Sean Bean. Picture: Bang Showbiz
Sean Bean thinks his former "Game of Thrones" co-star Richard Madden would make a perfect choice to follow Daniel Craig as James Bond.

The 60-year-old actor has backed his former 'Game of Thrones' co-star - who played his on-screen son Rob Stark on the HBO drama and later earned high praise for his performance in BBC drama "Bodyguard" - to take over the iconic role once Daniel Craig steps down as 007.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, he said: "He's got everything that's required of the role. He's strong, he's masculine and he's also got a soft underbelly, he's vulnerable, good looking -- Scottish!

"I can't see why he wouldn't get the part. Everybody was great who came through Game Of Thrones. But I always sensed he was a very fine actor.

"He had gravity and that thing we talked about at drama school -- presence. He had a lot of presence."

Bean only briefly starred as Ned Stark in "Game of Thrones", as the character was killed off in what has become a trend for the actor on the big and small screen.

His alter egos have died a total of 21 times in film and television, and he admitted he has started turning down roles where he won't survive to the end.

He explained: "I've turned down stuff. I've said, 'They know my character's going to die because I'm in it!' I just had to cut that out and start surviving, otherwise it was all a bit predictable.

"I did do one job and they said, 'We're going to kill you', and I was like, 'Oh no!' and then they said, 'Well, can we injure you badly?' and I was like, 'OK, so long as I stay alive this time'.