Answer: The Napoleonic Wars

To fans outside of the British Isles, Sean Bean is the rugged looking guy best known for roles like Boromir in the Lord of the Rings series and Lord Stark in Game of Thrones. While fans in the British Isles certainly know him for those high profile roles too, they’ve long known him more intimately (and lengthily) as Richard Sharpe, a British soldier in the Napoleonic Wars.

Starting in 1993, Sean Bean starred in a series of movies based on the character that were released as TV films in a miniseries like format over the course of 15 years and encompassing 16 installments: all following the adventures of Sharpe in various campaigns and nations.

Not only was the series incredibly popular both among critics and fans, but the author of the book series upon which the miniseries is based, Bernard Cornwell, was so impressed with Bean’s work that he dedicated one of the novels in the series (Sharpe’s Battle) to him.