us secure and confident is the fact that we think we can act and we can play characters and convince an audience that we're real people.

It's fascinating to hear you say that, though, because, I mean, like, that's not where you came from. Like, you didn't come from, like, an artistic family necessarily that, like, imagined this kind of life for you. and yet you had the certitude relatively early. Have you, you know, have you kind of like come to any conclusions about where this passion came from? Was it early validation? Was it something external? Is there a, you know, an actor or film that inspired you?

I mean, no, I remember, because none of my family were very haughty. I remember I want to, there's a resort in England called Blackpool, It's called Blackpool Tower. It's a bit rough and red in that. But we used to go there every year, my mom and dad and my sister. And I think I were about nine. And for some reason, I did, it were a popularity. What is it?

Where you just stand on the stage, a talent show. And I must have done some impression of somebody. And I would have a big bag of marshmallows. And I think I was second or third. That's all we want to want. It's a big bag of marshmallows, right? Yeah, yeah, and I was like that. And then, from then, and then I don't know where it came from,

and then I never thought about it since. It's only about a few years ago, I remember. And so, but then I wanted to be an artist. I was always interested. I was always quite good at art at school. I won't prize and stuff like that. And I tried to pursue that career. And that did work.

And I just got interested in acting because I was on an art course and there was drama course in the same building. and I just criss-crossed and went into that and I knew then I wanted to be an act of it. My mother, there's no kind of family connections in terms of art and acting or anything. But my mother was, and she still is a brilliant storyteller. You know, she could tell you about something

that happened up the street with, you know, Doreen and Albert and then he came down and it engrossed you in this story about gossip sometimes and stuff like that. And then about relating a fact. and then she said i'll let me tell you about this film i said oh because i just go on then and then by the time she'd got into a few minutes you were going like that you went yeah she was so such a great story she's a great storyteller and uh maybe that's where some of it comes from you know

storytelling their belief in the kind of characters that she were playing at the time in the voices she did you know so uh it's a it's not the conventional way but it is a way uh that probably i remember Rada must have been the big shift. I mean, to get into Rada, this esteemed, obviously, institution, you know, you don't get in there without some talent. Did that validate you? Did that kind of like... Well, you can tell me better than me. Yeah, but generally speaking, yeah.

Talk to me a little bit about those early days there. I mean, were you, I don't know who your contemporaries were. I mean, I'm doing the math, like, is Brana around? Yeah. It's Rana around. Yeah. I don't know. Kenneth Branagh was in the year of book.

above me. I remember him doing Hamlet there. He was excellent, you know, at Rada. He played Hamlet. We all went to see him. And then he left to want to do a drama in there. I don't know if it was called Billy or something set in Northern Ireland. He went to do that. He left drama school because he was so sought after. And there's a girl called Janet McTeer, who's a lovely woman. And oh, we were always paired together because she's quite tall. I was quite tall at the time. I think I've shrunk a bit. And I've worked with her since, so she were wonderful.

I like to call James Willbey, who was in a lot of films in the 80s and 90s. And, oh, quite a few on the shore. You know, there was a lot of contemporary, not as many as you would think, you know. But at the time, we're all together. We all learned a lot. And it was very hands-on then. There was no written work. It was all just sheer acting.

Get on your feet and get up in front of everybody and show us what you can do. They were the most terrifying nights. You know, stand up and entertain. You can do anything, but you've got to do it for three minutes and entertain. And you're just like, and do what? And do what?

You're just going to invent something. And then you had to stand up and do two songs of contemporary songs. I sang Jack the Knife and Mr. Connors. It was on the piano, and you had to do it in front of all your class. So everybody's having a few hundred years before. Oh, my God. Have you felt that kind of fear since?

That sounds far. No, but it's a good, it was good because they threw you right in at the deep end. Yeah. And you just had to do it. And I loved that, you know, and I felt great afterwards. So rather than kind of gradually get in there, they just plunge you in. And then you felt liberated. And you thought, I know, I know it's at all.

I know I could have done that. I can do something else, you know. And it was so hands on. so good the practical work at Ryder that I've got so many fun memories of that place and it really helped me a lot of my career. So before we get into like when I look at the 90s, I start to think of some of the Hollywood stuff and Sharp happens. But even before then, you're in a lot of theater, I think, in the 80s, you're probably starting to do a bunch of auditioning for film. I think this is around when, correct and felt wrong, you do go up for Bond before

Gold and I for the earlier. Yeah, I didn't call for it. There were talk of it at me by Bombay. it came to anything and then golden eye came out of the blue a little bit but um so you didn't do an audition early on for the previous no okay no got it now it was all of it yeah yeah i mean i was only about 32 basically a bit young of bond and they went for bans brosnan it was great all right so we'll get to golden eye in a sec but first i was you want to mention that i think the first time i saw you on screen was probably patriot games yeah um which is great movie philp nois Harrison Ford Yeah

of his powers Tom Clancy Those were bestsellers Dufon memories of being part of that Yeah that was the first

big film I did a film before that with Mike Figgis Great director Mike and lovely guy And I did a thing

Of course Stormy Monde with Melanie Griffith and Tommy Lee Jones and Stink who was my boss in that film Yeah

and that was like in 1987 But then Gold and I Oh no, sorry, Patriot Games came a few years after that and that was the first big film, you know, a studio film where I got to play, you know, a supporting role, you know, like second lead in a way to Harrison Ford.

You know, I couldn't believe it when I got that part. Myself and another actor had to go over and they fly you to LA, you know, to audition, and that's quite terrifying. Just in a studio and you're just doing the part then you don't find out for a few days, sometime later. But, and I got the part, and I was overjoyed, you know, I thought, I'm working with Harrison Ford in a fucking big film. Did it true you got a scar out of the, out of that experience to you?

Got scarred by Harrison? Yeah, yeah, I did, yeah. It was just, they never knew how, they couldn't figure out how to kill me at the end, you know. And so they used to fly nearly every weekend back to L.A. from London. Let's try and try and try to. Yeah, we're in a swimming pool. underwater at one of the studios and he drowned me and bashed in we had a scuba diamond kit then they did something else to me and then in the end they flew me back and they decided to kill me on the boat you know on the boat and during the fight we had a fight at the last scene and you know fight between me and harrison ford and he had a big boat hook and it were really slippery in the wind machine and rick you know the blankets of rain coming back and I think he just slipped and he you know he caught me his boat hook

right across here, this eye. And you kind of don't feel it at first, you know what I mean, especially when it was all that cold and rain, and I didn't realize I had about it where, but I had about 35 stitches inside and out, you know, and then the next day, I think I had a day off next day, and they were just filming, just from that side. You know, I said, no, no, I can see it,

turn the right bit sure, no, just don't, you know. That was the day we found John Bean had a side, the one that's not ripped apart and it stayed with me ever since and but I guess in them days didn't you know they were no confidence here they said oh

you're all right we'll gear this boss suit at the end and it was just this little sort of oh thanks you know you'd never sue you know a company you know how about we should see if there's a special limitations maybe you can sue paramount

yeah now in retrospect I don't know how much trauma I've been exactly I never got the parts I wanted to. Well, you did. Could have been somebody. We mentioned Golden Eye. We should mention it crazy.

The time is insane. 30 years since Golden Eye this year. Yeah. It's a great character. It's a juicy role because you get to be kind of like the flip side of Bond. Martin Campbell, as I recall. A great reboot. I mean, talk to me a little bit about it.

I mean, that must have felt like an exciting big moment. Bond is iconic. Yeah. And to be the villain. Yeah. Bond it was and it's like I mentioned as someone else you don't realize how big they are but you know but with Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones you know I wasn't quite sure how big they would become but with Bond you always know that it's a you know it's a long running

story fantasy action story and so it was a real honor to be cast as double oh six opposite pierce broson who I love and it was his first you know his first go at bond and we had a great time together and you know the thing is I was living at home at the time and we're going to Leavston Studios which is not far it's only about half an hour from where I lived at the time in North London and so it wasn't as though we're in America and you know it just felt a bit kind of local in a sense and but it was still you know when you walked into the studio you saw the sets and all these kind of screens and all the scale of it then it kind of hit you you know and I used to have this bit because I was scarred, you know, as an explosion which I always resented Bond for because, you know, I had scars all over my face, and that was just plastic stuff, and I used to peel it off, you know, and I used to go home to my kids the first time I saw him and he went, oh, he said, me about three or four year old, and I were like pulling it off, like, and I think they'll, I think that had a long, I think that affected him.

Is it more trauma, more lawsuits? Is it true, is it true you've never played the game? The game is as iconic as the film. I've seen it. Yeah, I've not played. I'm not. People love that game. Yeah, I know.

I would think if I were you and I had the opportunity to play as myself in a video game. I just give it a whirl. Yeah. But no. Yeah, no, no. We'll have to, let's somebody show me. But everybody says it's such a great game, you know. Yeah, if you ask gamers, that's one of the old school ones.

Yeah. One film that maybe people don't bring up as much as they should, in my opinion, is Ronan. I love Ronan. Ronan is, it's Frankenheimer, probably the last great Frankenheimer film. I think it was a David Mamet's script. Yeah. I mean, to see the scenes you get to play, it's De Niro, it's Delaun, it's, it's an embarrassment of riches. I know, yeah.

You know, your character gets dressed down by De Niro, like, is really, like, put in its place. Yeah. Do you have memories of shooting that particular moment? I do, yeah, yeah. It was, because we shot it, well, most of it. Paris and we shot it at night and you always think you know because you work and do anything oh this is my scene with De Niro coming up now yeah and it went really well and it was just interesting such as him watching him work as well it's similar not similar to Daniel but it's that

kind of intensity and that focus that incredible focus they have and and yeah that it was a good scene it was an interesting part because it was a bit of bullshit to this this guy, you know. He's fronting this. Somehow I had done with these professionals and I was way out of my depth and, you know, when he was sick in the car because they were going too fast, they were saying, you know, they thought you fucking pathetic little man and you never saw him after that. They said we should have kept you in you for a bit longer.

But they always say that. Yeah. They kill me off to say, oh, we should have kept you any longer. People wanting more. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They scar you.

Yeah. Yeah. Ralph, yeah. Still here. Hey, Michael. Hey, Tom. Well, big news to share it, right? Yes, huge, monumental, earth-shaking. Heartbeat sound effect, big.

Mates is back. That's right. After a brief snack nap. We're coming back. We're picking snacks. We're eating snacks. We're raiding snacks. Like the snackologist we were born to be.

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in which case, call us. Hi, I'm Brandi Passanti. For the last 15 years, I've starred on one of the most successful reality shows of all time, Storage Wars. On my no show,

the real reality, my guest and I will reveal the real story of what it's like navigating fame and notoriety. We will explore their unique story, what really happened on and off camera, how becoming famous is truly impacted their lives

and what their vision is for their future. This is the real reality. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcast. We have to talk, Who are the Rings, of course? Okay, so when that comes around, I mean, look, Tolkien is huge, but no one could have guessed what that was going to become. I mean, when, I don't know if you auditioned,

when the offer comes, did you have a sense of what it could be of how important it could be in your career? Not really, no, I knew it was a big film. I knew the book. I'd read the book when I was younger, and I knew the character. And was it always for Boromir?

Was there ever talk of? Yeah, there was talk about Aragon at one point, and I know Barry Osborne, one of the producer, I think he were quite keen on me to play Aragone. But, I mean, you know, I was playing Boremir. I was settled on that, and then Vigo came along. and he made a magnificent Aragon, you know, it was fantastic, but...

You know, they wanted Daniel Day Lewis, supposedly. That's right, yeah. Jackson's talked about that, how they offered it to him. Yeah, and it's quite an alternate, alternative history. A lot of people were auditioned for it. Well, that means Stuart Townsend was cast. I know. You were there, I'm sure you probably worked with him a bit.

No, I wasn't there. I came along and, oh, I think I was, yeah, but, you know, I wasn't involved with those scenes. at the beginning and then they said it's not worked out and then Vigo came in at short notice and he was a you know because he likes to prepare some preparation time so he came at short notice and took on the role and we had a great relationship together you know as characters in the film and also as people as friends yeah but you didn't realize how big it was going to become because it was just it was quite secretive they wanted to keep it under wrap so But even when we were filming in New Zealand, it was so quiet over there.

I was so far away from any studios or any kind of... It feels like new line, let Peter just like play, just do his thing. Just let him do exactly what he wanted. And then, and also because they were like 12 hours ahead. So by the time Peter had shot where he wanted, they couldn't really change it in the studio in L.A. Yeah, so it was great at that, you know. People always bring up a couple scenes, the Council of El-Rond scene for your speech, which is been memified, of course, also.

years, your death scene in that. I mean, are those two scenes as resonant to you as the arts of the fans? Do those stand out as particularly important scenes for you in the course of the film? Yeah, they do. They do. The scene at the end with Vigo and Aragon,

especially with all the arrows. And I loved how he shot that. You gave me a great sending off, Peter, you know. So kind of such pathos in that scene. and then the final words to are again like you know I kept in my king and uh but those other ones you know as you said the council of Elrond and uh that's when we all first got together and there's all these strange looking people you know that we you know Peter said I think in recent years that your speech there was kind of rewritten at the last

minutes so much so the end yeah yeah so much so that you had to like almost have a cheat sheet do you recall yes yes i did at the council of elrond i did yeah that's what i saying yeah because that was just changing my every 10 minutes you know it wasn't the night it was just the night before and uh and the nature of that dialogue is not necessarily yeah it just quickly yeah it's quite of all the history and the more do and this and that you know and um and so yeah i had to have it i just had a bit of card that's what i kept looking down and i and it gave me gravitas that you know how I'm talking and I'm going and that's what you're doing

that's amazing and I'll tell you something else you know who else did that famously Spencer Tracy I've heard that story I did that he always had his lines down and if you see it like guess who's coming to dinner like he's always looking down yeah yeah that's what it is yeah from the best

all I'm brand done there you got exactly the earway for him yeah yeah um and then the way that that, I mean, the memeification of it sits well with you. People probably still, like, quote it to you, send you the gift, the whole thing. Yeah, you see it everywhere. I mean. Yeah. It's on a lot of football forums.

One does not simply lose to Crystal Powers. Well, that bridges your two worlds, your two favorite things. Yeah. You can apply to anything, could you? Yeah. All right. We're going to jump ahead too, because I do want to mention Game of Thrones, which, of course, also looms large in your career.

And what a gift that is because, you know, even when you're not on the show, that character looms over the whole history of the show. Yeah. I mean, you must have seen the potential of that. Like, I get this juicy role. I get a season. And then, you know, the legacy of Ned will haunt these characters in a way. Yeah, yeah, it does.

He was there and he went. And then, you know, he left a family, all his daughters and his son, Brann. And, you know, and they carried on his legacy. So it was never just a, I mean, not it was a quick death. But, I mean, his honor was maintained through his family, you know. So he had a lasting effect on it, you know, as a residue of his character that permeated the, you know, the rest of the series shows. I mean, that's another one that, like, yes, there was obviously a lot of excitement going into it. But famously, the pilot was reshot.

You had a great, you know, director at first, Tom McCarthy, who gave it us from the try, and it didn't work for whatever reason. Tom McCarthy, yeah, he directed the whole pilot. I think they used, I think he got rid of about 70% of it. Did that? Got rid of binned it, and they started, you know. So was it shocking to you that it worked as well as it did once it got on the air, given that you had gone through that kind of process? Or was, you know, I thought it was all right, you know, I thought it was all right, but I didn't see it all. you know and I think I think there's at one point they well if they you know if they're not using that much of it is it going to go ahead and maybe but it's you know I don't really know how that works when they watch a pilot and they think we're going to go ahead or but but they must have had such faith in it had so much potential that they just thought right we'll just do that and then we'll continue yeah and you didn't don't realize we something like that you don't realize game of throw on me you know we were just like doing it we're doing the part

We had no expectations of ever continuing. Do you, did you continue to watch a show after you were? Yeah, some of it, yeah. It's a lot of it. Yeah, I kind of dipped in and out. Yeah, I think it was out of the country. The whole time? Years? We'll get you a DVD box out. We'll get it for you.

It's really good. Yeah, yeah. But talk to me a little bit about me. You talked to, you know, a time to... Sell it on eBay. We've discounted one. Exactly. No, I know it's good.

I know it was, you know, I mean, it built up such a, you know, George O'Martin built up such great character that, you know, of course, Ned pops his clogs, but then, you know, you've got these other carry it on. Maybe it went on for a little long, but... Do you get more, one does not simply walk into Mordor or more winter is coming? What do you get quoted more?

Winter is coming, especially this time. It's appropriate. When it gets October, November, yeah. Right. And some people say it, they don't realize they're saying it. And they go, oh, it's like that thing, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. But winter's coming.

And I remember it was a Scottish castle when I said that. And it were only like, well, winter's coming and we've got to do it. You know, and it was just, yeah. It's just another line at the time. and that becomes this thing. I mean, it seems like you've reconciled. I mean, every actor, if you're, you know, if you're so lucky, has a few of these roles.

You've had a few of them. I've had some good lines, yeah, yeah. But, I mean, has that been something? Have you ever felt like you talked a little bit about being typecast at some points in your career? But at this point, it feels like you can go any direction. Yeah, yeah. Like, are you happy with kind of where you sit today

in terms of the opportunities at your feet? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I am. I think I've, you know, play those roles. I mean, I would never say no to playing a bad guy again because they're such juicy and satisfying roles to play and you can just do whatever you want. And they love it even more, the more outrageous and cruel you are.

You know, it's great. And but it's nice to be able to have the choice to play softer side or more, you know, you know vulnerable characters and not without being cheesy or anything but but good men and and just lots of different interests in roles so I felt I had to get through that bad guy scenario and that situation and then gradually pull away and certain people gave me that opportunity to do that so I'm very grateful for that but it's managed to put me on an even keel and I can kind of pick and choose I'm in a very fortunate position yeah

Is there a filmmaker or an actor that's got in a way that you still hope to work with that's high on your wisdom? You knocked off Daniel D. Louis. That's hard to think. But there must be filmmakers along the way that you've... Yeah, I mean, Martin Scorsese, for one. I mean, it's just an incredible character that, I mean, it's... Have you honestly seen a talk that Daniel's wife just did on Scorsese? Yeah, it's amazing.

I know, that's not so... I mean, it's the family's a family occasion. They're doing all well. Daniel himself and Rebecca and doing these incredible things. Brilliant thing, I think. But, yeah, him and I'm sure there are others, yeah. You probably don't miss the days of auditioning. Were you a good auditioner back in the day,

or did you dread that kind of thing? I dreaded it. I think everyone does. I've not done any for a while, but, you know, I certainly would if there was a part. If Scorsese needs you, you know, prepared to go up and, you know, cast me in it and see what I can do. You know, and I've done it for a bit.

I'm not very good at that, and I'm not very good at learning lines, really. And I'm not very good at looking down and then saying them except for Lord of the Rings. That's a good exception. Yeah, yeah. But, I mean, yeah. What's a deal breaker in a script? Do you read a script? Nope, this is not for me.

Is there a type of role or action or something? Yeah, I think it's a dialogue. I mean, it always gets me. You know, you read the first eight, 10 pages, you kind of, if there is any dialogue, sometimes there isn't like in an M&A, you know, but gradually it comes along and it's very good, you know, of course. But it's usually the dialogue and the dialogue between characters

and if it's naturally, if that's how people speak, and not so much, it doesn't have to be that realistic. It's just the atmosphere and the lines, the rhythm of the dialogue that you can tell when something's pretty good. If it's stilted and if it relies too heavily on action and CGI, I don't know. I kind of lose interest and I don't think there's much depth to these characters.

And there isn't mostly, there's not much depth to these characters. Yeah, what do you, I mean, do you watch mostly TV film? What do you consume as just a fan of the movie nowadays? Both, really, you know. I watch, you know, that's stuff on now. Netflix and things. I'm trying to think of what we haven't really watched a lot of recent. Are there actors that you're I mean you talk about Stephen Graham I don't

know if you saw adolescence like him he's amazing he's fantastic um Stephen and uh work with him a few times I always wanted to work with him because I saw him in you know the singling thing and right and right from beginning his career there's something about him something's all real and raw about that that that lad is blown now like but uh it was just there's such a real about him, a bit like Ray Winston. I've always liked Ray Winston, you see. I think he's just got such a charisma.

It's not a false note. It's just believable, you know, the things he does. And there's many, of course, there's many, many, many other actors that I'd like to work with. But, yeah. Any roles that you regret turning down? Do you think back to any of that? No. I don't think I've termed it down.

No, I haven't. I've turned a few olden, but no, no, no, I've never, in fact, sometimes, early in my career, you know, I've turned, I got roles because other actors had turned them down. I've got the role in Patriot games because Liam Neeson turned it down, so I believe, you know, so I'm the opposite, you know. All right, we're going to end with this, John. Be happy, say I can fuse profoundly random questions for you. Are you a dog or a cat person? Dog. Yes.

Yeah. As am I. What do you collect? Uh, oh God, Ashley, do you know what I've got? What have I got around the house? Yeah, yeah, I like old fossils and old creatures like reptile, you know, stuffed animals. Not so many stuffed animals, but I've got a big egg about that big and it's called an elephant bird. A real bird, about 30 foot high with big fat ostracian. fat ostrich legs and it was terrifying and they had eggs and that big it's crout but i've got it in a

glass dome and i click things like that and little monkeys you couldn't remember that you collect giant eggs that's a giant little monkeys yeah and and stuff like that you know natural history i'm quite interested in collecting stuff like that that's a new one yeah all right do you have it it doesn't sound like you have one a favorite video game of all time if you haven't played golden eye there's no video game you've ever played. What's the wallpaper on your phone, background on your phone? I think it's just like a planet.

I think it's Mars. Okay. Yeah. The last actor you were mistaken for? Oh, God. Has it ever happened? Anyone show you what sign this? Can you think of anyone?

There's only one Sean Bean. It's okay. I look like a bit like Ian Glenn. Oh, sure. Sometimes they thought we looked a lot. And I was okay with that because he's quite a good-looking guy. There's you know. I hope he feels the same.

For the feelings mutual. What's the worst note of director has ever given you? I don't believe that. No, I can't remember. I don't know. I've never, you know, I always like notes from Directors. I'm, you know, I like to hear what people different things without, you know, shifting my whole kind of. kind of drive but i like to listen to notes where i can finesse it and you know and so uh i've

always had quite good notes from directors i'm sure there's been a few you know that uh but i can't remember though that's a good sign and then filing the spirit of happy second fuse who's an actor who always makes you happy you see them on screen and you're instantly in a better mood anyone come to mind um i just like uh happy uh i mean i like comedian i mean i suppose it would be comedians wouldn't it who's like steve marty yeah steve cogan always makes me like i must say sure sure uh movie that makes you sad uh that were kind of john hurt the elephant man at the end yeah and finally most importantly a food that makes you confused sean you don't get it why

do people eat that food uh you see it on the menu papers oh yeah just little capers and anchovies Okay. Yeah. Amusely. Okay. Agree to disagree. Yeah. I appreciate the career.

I don't appreciate your hatred of anchovies, but we can get past that time. Truly, congratulations on anemone. Again, as I said, you don't do a lot of this. So this means a lot to me. I'm such a fan of your work. Oh, thank you. You absolutely kill it in this. And yeah, man, enjoy the ride.

We'll talk again soon, I hope. Yes, thanks, Josh. Yeah. Thank you very much. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person.

I'm Daisy Ridley and I definitely wasn't. I should do this by Josh. audio for the very first time. Fear, I have to make them afraid. He's got a motorcycle. Get after him or have you shot? What do you mean blow up the building? From this moment on, none of you are safe. New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts.