Sean Bean on overcoming ‘biggest’ fear

Sean Bean will soon be back on screens – although it doesn’t feel like he’s ever not on the box – in new BBC One mob drama This City is Ours.
Likened to The Sopranos on Merseyside, Sean plays lead character Ronnie Phelan, the head of a Scouse crime gang.
Although set and filmed in Liverpool, some scenes are also located in Spain. In previous years, that might have presented a problem for the now 65-year-old actor.
However, in an August 2022 interview with The Guardian, Sean explained how he’d managed to overcome his ‘biggest’ fear: flying.

Sean Bean plays crime boss Ronnie Phelan in This City is Ours (Credit: BBC YouTube)

‘I was almost in tears’
Asked about a scene for BBC series Marriage filmed on a plane, Sean admitted to his phobia. However, he reasoned he felt fine about production as he was aware he wasn’t actually on a plane, but a set instead.
Nonetheless, he reflected: “I did fear flying for a long time. I’d grip the armrest, almost in tears.”
Sean went on to detail how he coped with his fear. He continued: “I used to have to have a lot to drink before I even got on the plane, then a lot to drink on it. By the time I got off, it was shocking.”
I used to have to have a lot to drink before I even got on the plane, then a lot to drink on it.
However, Sean’s fears ultimately melted away. He added: “But suddenly, around 9/11, there was all this talk of possible attacks on planes and long-range missiles from terrorists. I thought, why am I worrying about engine failure if there’s all this going off? And somehow I got over it. I still can’t stand turbulence but I’m much better now, thank God.”