Home / Arts and Entertainment / Sean Bean Shares Secrets Behind Boromir's Iconic 'One Does Not Simply' Line in Lord of the Rings
Sean Bean Shares Secrets Behind Boromir's Iconic 'One Does Not Simply' Line in Lord of the Rings
21 Oct
Summary
- Sean Bean reveals he read Boromir's famous line off a card due to last-minute rewrites
- Bean initially auditioned for the role of Aragorn, but Viggo Mortensen was cast instead
- Boromir's death is one of many iconic character deaths Bean has portrayed in his career
According to a recent interview, Lord of the Rings actor Sean Bean has revealed some intriguing details about the filming of one of the trilogy's most famous scenes. In the 2001 film The Fellowship of the Ring, Bean's character Boromir utters the now-iconic line "One does not simply walk into Mordor" during a pivotal moment in the story.
However, Bean has now disclosed that his delivery of the line was aided by a "cheat sheet" of sorts. The actor explains that director Peter Jackson was rewriting the dialogue up until the last minute, so Bean had to refer to a card to remember the lines. This, he says, is why he appears to have such gravitas and poise when delivering the now-meme-worthy quote.
Beyond this behind-the-scenes tidbit, Bean also shared that he initially auditioned for the role of Aragorn, which ultimately went to Viggo Mortensen. Though he ended up playing Boromir instead, Bean says he and Mortensen developed a great on-screen and off-screen rapport.
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Boromir's death scene in the film is one of the trilogy's most emotional moments, and it's part of a long line of characters Bean has portrayed who meet their demise. The actor revealed that he has started turning down roles where his character is killed off, as the trend had become "predictable." Nonetheless, Boromir's heroic final stand remains one of the most iconic moments in the Lord of the Rings saga.
