# The Opposite Sean Bean - actors who never die in movies(open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629 "2013-10-07T22:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/21 "2013-10-08T00:17:43Z")
Steven Seagal never dies…except in Executive Decision. And, after forever out of the movie theaters…he dies in Machete, where he is the villain. After he gets slashed open…“This? This ain’t shit.” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/22 "2013-10-08T00:35:40Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > He’s done more than 50 movies I think…any others? Even Sean Bean survives now and then. Looking through his IMDB listing, I think he died at the end of **The Mosquito Coast** , but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/23 "2013-10-08T00:45:33Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > I don’t think Tom Cruise has had many movie deaths. > > Sylvester Stallone hasn’t, either. He perpetrated a _Get Carter_ remake, didn’t he? I refuse to watch that in principle, but anybody who wants to suffer through the existential horror that was the whole concept of remaking the Mike Hodges masterpiece with Stallone, could tell us if they kept the original ending. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/24 "2013-10-08T00:48:48Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I read Stallone died in Death Race? Yes he died in that one. The original schlocky (but much better) version. It was before he was famous and it was a pretty small role. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/25 "2013-10-08T01:50:42Z")
A more movie-savvy poster will have to check this up for me, but ISTM that Robert Downey Jr. must have at least the highest, if not an infinite, ratio of onscreen very-very-NEAR deaths to onscreen ACTUAL deaths. Why, in the roles of Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes alone he’s made it into the “so close to dead that everyone seriously thought he actually was dead” category multiple times. > [@NDP](#): > > Julia Roberts died in Steel Magnolias but has she had any death scenes since then? Dunno, but either way, I think female stars’ onscreen death records and death avoidance records have to be scored separately from male ones’. Female stars just don’t get the same opportunities to die onscreen that male ones do. Frinstance, if you can point me to an actress approximately as well known as Sean Bean who has even a QUARTER of the dying roles that he’s had, I will—well, I’ll admit I was wrong, that’s what I’ll do. But I don’t think it’ll happen. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/26 "2013-10-08T01:58:12Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > He perpetrated a _Get Carter_ remake, didn’t he? I refuse to watch that in principle, but anybody who wants to suffer through the existential horror that was the whole concept of remaking the Mike Hodges masterpiece with Stallone, could tell us if they kept the original ending. They did not. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/27 "2013-10-08T02:03:46Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Frinstance, if you can point me to an actress approximately as well known as Sean Bean who has even a QUARTER of the dying roles that he’s had, I will—well, I’ll admit I was wrong, that’s what I’ll do. But I don’t think it’ll happen. Michelle Rodriguez? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/28 "2013-10-08T02:42:37Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > Jason Statham? He plays a lot of action hero roles which strangely don’t die very often. Does he die in Cellular? He’s the villain. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/29 "2013-10-08T02:45:28Z")
And apparently Jason Statham died in Ghosts of Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/30 "2013-10-08T03:03:58Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Michelle Rodriguez? I way doubt it. According to [GeekSpeak](http://www.geekspeakmagazine.com/archive/issue16/features/the_many_deaths_of_sean_bean_1.htm), Sean Bean has died in at least 25 movies as of 2011. That would mean Rodriguez would have to have died in at least 6 movies to make the cut. I’m not at all familiar with [Rodriguez’ filmography](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0735442/) except for _Avatar_, but I’ve seen nothing to indicate that she’s got six big-screen last moments to her credit. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/31 "2013-10-08T03:11:44Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Frinstance, if you can point me to an actress approximately as well known as Sean Bean who has even a QUARTER of the dying roles that he’s had, I will—well, I’ll admit I was wrong, that’s what I’ll do. But I don’t think it’ll happen. Meryl Streep has died [11 times](http://www.cinemorgue.com/merylstreep.html). ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/32 "2013-10-08T03:32:22Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Does he die in Cellular? He’s the villain. Yes. Yes he does. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/33 "2013-10-08T03:48:19Z")
[Cinemorgue](http://www.cinemorgue.com/index.html) doesn’t seem to have any listings for Billy Crystal. (Not that he’s exactly a big action star, or anything.) ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/34 "2013-10-08T03:54:37Z")
Will Farrell? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/35 "2013-10-08T04:02:18Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Meryl Streep has died [11 times](http://www.cinemorgue.com/merylstreep.html). Mmm, not to nitpick for loopholes, but I’d seriously question the notion of Streep being “approximately as well known as Sean Bean”: she has, in fact, been a significantly bigger star for significantly longer. Streep is not only ten years older than Bean is, but has been a major actress in major films since _The Deer Hunter_ in 1978. ISTM that Bean didn’t reach anything remotely comparable to Streepian levels of recognition till the 1990’s. And even so, even counting “deaths” like those in _Bridges of Madison County_ and _Julie and Julia_ where _Streep’s character was alive for the entire story arc of the movie set in the historical past and is revealed to have died of natural causes only in the context of a narrative framing device set much later_—which I’d say is stretching the concept of “character dying in a movie” nearly to breaking point!—counting all that, Streep _still_ has fewer than half as many onscreen deaths on her resume as Bean does. Nope. I still maintain that there is no level playing field when it comes to actors of different genders kicking the bucket in movies. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/36 "2013-10-08T04:36:55Z")
Bob Hope Jerry Lewis Charlie Chaplin * * * Not 100% sure but comedians dying onscreen, even in serious roles, is rare. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/37 "2013-10-08T05:11:23Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I’m not at all familiar with [Rodriguez’ filmography](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0735442/) except for _Avatar_, but I’ve seen nothing to indicate that she’s got six big-screen last moments to her credit. Follow-up after discovering Cinemorgue: Six big-screen if you count a couple of videogame tie-in flicks, which I think is pushing it too far. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/38 "2013-10-08T10:32:10Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Dunno, but either way, I think female stars’ onscreen death records and death avoidance records have to be scored separately from male ones’. Female stars just don’t get the same opportunities to die onscreen that male ones do. > > Frinstance, if you can point me to an actress approximately as well known as Sean Bean who has even a QUARTER of the dying roles that he’s had, I will—well, I’ll admit I was wrong, that’s what I’ll do. But I don’t think it’ll happen. This is a straw-man…er, straw-woman comparison. Sean Bean has died in so many movies he’s become a meme; he’s hardly a baseline case for contrasting male vs female cinemortality. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/39 "2013-10-08T11:22:12Z")
> [@Werekoala](#): > > Will Farrell? Well, as it happens I’m watching an Austin Powers movie and he just died. No, wait, he’s fine. No, no, I was right, he’s d-- no, still alive. Suffering but still alive. Not long now. Now he’s definitively dead. Positively. No, wait, I was wrong, he’s still-- now he’s dead. No, no he isn’t. Not yet. Well, that took care of it, now he’s dead for su-- oh, for god’s sake! > [@Ranchoth](#): > > [Cinemorgue](http://www.cinemorgue.com/index.html) doesn’t seem to have any listings for Billy Crystal. > > (Not that he’s exactly a big action star, or anything.) I have two, count’em, two Billy Crystal deaths in one single short film: [http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0247468f28/when-harry-met-sally-2-with-billy-crystal-helen-mirren](http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0247468f28/when-harry-met-sally-2-with-billy-crystal-helen-mirren) Booo-yah! Still no anti-Bean! ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629/40 "2013-10-08T12:00:58Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Bob Hope > Jerry Lewis > Charlie Chaplin > > * * * > > Not 100% sure but comedians dying onscreen, even in serious roles, is rare. Bud Abbott, maybe? (Lou Costello died in _ **The Time of Their Lives** _, and was a ghost for most of the movie). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-sean-bean-actors-who-never-die-in-movies-open-spoilers/670629.md?page=3)