01 September 2000
Source: E! Online
A Buffed-Up Bean Reflects on Rings and Other Things
by John Forde
It's been an exhausting week of training, horseback-riding and filming. But Sean Bean, the British actor who plays fearless warrior Boromir, remains ready for action. He's just returned to New Zealand to finish his scenes after a two-month break in the United Kingdom. We caught up with him in between his endless physical pursuits.
Boromir is a physically demanding role.
What have you been doing to buff up for it?
I suppose the training is just the filming! [Laughs.] I've been
going to the gym, and we've got a physical instructor--he's great,
this guy! We've been horse-riding, swordfighting. It's an enormously
physical film. Hardly two or three days go by when I don't get
into a fight. Our stunt guys are fantastic and have really brought
all the physical work together.
What have you been working on this week?
We've been filming in the mines of Moria, where the Fellowship
gets attacked by goblins--which is a lot of blue-screen work and
special effects. I've already died! I filmed my dying scene quite
a long time ago, actually--back in November.
Boromir's struggles with the Ring make
him a complex, morally ambiguous character. How do you negotiate
his good and bad sides?
When he tries to use the Ring, his intentions aren't sinister.
He sees the Ring as something that could be very beneficial. But
he doesn't see the dangers of the Ring as Aragorn and Frodo do.
He's more easily tempted because he's a man, and that ultimately
is his downfall.
So, do you think he's a wiser, better
man in the end?
Definitely. His eyes have been opened to the world. It's sad,
in a way, that it takes him such a long time before he has this
revelation. But it's better than not realizing it at all.
What's it like filming so far from home?
At first, it seems like such a long way away. And it is on the
other side of the world. But it's such an amazingly laid-back,
beautiful place. It's stunning! Because everyone's so tight here,
so close, there's an amazing commitment from the cast and crew.
I don't think you could make this anywhere else, because there
are no other distractions. I'll really miss this place when I'm
gone.
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