Sean, a handsome and laconic American leading actor of the 1950s and 1960s, was often cast as servicemen or rugged outdoor types, but never quite achieved movie stardom.
Born in New York, Sean left school at the age of 14 and took on various short-term jobs on ranches, construction gangs, and sponge boats before landing a position at the ABC film vaults in Hollywood.
He was subsequently signed by Warner Brothers and made his film debut in a small role in 1958. Sean went on to study drama at the Actors Studio in New York, supplementing his income by working as a Macy's Department Store Santa Claus.
He appeared twice on Broadway in the early 1960s and played Lancelot in a touring production of Camelot, showcasing his good baritone voice. Sean was initially considered for the role in the motion picture adaptation, but ultimately lost out to Franco Nero.
Sean did score a notable leading role as a naval ensign opposite Jean Seberg in the psychological thriller Moment to Moment (1966),but his performance was somewhat muted, and the director, Mervyn LeRoy, later expressed regret at not casting an actor of Paul Newman's caliber instead.
Sean briefly co-starred with John Mills in a 1967 television series, playing an impulsive hotshot lawyer and gunslinger apprenticed to a pacifist British attorney involved in legal proceedings in 19th century Arizona. Despite its unique premise and vibrant color, Dundee and the Culhane (1967) flopped and was cancelled after just 13 episodes.
Sean was essentially relegated to the fringes of screen acting after that and retired in the early 1980s to pursue a career in swimming pool construction.
