Life's a drag for Sean! Mr Bean slips on a dress and blonde wig to play a transsexual
He may be famed for being one of television's hard men, but it seems Sean Bean is keen to show off a more feminine side.
The star, who made his name in military drama Sharpe, will play a transsexual in BBC court room drama The Accused.
Bean is seen here in character - sporting a blonde wig, full make-up, a glamorous electric blue mini-dress adorned with sequins, glittery tights, and a faux fur coat.
Nice legs, love: Sean Bean plays school teacher Simon Gaskell in BBC One courtroom drama The Accused
He plays an English teacher called Simon and his alter ego, Tracie, whose quest for love leads to the courtroom.
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The new four part series, which examines the British justice system, will air on BBC1 later this year.
Working together: Sean has wanted to star in a Jimmy McGovern production for a while
The first series of the legal drama, written by Cracker creator Jimmy McGovern, starred Peter Capaldi, Christopher Eccleston and Mackenzie Crook.
Bean said: 'I've wanted to work on a Jimmy McGovern drama for a while and I think this cracking script really delivers a powerful, emotional drama for the audience.'
Normal attire: Sean suited and booted in LA
Ben Stephenson, controller of drama at the BBC, said Bean would feature in the third episode of the four-part series.
He told members of the Broadcasting Press Guild: 'He's playing a transsexual, a brilliant story, untold I think on mainstream television.'
Other names lined up for the new series include Anna Maxwell Martin, Stephen Graham and comic John Bishop.
It has been 19 years since Bean first became famous playing Colonel Richard Sharpe in ITV Napoleonic drama Sharpe.
He went on to star in first film in the hugely successful Lord of The Rings’ trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Bean has become as well known for his life off screen – having married and divorced four times.
He wed first wife and high school sweetheart, Sheffield hairstylist Debra James, in 1981, before marrying second wife Melanie Hill, who played Aveline in the sitcom Bread, months after his divorce in 1990.
They were together for 16 years, married for eight, and had two daughters, Lorna, now 20, and Molly, 17. They divorced when Bean allegedly had an affair with a barmaid.
Bean soon married Abigail Cruttenden, who played his wife in ITV's Sharpe. They had a daughter, Evie, in 1998 but split just 18 months later.
He split from fourth wife Georgina Sutcliffe in December 2010 after two years of marriage.
Flair for fashion: Bean's alter ego in The Accused has a taste for garish clothes
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