The Lord of the Rings remains one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time, and that’s in no small part thanks to its phenomenal cast. Filled with impressive talent like Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Hugo Weaving, Sean Astin, and many more there was almost one casting that could have vastly changed the films. Sean Bean, who plays the iconic character Boromir in Fellowship of the Ring, nearly got the role of Aragorn before eventually being cast as the character he would be so well-known for. Boromir’s tragic final stand at Amon Hen before the Fellowship is broken remains a memorable scene in a classic trilogy, and not having Bean in the role is hard to imagine.
While on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to promote his latest film Anenome which also stars Daniel Day Lewis, Bean revealed that he was considered for the role of Aragorn initially. An Oscar-winning producer of the trilogy had Bean in mind for the part, as the actor would say:
“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.”
This interesting piece of trivia makes the production of the Lord of the Rings trilogy even more interesting. The casting process for Aragorn has been discussed in the past in great detail, with various high-profile actors auditioning for the part before it eventually went to Mortensen. Interestingly, one such actor was Daniel Day-Lewis, who now stars alongside Bean in Anenome. Stuart Towsend was initially cast in the role, before ultimately being replaced by Mortensen shortly before the filming began.
Boromir Ultimately Ended Up Being the Right Fit for Sean Bean
Bean as Boromir would end up being the best decision, as the conflicted son of Gondor would provide a much-needed grounded character in the film. Bean’s turn as the character provided a very relatable struggle with the temptation of pride and power (before eventually overcoming it), and is one of the highlights at the end of Fellowship of the Ring. However, it’s also interesting to imagine what Bean could have done as Aragorn, and how the chemistry with the rest of the cast might have also changed in turn.
Overall, it’s hard to argue with how things turned out, as The Lord of the Rings would go on to become incredibly successful both critically and financially. The final film in the trilogy, Return of the King, is tied with only two other films for the record of the highest number of Academy Award wins for a single film. Bean’s acknowledgment of what could have been seems to be less about regret, and more about fascination and pride about how that chapter of his life turned out. It’s also a fascinating story that shows how fast things can change in pre-production and how they can forever change the audience’s perception of characters, actors, and franchises.