ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

Sean Bean is one of Britain's most popular actors having enjoyed a 20-year career spanning TV, film and theatre. He became a housewives' favourite for his roles in TV's Sharpe and Lady Chatterley before becoming James Bond's nemesis in GoldenEye. Since then, he's broken into Hollywood as a reliable supporting actor and occasional villain in films such as Ronin, The Lord of the Rings and Troy.

His latest, Outlaw, finds him as an ex-Squaddie tackling violence and politics in Blair's Britain. He explains why to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Movies.

What initially attracted you to the project and did you enjoy working with Nick Love?

I met Nick in a hotel about a year ago when the idea was still in his head. By the time I'd finished talking to him for about two hours I wanted to be involved, even before I'd read the script. When it arrived three weeks later it was everything I expected it to be and more.

What do you think of the finished film?

Well, I think it has been a long time coming really. It's relevant to today and people will be able to relate to it. I think this hits you in the face. I saw it and was pretty shell-shocked by it. It took a while for it to sink in but that's the mark of a good film.

Do you see Outlaw as a direct criticism of Blair's Britain or of the law and authority in general?

I think there's always been crime to one degree or another. But I certainly think this government has created a lot more violence everywhere in the world by going to war with Iraq, ignoring the people. It shows a degree of arrogance that's unacceptable. It's not made the world a safer place.

I don't think that instils confidence or pride in one's country. These guys are going over there and fighting a war that's unjust, but they're doing their job and doing it the best they can. You often find that they come back disillusioned and they don't have the support that they did when they were sent out in the first place. None of that helps with a sense of pride in our nation and I think somebody should take responsibility. I think the film touches on that.

Didn't you have your car stolen a while back?

[Laughs] About three years ago, yeah, but I wasn't that bothered. It was a narrow street and the dustbin men kept coming pretty close by, so I was beginning to think it was more trouble than it's worth - and then it got nicked. They found it in Dubai and asked if I wanted it back but I had the insurance money and got something else.

Did it inspire any similar feelings of resentment to those of your character in the film?

It wasn't a particularly vicious incident. It's when you're talking about physical brutality and intimidation that the problem occurs and why people tend to feel that they should do something about it because they've been let down.

You work predominantly in the States but would you work here more if you could get scripts of this quality? Or does it make more financial sense to work in America, with bigger budgets?

I'd definitely work here a lot more because these are relevant films that people can relate to. They want information and they want to know. Unfortunately, it's so difficult to get things off the ground here for a small independent British film. I think we'd all agree that they're the ones we want to be in because they're so gratifying and exciting to be involved in. But when you look around, there's not that many being made.

It's also a question of money. These films are made on a lower budget, so you don't get paid as much. I try and mix it a bit by going to Hollywood and doing things like National Treasure and stuff like that. It's enjoyable but the difference financially is so big. If we could make films over here and get paid properly it would be a wonderful situation because there are so many stories to tell.

Outlaw opens in UK cinemas on Friday 9th March 2007.