Sean Bean recently flipped the script for The Lord of the Rings films during his appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. The actor who originally played the memorable role of Boromir in Peter Jackson’s fantasy trilogy mentioned how he was almost cast as Aragorn, the role that later went to Viggo Mortensen.
There was talk about Aragorn at one point, and I know Barrie Osborne, one of the producers, I think he was quite keen on me to play Aragorn, but I mean, you know, I was playing Boromir, settled on that, and then Viggo came along, and he made a magnificent Aragorn.
According to Sean Bean, producer Barrie Osborne was very keen on him taking on the part of Aragorn, the noble ranger who later becomes king. But Bean explained that while there were talks about Aragorn, he was already set on playing Boromir, the tragic warrior of Gondor. So now, looking back, he praised Mortensen’s portrayal and claimed to be proud of his own contribution.
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How Sean Bean as Aragorn Could’ve Altered His Career Trajectory
Now, we all know how Sean Bean’s role as Boromir in The Lord of the Rings franchise shaped his career. For instance, the actor got famous for playing characters who meet tragic ends. Starting with Peter Jackson’s trilogy to playing Ned Stark in Game of Thrones, his roles often ended with shocking deaths.
Even in movies like GoldenEye, Equilibrium, Silent Hill Revelation, The Field, Don’t Say a Word, and Black Death, his characters rarely made it to the end credits alive. This trend even gave him the unofficial title of “the actor who always dies”. But if Bean had been cast as Aragorn, things may have been very different.
As you know, Aragorn is a leader, a king, and one of the few characters in the trilogy who survives and thrives. So, playing such a heroic role might have changed the way casting directors saw Sean Bean, possibly leading to more roles where his character didn’t die. Basically, he could have been remembered as a classic fantasy hero.
As for his performance, we all know Bean would have nailed the role of Aragorn. With his strong screen presence and ability to play noble figures, he could have easily fit the role of the ranger-turned-king. And perhaps then, Sean Bean wouldn’t just be remembered for his deaths, but also as one of the great cinematic leaders of fantasy.
Will Viggo Mortensen Return as Aragorn in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
However, instead of Sean Bean, the role of Aragorn went to Viggo Mortensen, and the actor has since become one of the fan-favorites. As such, fans have been buzzing about the new movie The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and wondering if Mortensen would reprise his role from the original trilogy.
Well, the actor seems to have addressed fans’ questions during an interview with GQ. Asked about whether he would like to return in Andy Serkis’ The Hunt for Gollum, Viggo Mortensen noted that he would only return if the role made sense. Claiming to have enjoyed playing Aragorn, Mortensen said he would only reprise the role if his age and the story matched the character’s journey.
Sure. I don’t know exactly what the story is, I haven’t heard. Maybe I’ll hear about it eventually. I like playing that character. I learned a lot playing the character. I enjoyed it a lot.
I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise.
Viggo Mortensen doesn’t want to come back unless he feels it’s believable and respectful to J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. So, while the actor didn’t confirm anything, he also didn’t close the door. He simply made it clear that he still loves Aragorn and would like to lead the way in a brand-new adventure, if the story fits.
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The Lord of the Rings films are currently streaming in the US on HBO Max.
