Sean Bean’s Ned Stark was a fan-favourite Game of Thrones character, despite only lasting one season. He was summarily dispatched by the young King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) for treason, having his head chopped off in front of his daughters Sansa (Sophie Turner) and tiny Arya (Maisie Williams).
Sean Bean has famously never met a movie or TV show in which he doesn’t get a dramatic death scene – some memorable ones include Patriot Games, in which he was impaled by an anchor, and GoldenEye in which he’s pushed off a satellite. But, his most tragic and impactful deaths by far are in fantasy movie The Fellowship of the Ring – where Boromir finds himself tempted by the ring before bravely sacrificing himself to protect the fellowship – and in fantasy series Game of Thrones.
Ned Stark’s death would have long-lasting ramifications for just about every character, but especially Jon Snow and the Starks. Joffrey isn’t content to just let Ned confess in humiliating fashion and relegate him to the Night’s Watch (which would be Jon Snow’s fate), he has him beheaded and his head placed on a spike for all to see.
Eight years ago, Bean appeared on Reddit to answer fan questions. He was asked; “Is it a weird feeling to see just your head onscreen? I mean, surely it must be kind of strange in a way?” and Bean responded; “It was a bit strange, yeah, a bit creepy. We just kicked it around like a football!”
If you have sit for hours while plaster of paris hardens around your head, so a mold can be made and a fake head produced, the least you can do is have a little fun with it. We’re sure that many of us have imagined what fun we’d get up to on the sets of horror movies, or the like, and getting to kick around your own head is high on our grisly bucket list. We just hope that Bean got to score a goal.
If you’re a Games of Thrones fan, you’re probably enjoying House of the Dragon – and we at The Digital Fix are constantly keeping you up-to-date with episode reviews, recaps and explainers. So stay tuned!
