Sean Bean has said he is 'a romantic' and does not regret any of his five marriages, despite acknowledging that 'that's quite a few'. The 63-year-old actor, known for roles in Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, spoke ahead of his appearance in new BBC drama Marriage.
In the programme, written by Bafta-winning Stefan Golaszewski, Bean portrays Ian, with Nicola Walker starring as his on-screen wife of 30 years, Emma. Reflecting on his own marital history, Bean told The Times: 'I’ve obviously experienced more marriages than most people. I suppose there is that romantic in me, otherwise I wouldn’t keep doing it. But I don’t regret anything. I’d live it all again.'
Bean pointed out that his relationships are more remarked upon because he has had five wives over 40 years, rather than five girlfriends. He reasoned: 'It’s not as though I’ve been gallivanting around. I suppose I could have seen how things developed, got to know them better before taking the plunge. But I didn’t because I felt strongly about all these women, otherwise I wouldn’t have married them.'
The actor first married childhood sweetheart Debra James in 1981 at age 21; they divorced after eight years. He then wed actress Melanie Hill in 1990, with whom he had two daughters before divorcing in 1997. His third wife was Sharpe co-star Abigail Cruttenden, married for three years and with whom he had a daughter. Fourth wife Georgina Sutcliffe, met in a bar in 2003, married in 2008 but the marriage lasted just two years. He has been with fifth wife, American Ashley Moore, since 2017.
Bean insisted he felt each marriage would be 'forever', saying: 'It’s not something you take on lightly, is it? It’s not flippant or trivial. It’s a huge commitment.' However, he added with self-reflection: 'When I look back myself I’m like, “F***ing hell, that’s quite a few marriages there.”'
