a season of fun

for Sean as he takes a break from the non-stop work of the past two years. But, taking a break doesn't mean he's lazing about drinking margaritas on a beach somewhere. No, our Beano has kept himself busy with a variety of charitable projects, a bit of shopping and dining with his daughters, and a bit of promotion for Silent Hill: Revelations and, always welcome, some new O2 adverts.

First up is the Living Paintings Charity's GIFT24 Appeal. Sean contributed his velvety voice to a reading of the Anglo Saxon epic poem Beowulf. Living Paintings is a national registered charity with the mission to provide a free library of Touch to See books for the 2 million blind and partially sighted people in the UK. These unique books bring to life the visual world with tactile pictures accompanied by atmospheric audio descriptions. All money raised in the GIFT24 appeal will go to Living Paintings. You can do your part by texting GIFT24 and an amount £2/£5/£10 to 70070, e.g. GIFT24 £10. Please share this video with your friends, family and colleagues on Facebook, Twitter and email. Visit the official website for Living Paintings. or contact them at Living Paintings, Unit 8 Kingsclere Park, Kingsclere, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 4SW, Tel: 01635 299771. Registered voluntary charity number: 1049103

And of course, he's done several, something in the neighborhood of 6 or 7, new sports-themed O2 adverts, most of which can be found in the media archives as well as on Youtube. At the rate he keeps sneaking them out its getting difficult to keep up with them.

Always happy to lend a hand in his neighborhood, on November 25th Sean spent a fun-filled day in Hampstead joining Shrek and British comedian Jon Culshaw in turning on the Hampstead Christmas lights. It was a cold day, but everyone looked like they had a blast. Photos of the event can be found in the Gallery.

Another charity project Sean has stepped in to serve as the face of is the £1.3 million Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity’s ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign which aims to create new, world-class cancer research and treatment facilities at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield. The new facility will offer patients from across the region the opportunity to receive the most up-to-date anti-cancer treatments and therapies, initially as part of a research program, and subsequently as NHS treatment programs. Pop on over to read the full story.

Taking time out from his philanthropic work, Sean did some interviews to promote the theatrical release of Silent Hill: Revelations. Here's a tidbit from the Empire Online interview with Sean talking about what we can expect from the film. More interviews and film trailers are over in the media archives.

For Veterans Day, More4 Remembers WW1 weekend hosted a WW1 documentary special which included specially-commissioned brand new short films featuring some of Britain's finest actors reading war poetry from that period. In individual short films, to air throughout the evening, Sean Bean, Gemma Arterton, Sophie Okonedo, and Stephen Graham will each read two poems by Siegfried Sasson, Rupert Brooke and Wilfred Owen. Sean received raves for his moving renditions of two Wilfred Owen poems, Anthem for Doomed Youth and The Last Laugh as the videos went viral. Downloads are available in the media archives.

Sean's most recent charity event, on December 5th, was ICAP’s one day a year contribution that delivers to hundreds of charities, which in turn help thousands of people improve the lives of millions of others. This special one-day event is hosted annually by ICAP Group, a leading voice and electronic interdealer broker and provider of post trade risk and information services. The Group is active in the wholesale markets in interest rates, credit, commodities, FX, emerging markets, equities and equity derivatives. Each of the ICAP offices hold a day on which all revenues and commissions are given away to just a few charities, meaning each would receive a large amount of money which would really make a difference to their operations. The brokers themselves are giving away their own commissions to charity, as well as the company giving away its revenues. From the looks of the photos from the day's activities, quite a number of celebrities turned up and a great time was had by all.

Revisiting his favorite subject, football, Sean narrated Hooligan, a documentary study of what was known in the 80′s as ‘the English disease’, an in-depth study of hooliganism (both in act and in what it is to be one). Described by Amazon as "one of the hardest hitting films on football violence ever made. Starring some of the football firms' most feared and notorious figures and former Millwall hard man Tamer Hassan (Dead Man Running, Bonded By Blood) , Hooligan is the real story of football violence told with shocking honesty and plenty of Bean passion. With footage of the worst hooliganism ever seen in the UK and abroad and revealing stories from ex-hooligans, the police and football authorities, director Donal Macintyre (the reporter behind the ground-breaking undercover TV program Chelsea Headhunters) gets into the world of the football firms like never before, capturing all the fear, violence and mayhem they bring." The DVD is now available at Amazon. You can also view it streaming online.

Hopefully, Sean will take some time to relax over the Holidays so that he can be fresh and fit for the fight beginning in January when he will return to the world of American network television and step in to replace Brendan Fraser in the TNT drama pilot Legends, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety have confirmed. From Homeland executive producer Howard Gordon, Legends -- which originally was for NBC -- follows deep-cover operative Martin Odum (Bean), who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job. But his own identity comes into question when a mysterious stranger suggests that Martin isn't who he thinks he is.

With the Holiday season upon us, everyone here at Sean Bean Online wishes you the merriest of times and hopes that you will follow Sean's lead and lend a helping hand to your favorite causes or give to those less fortunate, be they Toys for Tots, Warmth for Winter programs, horse rescue, cat shelter, your local food bank or rescue mission. Just do it. Guaranteed you'll feel better about stuffing yourself silly at all those holiday buffets you'll be hitting.

Check back soon for the SBO official 2013 calendars. Hope to see you all alive, well and happy in the New Year. ~Sable

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