Sean Bean is glad to be playing the good guy in his new TV series, although he admits it is fun to play the villain too.

The Lord Of The Rings star – who in the past has played several Hollywood villains, including Alec Trevelyan in James Bond film GoldenEye – is pleased to be getting more hero roles, but insists he wouldn’t turn down the part of a great villain.

Sean said: “I just think about Anthony Hopkins in the Silence Of The Lambs and if you got offered a part like that you’d be mad to refuse it because it’s a brilliant meaty role, you know, and I’ve had some good roles as villains.

He added: “But I’m glad that I’m veering away to more decent people now and having a crack at that, sort of anti-heroes. They’ve all got their faults. Every character has their faults and their foibles and their limits.

“I just like to be broadening out and play villains and play a good guy and play a funny guy maybe.”

Sean stars alongside The Full Monty’s Mark Addy and Alfie Allen in new HBO fantasy series Game Of Thrones, which was filmed on location in Northern Ireland and Malta.

He revealed: “It’s a kind of weird magical mystery world that’s not set in a particular time but it’s a quite a disturbing piece. It’s not for kids really.

“It’s about seven kingdoms and everybody’s vying for power so it’s very much a story of corruption and greed and power and sex and violence, but magic at the same time.”

But Sean was relieved his character Ned wasn’t part of the corruption.

He laughed: “I was quite a good guy in it so I didn’t get involved in a lot of brutality. Only when necessary.”