“I used to read from the end…”: Facing a Tragic Fate Repeatedly Made ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Sean Bean Evolve a Trick to Save Himself From Anguish

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss created HBO’s successful and popular fantasy drama series, Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels titled A Song of Ice and Fire. The show, which starred Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, and more, is regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time that also went on to record a viewership on HBO.

Despite receiving criticism for the final season, the critics as well as the audience have lauded Game of Thrones. The show’s storyline, direction, complex characters, and production values were highly praised, even though the frequent nudity and violence were at times frowned upon. However, it did not stop Game of Thrones from being popular in pop culture. One character, who was short-lived but was a fan favorite, shared his experience of being on the show.

Game of Thrones star Sean Bean describes Ned Stark as a ‘very honorable and honest’ man

Actor Sean Bean played the character of Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark, head of House Stark on Game of Thrones. The character does not live for a very long time but instantly impresses the audience and makes them vouch for him. The actor in an interview with EW had mentioned that ahead of the filming of the show, he had met the showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who had given him an idea about his character.

Bean said he was simply thrilled to have been asked to play the character, hinting that no one on that set had any idea how enormous the show would go on to be. The actor said,

None of us really could’ve imagined it would be such a big-scale, tantalizing drama. Yeah, that was the beginning of the story for me. And, of course, I knew I wasn’t going to last very long. I accepted that.

When asked what it is about Ned Stark as a character that, according to him, resonated with the audience the most, he goes on to say that it is because Ned Stark is a very honorable and honest man who has integrity.

The actor recalled that even though Ned Stark had chopped off a guy’s head at the beginning, he is a man who is fair-minded and will stick to his principles. He further shared,

I think it was quite tragic to see him chipped away by the people of King’s Landing until he was struggling and he was in very deep. Throughout, he maintained his honor and his integrity, and I think that’s something viewers took to their hearts.

Sean Bean mentioned that Ned Stark is one of the very few good men on the show, and it was saddening to see a bitter end for him. Bean pointed out that the Stark kids have taken their father’s values for themselves and added that the show is richer because of him.

Sean Bean admits Ned Stark’s character was ‘worth dying for’ on Game of Thrones

In an interview with The Guardian, Sean Bean revealed that the public has recognized him as Ned Stark. During the conversation, he was asked about his character’s end on the show, noting that there has been a compilation of his death scenes from various projects, including Game Of Thrones. Bean is usually remembered for dying on most of his projects. Talking about the death of his character he said,

I am not too bothered. If it’s a good part, it’s worth dying for. With scripts, I used to read from the end to see if I was still in them. I’d go, ‘Oh no, I only last until page 34.’

Sean Bean later mentioned that when an actor is starting out, they are much more dispensable, and now they might keep him alive and get their money’s worth. The actor’s character went on to receive a lot of love from the audience and became one of the fan favorite characters of Game of Thrones.

He mentioned that Ned Stark is a great character and it was a good death for the character, so he doesn’t mind it much. But also noted that his character from The Lord of the Rings, Boromir, died, which was probably one of the best he’s ever done. He noted that it was just so heroic and tragic.

Sean Bean shared with Vulture his favorite scene from Season 1, where Ned Stark sits down with Bran near the waterside under the old tree, and he said, ‘Winter is coming.’ He concluded that he had no idea that the phrase would catch on and become famous.

The actor explained that the phrase epitomized George R. R. Martin’s writing, which is very loaded with danger and dread. Sean Bean mentioned it was good to be the one to say it.

Game of Thrones is available to stream on HBO.